TicketsOct. 28, 2008
CINCINNATI - Junior Paul Hoste (Clinton Township, Mich./De LaSalle) scored his first career goal, leading the University of Cincinnati men's soccer team to a 1-0 victory against No. 11/12 USF on Tuesday night (Oct. 28) at chilly Gettler Stadium. The win was the fourth in five matches for the Bearcats, who improved to 7-8-2 overall and 4-5-1 in BIG EAST play.
Cincinnati shut out its opponent for the fourth time in the last five matches and won its last four at home after starting 0-4-1 in Gettler Stadium in 2008. It was the first win of the season against a ranked opponent for the Bearcats, as they had been 0-4-2 coming in to the match.
The two teams played conservatively throughout the first half, with USF (10-4-2, 6-3-1 BIG EAST) holding possession in their backline for much of the stanza. The Bearcats had a tremendous opportunity in the 19th minute when Nick Weightman (Lanark, Scotland/St. Aidan's) sent a free kick into the penalty area where Branden Stelmak (Broadview Heights, Ohio/Brecksville-Broadview Heights) got a head on it. His attempt sailed just wide right.
The half ended with both teams having attempted four shots and both defenses playing well.
The Bearcats came out of the gate in the second half with a flourish. Crisper passing and combination play set up scoring opportunities in the first few minutes and at the 50:33 mark, Hoste capitalized. After Matt Bahner (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West) moved the ball up the far side, he slid a pass to Hoste just outside the box, 20 yards from goal. Hoste ripped a shot to the far post that beat USF keeper Jeff Attinella for his first career tally.
Following the goal, USF came out of its shell offensively to attack. UC's defense was up to the task, holding the Bulls to just four shots in the period.
Goalkeeper Matt Williams (Portland, Maine/Cheverus) preserved his ninth clean sheet of the season with two saves, none bigger than his deflection of a Jorge Mora rocket in the 54th minute, just moments after the Bearcats had taken the lead. On a counter attack, Mora found himself wide open in front of Williams, his shot from 16 yards was masterfully pushed over the crossbar by Williams, who has not allowed a goal in the last four home matches.
"The defense has played really well of late," said head coach Hylton Dayes, who pulled in to a tie for second all-time with Jim McDowell for career victories at UC with his 72nd. "They played as a unit and shut out one of the top forwards in the league in Jordan Seabrook."
The Bearcats have had success against USF in Gettler Stadium, being unbeaten in the last four against USF at home (3-0-1). In 2004, UC knocked off previously unbeaten and No. 7-ranked USF, 1-0, in Gettler Stadium.
Though Bahner and Hoste's contributions were most obviously seen, the Bearcats midfield was great against one of the best midfields in the conference if not the nation led by all-American Kevon Neaves. UC midfielders Judson McKinney (Cyahoga Falls, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy) and Mark Konitsch (Clarence, N.Y./Clarence Senior) had strong matches, creating havoc and disrupting the flow of the Bulls midfield players.
The Bearcats moved into fifth place in the BIG EAST Red Division, with the top six earning berths in the conference tournament. UC wraps up its regular-season schedule on Friday, Oct. 31, at St. John's in a match to be nationally televised on Fox Soccer Channel at 8 p.m.