Bearcats Welcome Canisius, Wright State on Labor Day Weekend

Sept. 4, 2009

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STORY LINES

• After a season-opening 5-2 win at Dayton on Sept. 1, the University of Cincinnati men's soccer team opens its home schedule against Canisius on Sept. 4 and Wright State on Sept. 6. The Bearcats and Golden Griffins will kick off at 7 p.m. on Friday, while the UC-WSU match will kick off at 5 p.m. on Sunday from Gettler Stadium.
• Head coach Hylton Dayes is in his ninth season at Cincinnati and 19th season as a head coach overall. Dayes is 169-148-41 overall and 73-63-21 at UC. With the win against Dayton, Dayes moved past Jim McDowell into sole possession of second place in coaching wins in program history. Bob Muro is the program's winningest head coach at 114-111-13.
• Dayes was a four-time all-American defender at Wright State from 1982-85 and is one of three student-athletes to have his jersey retired at the school. He spent seven seasons as the Raiders head women's coach, four as head men's coach, and another as an assistant men's coach.
• UC's five goals scored against Dayton were the most the Bearcats have scored since a 5-0 drubbing of Louisville on Oct. 31, 2004 in Gettler Stadium. UC scored a total of 13 goals in 19 matches last season.
• Redshirt freshman defender Kit North (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson), making his first career appearance and start, scored in the eighth minute against Dayton on a header off a corner kick.
• The Bearcats return 10 starters from last year's squad, including leading scorer Branden Stelmak (Broadview Heights, Ohio/Brecksville-Broadview Heights) and goalkeeper Matt Williams (Portland, Maine/Cheverus), who posted nine shutouts a season ago.
• The Bearcats have experience in goal as Williams - the 2008 starter - and Miguel Rosales (Aurora, Colo./Smoky Hill), who started all but one match in 2007, return this season.
• Williams posted his second career assist from his goalkeeper position against Dayton. He cleared a Dayton crossing pass out of his own end and onto the foot of Nick Weightman (Lanark, Scotland/Webber International), who scored his second career goal on the breakaway.
• UC is looking for its fifth consecutive trip to the BIG EAST Tournament. The Bearcats have qualified for the conference tourney in each of the first four years of affiliation with the powerful soccer league. UC won the school's first BIG EAST regular season title in 2006.

WEIGHT OF THE WORLD

• Junior Nick Weightman tallied a goal and three assists in UC's season-opening 5-2 win at Dayton on Sept. 1. The Scotland native surpassed his 2008 production in one game (2008: 1 goal, 1 assist, 3 points).
• Weightman became the first Bearcat to record three assists in a match since current MLS star Omar Cummings posted three helpers against Louisville on Sept. 26, 2006.

LAST TIME OUT

• Branden Stelmak scored a pair of goals and Nick Weightman scored a goal and added three assists to lead UC to a 5-2 win over No. 18 Dayton on Sept. 1 at Baujan Field.
• The Bearcats snapped Dayton's 20-match home winning streak and scored five goals in a match for the first time since a 5-0 win against Louisville on Oct. 31, 2004, in Gettler Stadium.
• Redshirt freshman defender Kit North (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson), making his first career appearance, scored in the eighth minute on a header off a corner kick.
• UC also got a goal from sophomore D.J. Albert (Park City, Ill.) in the 64th minute before Stelmak's second of the match closed the scoring.

UP NEXT

• UC will host the inaugural adidas Bearcats Classic on Friday, Sept. 13 and Sunday, Sept. 15. The Bearcats welcome Western Illinois, High Point, and perennial power Akron for the four-match invitational. Cincinnati will take on Western Illinois on Sept. 13 at 7:30 p.m. and then host Akron on Sept. 15 at 3:30 p.m.