TicketsOct. 21, 2008
Game Notes |
STory lines
The University of Cincinnati men's soccer team will travel to Michigan State for a mid-week non-conference matchup with the Spartans on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 3 p.m. in East Lansing.
UC won its second straight home contest with a 1-0 victory against Rutgers on Oct. 18 in Gettler Stadium. Branden Stelmak (Broadview Heights, Ohio/Brecksville-Broadview Heights) scored the game-winner in the 56th minute for the Bearcats, his second straight game-winner.
UC is 2-4-1 at home this season after posting a combined 18-5-2 mark at Gettler Stadium over the last three seasons. In 2007, UC was 7-1-0 at home and outscored opponents, 17-3.
Head coach Hylton Dayes is in his eighth season as the head coach at Cincinnati, holding a 69-60-22 record. He is 165-145-41 overall in his 19th season as a head coach. Dayes needs four 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 58-of-59 career matches at central defender. He is second on the squad with three goals, including the game-winner against Villanova on Oct. 4. He was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts against Villanova.
Sophomore Branden Stelmak (Broadview Heights, Ohio/Brecksville-Broadview Heights) scored the game-winner against Alabama A&M and followed that with the game-winner against Rutgers. He also tallied the winner earlier this season at Xavier, his first career goal. He leads the squad with nine points (4 G, 1 A). Stelmak was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll for his efforts against AAMU and Rutgers.
Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Matt Williams (Portland, Maine/Cheverus) has posted seven shutouts this season and holds a 1.10 goals against average with 54 saves. He was named the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week after posting shutouts against Alabama A&M and Rutgers last week, while assisting on the game-winner against AAMU.
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.
The Bearcats return to Gettler Stadium for a date with BIG EAST foe Syracuse on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE SPARTANS
Michigan State is coming off a 1-0 win at No. 18 Michigan on Oct. 18. The Spartans have won six of their last seven to push their record to 8-5-0 on the season. Doug DeMartin, scored two goals, including the game-winner, in MSU's upset of No. 14 UIC last Wednesday. He leads the Big Ten in goals, with 13, and points, with 28. Goalkeeper Avery Steinlage surrendered just one goal, on a penalty kick, in MSU's win over UIC, and then made 10 saves in MSU's 1-0 win over No.18 Michigan. The sophomore now has four shutouts and the Spartans are 7-2 since he took over in goal on Sept. 12. Head coach Joe Baum is in his 32nd season at Michigan State.
The serieS
UC and Michigan State have met 17 times on the pitch, with the series all square at 8-8-1. The Bearcats knocked off the No. 11 Spartans in Gettler Stadium, 2-0, last season on Halloween. UC defeated MSU, 5-2, in 1999 at home. The last Michigan State win in the series came in 1998, 2-1, in East Lansing. The two teams met for the first time in 1980, a 2-1 win for the Bearcats.
RANK AND ROLL
The Bearcats have squared off against six nationally-ranked opponents thus far in 2008. The young team that features 15 freshman and 17 newcomers has posted a 0-4-2 mark against ranked foes. UC played No. 24/rv Loyola Chicago and No. 20/17 Providence to scoreless draws. The losses came against No. 7/5 Akron on the road (2-1), No. 7/4 Connecticut on the road (2-1), No. 3/3 Notre Dame at home (3-0), and No. 8/7 Louisville at home (2-1, ot).
BIG EAST HONORS
Brad Simpson was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 6. In UC's 1-0 win at Villanova on Oct. 4, Simpson netted the game-winning goal and helped preserve the Bearcats' fifth shutout of the season from his central defensive position. Matt Williams was named the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week on Oct. 20 after posting a pair of shutouts, six saves, and assisting on a game-winning goal in two Bearcats wins. Branden Stelmak earned a spot on the league's honor roll on Oct. 20 after scoring game-winners in UC wins against Alabama A&M and Rutgers.