TicketsSept. 21, 2010
By Dave Malaska
GoBEARCATS.com
Coming into the season, defense was supposed to be the Bearcats' weak point. UC had experience in goal with senior keeper Matt Williams. Junior Sam Klosterman was set to anchor one flank of the back line.
But senior Chris Mitchell, counted on for the other outside position, was injured. And, in center, the Bearcats were to start the inexperienced pairing of freshman Alex Hadley and sophomore transfer Roger Thompson.
It was a cause for concern.
Six games into the season, it's hard to recall what all the worry is about -- Mitchell is back in the lineup and UC's underclassmen have been sterling.
As a result, Cincinnati (2-2-2) has allowed only three goals and is near the top of both BIG EAST and NCAA defensive stats. The Bearcats also have three shutouts to their credit, and are coming off one of their most impressive performances, holding No.1-ranked Akron to a single goal. Coming into last Sunday's match, the Zips had been averaging better than two goals a match.
By the end of Sunday's 1-0 win over UC, the Zips were clearly frustrated.
"They were pretty happy to put it away and get off the field with a 1-0 win," UC coach Hylton Dayes says. "Talking to (Akron coach) Caleb (Porter) after the game, he said that was about as frustrated as his team has been in a long time."
Now, Cincinnati hopes to carry that defensive stiffness into the conference season, which starts Saturday with a home match against 2-3-1 Georgetown. If the season's first month has been an indication, the Hoyas and the rest of UC's league's opponents shouldn't count on scoring many goals.
The biggest reason has been the development of Hadley and Thompson. Hadley, at 6-2, is the larger of the pair and is better on balls in the air. Thompson, a Canadian transfer, is a converted midfielder with better speed, able to cover more ground behind those challenges. As a pair, they compliment each other almost perfectly, says Dayes.
As their partnership has gelled, so, too, has the chemistry of the whole back line.
Williams, watching them from goal, has high praise for his teammates.
"With those two, especially, you expected there was going to be a learning curve," he explains. "They haven't played much at the upper levels of Division I soccer, and you expected there were going to be things they haven't seen before, didn't know how to handle. For them to come in and not be afraid or play timid -- they've been exceptional. The whole back line has been great because of it. As a keeper, you can't ask for anything more."
According to Klosterman, the key to the pairing's quick development has been communication. With veterans on either side of them, and Williams directing from behind, the greenhorns have had plenty of guidance. So far, the result has been a goals against average better than the last two season's more veteran units, which allowed more than a goal per match.
"Everyone had their questions coming into the season," says Klosterman. "I think we've done a good job of answering those questions and keeping the ball out of the goal. If we can give up only one goal to Akron, the best team in college soccer, on a fluke goal, I think we're looking good against the conference."
AKRON WRAP-UP
Dayes isn't much for moral victories, but Sunday's 1-0 loss to No. 1 Akron (6-0) might come as close to one as he's willing to suffer. And, as a topper, the Bearcats will probably serve as the textbook example of how to attack the Zips for the rest of the season.
Rather than brace themselves for the Zips' high-powered offense, the Bearcats' game plan called for an aggressive offense.
"Our approach to the game was good and the guys were very committed to taking it to Akron," explains Dayes. "Akron's not used to being exposed defensively because they put so much pressure on you with their offense."
Instead, UC put the pressure on with its offense.
"Sometimes, a good attack is the best defense," says Dayes.
Afterwards, the coach had only one message for his team: "Maybe we should play the No. 1 team every week," Dayes chuckles.
Though UC finished the Akron tournament with a 0-2 mark, they finished in third place after the goal differential tie-breaker. Also, UC had two players make the all-tournament team: Mitchell and senior forward Brendan Stelmak.