TicketsNov. 1, 2008
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STory lines
The University of Cincinnati women's soccer team continues its run in the 2008 BIG EAST Championship after defeating St. John's on Thursday (Oct. 30), 1-0. UC, the No. 5 seed in the National Division, will take on the No. 1 seed, Notre Dame, at Alumni Field on Sunday, Nov. 2 at 1p.m. Notre Dame is currently undefeated (18-0-0) and is the No. 1 team in the country while UC has lost only one game in its last nine matches and is currently 10-6-3 overall.
Cincinnati is mentored by first-year head coach Michelle Salmon, who has guided the Bearcats to a 10-6-3 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 guaranteed 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. The 2002 season was the last time UC had 10+ wins in a season.
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 16 points (7G, 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 1993 when Paulette Angilecchia scored 23 points (9G, 5A) in 19 matches as a freshman. Angilecchia was inducted in UC's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007. Morrissey's five game-winning goals leads the team and ties three other players for the most 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 finished tied for fifth in points and tied for fourth in goals.
Junior goalkeeper Andrea Kaminski's (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville) play has been a large reason for Cincinnati's improvement over the second half of the schedule. Kaminski, since allowing six goals against Norte Dame, has only allowed six goals in the last eight matches. Her back-to-back shutouts at Seton Hall and against No. 21/14 Rutgers earned her the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week award in week eight. On the season, she has recorded 75 saves and has allowed 1.24 goals-against average. In conferece matches only, Kaminski is tied for fourth with 51 saves. Kaminski has 11 career shutouts, good enough for ninth place in the UC record book.
Cincinnati's depth has played an important role this season and players have had to adjust to new roles when 2007 all-BIG EAST second team foward Erin MacDonald (St. Catherine's, Ont./West Park Secondary) sustained an injury in practice before the conference slate opened at Louisville. MacDonald totaled seven points (2G, 3A) in the seven matches prior to her injury.
Senior defenders Kim Sykes (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) and Lindsey Noteboom (Hurst, Texas/Birdville) have added stability to the backline, as each has started every match this season in the defensive third. Their experience is a large reason why the Bearcats have only allowed 25 goals by opponents this season and that UC is outshooting their opponents 233-203.
UC freshmen Kay Young (Doylestown, Ohio/Chippewa) and Kelli Pawelko (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) have each provided a spark on the defensive end of the field for the Bearcats, picking up additional minutes after junior defender Heather Neiser (Batavia, Ohio/St. Ursula) went down with an injury against Providence on Oct. 3. Sophomore transfer Sydney Barker (Roswell, Ga./University of Alabama) has played on the back line, as well as the midfield for UC. Barker has provided two assists this year and has taken six shots.
Senior Jenn Johannigman (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seton) has six points this season (2G,2A), the most she has accumulated in a season since her freshman campaign. Johannigman scored a goal against Wright State and followed that up with the game-winning goal in UC's next game, a 2-1 victory over Michigan.
Brittney Hansen (Toledo, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy), a senior goalkeeper, saw action in goal against Wright State (Aug. 24) but suffered a hand injury that forced her to switch to a field player. Hansen came in as a forward against Notre Dame. Her second game in the field she scored the game-winning goal against Connecticut (Oct. 5).
Melissa Bigg (Limehouse, Ontario/Acton) has taken UC's only penalty kick of the season, scoring against Connecticut (Oct. 5). Bigg has eight points this season, scoring three goals and assisting on two goals.
Super sophomores Kendall Loggins (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) and Logan Ballinger (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seton) have provided valuable minutes for UC this season. Ballinger has started 11 games and scored her second career goal in UC's 2-0 victory at Seton Hall this season (Oct. 10). Loggins typically comes off the bench to replace senior Chelsea Kindscuh (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota East) on the front line and has six points this season (2G, 2A), including the game-winner in UC's 2-1 overtime victory at Miami (OH) (Sept. 5).
A QUICK LOOK AT The IRISH
Notre Dame is led by long-time head coach Randy Waldrum who has a record of 203-29-8 in 10 seasons for the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame is led by 2006 Hermann Trophy recipient Kerri Hanks who has tallied 44 points (18G, 8A) this season. Hanks leads the BIG EAST in shots, goals, and points. The Irish have only allowed eight goals this season and are outscoring their opponents, 64-8. Notre Dame has 21 players that have tallied at least one point on the season. Sophomore midfielder Rose Augustin is a former teammate of UC midfielder Kristin May, as each attended Walsh Jesuit High School. Junior Kelsey Lysander has started 18 games in goal for the Irish and holds a 0.49 goals against average, saving 33 this season.
The serieS
Cincinnati is 1-8-1 against Notre Dame. UC's only win came in the second round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament by a 3-2 margin. The Irish have won the last four matches, including a 6-0 win on Sept. 28. Kerri Hanks started the scoring for Notre Dame in the first half while Melissa Henderson tallied a hat trick against the Bearcats.