TicketsOct. 29, 2008
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The University of Cincinnati women's soccer team travels to St. John's on Thursday (Oct. 30) to challenge the Red Storm in the first round of the 2008 BIG EAST Championship. Cincinnati (9-6-3, 5-3-3) received the fifth seed in the National division, while St. John's (8-5-5, 4-4-3) finished fourth in the American division of the BIG EAST regular season.
Cincinnati is mentored by first-year head coach Michelle Salmon, who has guided the Bearcats to a 9-6-3 mark this season. The Bearcats advanced to the BIG EAST Championship tournament for the first time in program history and have accumulated the most points ever in regular season conference play (18). UC joined the BIG EAST Conference in 2005.
Cincinnati is guranteed a winning season for the first time since 2002 when the Bearcats finished with a 17-4-3 overall record, won the Conference USA tournament and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
UC is ranked 15th in the Great Lakes Region, according to the most recent Regional Top 15 poll provided by Soccerbuzz.com. The Bearcats are ranked in the Great Lakes Region for the first time since the 2005 season.
The Bearcats are led in scoring by freshman Julie Morrissey (Abington, Mass./Tabor Academy), who has 14 points (6G, 2A) on the year. Morrissey is the first freshman to lead the team in points since 2005, when Jenn Johannigman accomplished the feat with 12 points (6G, 0A). It's the most points scored by a freshman for UC since Tianna Oliver posted 14 points (5G, 4A) in the 1999 season. Morrissey's four game-winning goals leads the team and ranks in a tie for fourth in the BIG EAST.
Senior Kristin May (Hudson, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) is making a strong push for all-BIG EAST consideration. May has produced all of her 13 points (5G, 3A) in league play. Against Villanova, in a game that clinched a spot in the conference tournament, May knocked home each of UC's goals in a 2-1 victory over the Wildcats. She was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll for her performance in week 10, an accomplishment she has achieved three times this season. The 13 points she has accumulated is the most points she has had in a season during her UC career and she currently stands at 32 points (10G, 12A) over her four seasons. In conference matches May ranks tied for fifth in points and tied for fourth in goals.