TicketsSept. 5, 2008
STORY LINES
The University of Cincinnati men's soccer team takes to the road for a pair of contests this weekend at the Akron Tournament. The Bearcats will take on Wisconsin-Green Bay on Friday, Sept. 5 at 5 p.m. and then No. 5/7 Akron on Sunday at 2:30 p.m., both at Lee Jackson Field.
UC will battle its second nationally-ranked foe of the season when it plays Akron on Sunday. The Bearcats drew 0-0 with Loyola (Ill.) on Sept. 1 in Gettler Stadium. Last season, the Bearcats were 2-3-1 against ranked opponents. The last time UC played an opponent ranked in the Top 5 was Sept. 28, 2007 at No. 2/2 Notre Dame (1-1 tie).
Head coach Hylton Dayes enters his eighth season as the head coach at Cincinnati, holding a 66-53-20 record. He is 162-138-39 overall in his 19th season as a head coach. Dayes needs seven wins to pass Jim McDowell for second in UC history for coaching victories.
Captain Brad Simpson (Novi, Mich./Novi) is the lone senior on this year's squad. A three-year starter, Simpson has started 54 of 55 career matches at central defender. He is also the top returning point-scorer with six points (1G, 4A).
Sophomore Branden Stelmak (Broadview Heights, Ohio/Brecksville-Broadview Heights) scored the game winner against Xavier, his first career goal.
Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Matt Williams (Portland, Maine/Cheverus) has made nine saves this season without allowing a goal in 200 minutes between the pipes. He has a 206-minute scoreless streak dating back to last season.
The Bearcats return only 10 letterwinners from the 2007 team and welcome 17 newcomers (15 true freshmen, two transfers) to the roster. Returnees accounted for just four of UC's 27 goals scored in 2007 and 11 of the team's 35 assists.
UC returns home to take on Kentucky on Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. in the final non-conference tune-up prior to BIG EAST play.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE PHOENIX
Green Bay played a pair of solid matches last week in the Michigan/Oakland Invitational, but came up just short in the results column. Against Michigan Friday, the Phoenix overcame a two-goal second half deficit and again rallied from one goal down late in the contest, but the Wolverines tallied the game-winner shortly after a Green Bay goal for a 4-3 season-opening win. Tosaint Ricketts led Green Bay with a pair of goals in the win. Two days later against Oakland, a 2007 NCAA second round team, the Phoenix shored up its defense but could not get its offensive chances to count in a 1-0 setback. Green Bay goalkeeper Adam Stikl had four saves.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE ZIPS
Akron is ranked No. 5/7 in the country after an impressive season-opening weekend at the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic, defeating No. 3/3 Notre Dame, 3-0, and playing host No. 7/7 Indiana to a 0-0 draw. Goalkeeper Evan Bush has recorded a school-record 37 shutouts in his career, just five shy of the Mid-American Conference record. Freshman defender Kofi Sarkodie is the younger brother of former Bearcat midfielder Kwame Sarkodie, who played at UC from 2003-2006. Head coach Caleb Porter holds a 28-9-3 record in his third year at Akron.
THE SERIES
Wisconsin-Green Bay holds a 2-0-0 all-time record against the Bearcats. The Phoenix topped UC, 1-0, in 1987 and won, 3-1, in 1980. Akron leads the all-time series with Cincinnati, 6-2-0 (.750) and the teams will meet for the first time since 1996. UA defeated UC in each of its first five meetings, but is 1-2 since then.