TicketsOct. 24, 2008
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The University of Cincinnati men's soccer team welcomes BIG EAST foe Syracuse to Gettler Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, for a cruicial league contest. The Bearcats will honor senior defender Brad Simpson and senior manager Andy Frigge prior to the match, which kicks off at 7 p.m.
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 69-61-22 record. He is 165-146-41 overall in his 19th season as a head coach. Dayes needs three 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 59-of-60 career matches at central defender. He is second on the team 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 and earned a spot on the CollegeSoccerNews.com National Team of the Week.
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.
UC will close out its regular-season home schedule against USF on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. in Gettler Stadium.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE ORANGE
The Orange is riding a two-game winning streak, including a 3-2 victory against Adelphi in its final non-conference match. The win secured an unbeaten record (4-0-2) for the team in non-league games for the third year in a row. Senior forward Spencer Schomaker vaulted to the top of the Orange's scoring chart with a hat trick against Adelphi. Schomaker leads the Orange with 14 points. He is tied for the squad lead in both goals (5) and assists (4). The Seattle, Wash. native is having by far his best collegiate season, recording career bests in points, goals, and assists. Schomaker and his mates have found their scoring touch this season. With three matches still remaining, SU has 20 goals which equals its 2003 total and is more than it had in 2004 (15), 2005 (15), 2006 (18) and just one shy of last year's total (21). Syracuse has a goals-against average of 0.94 and eight shutouts. Senior goalkeeper Robert Cavicchia has been the keeper of record in every match this season and has 60 saves on the year. Classmate Karol Wasielewski is the reigning BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week. Wasielewski recorded his first point of the season against Adelphi when he assisted on Schomaker's second goal.
THE SERIES
This will be the fourth meeting between the conference rivals, with SU holding a 2-1-0 edge in the series. Syracuse topped the Bearcats, 2-1, in 2005 in Syracuse and 1-0 last season on an 89th minute goal at the SU Soccer Complex. In 2006, Cincinnati blanked the Orange, winning 3-0.
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. Stelmak was also named to the CollegeSoccerNews.com National Team of the Week for his accomplishments.