TicketsOct. 27, 2008
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STORY LINES
The University of Cincinnati men's soccer team will wrap up the home portion of its regular season schedule, welcoming USF to Gettler Stadium on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m.
With three wins in the last four matches, the Bearcats have moved into the sixth position in the BIG EAST Red Division, the last position to qualify for the BIG EAST Tournament. With a pair of wins in the final two conference matches of the year, the Bearcats will clinch a spot in the tournament for the fourth time in four years of affiliation with the BIG EAST.
UC is 3-4-1 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 70-61-22 record. He is 166-146-41 overall in his 19th season as a head coach. Dayes needs two 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 60-of-61 career matches at central defender. He is tied for the team lead with four goals, including game-winners against Villanova on Oct. 4 and Syracuse on Senior Night on Oct. 25. 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 eight shutouts this season and holds a 1.09 goals against average with 55 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. His eight shutouts are already good enough for 10th in school history.
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 closes out the regular season slate when it travels to St. John's for a nationally-televised (Fox Soccer Channel) match on Halloween night at 8 p.m.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE BULLS
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week, senior Yohance Marshall helped lead USF to its ninth and 10th shutouts of the season, breaking the single-season shutouts school record with a 3-0 win over Florida Atlantic on Oct. 21 and a 1-0 victory at Villanova on Oct. 24. The win at Villanova clinched a berth into the BIG EAST Championship. The senior scored the game-winning goal against Villanova and also tallied an assist in the FAU victory. Marshall led the defense as the Bulls held FAU and Villanova to a combined eight shots on goal. Sophomore goalkeeper Jeff Attinella currently has a 0.33 goals against average on the year, which ranks in the Top Five nationally. His .907 saves percentage also ranks in the Top 10 nationally. Freshman midfielder Sebastien Thuriere was named the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week. Thuriere scored the first goal of his collegiate career and registered his first assist in the win over FAU.
THE SERIES
Former Conference USA rivals, this is the 16th meeting all-time between the teams. The Bulls lead the all-time series 7-5-3. The last meeting took place last season when USF defeated the Bearcats 3-2 in double overtime at the USF Soccer Stadium.
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.