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Bearcats Open 2012 Against Drake, No. 12/9 Indiana

Bearcats Open 2012 Against Drake, No. 12/9 IndianaBearcats Open 2012 Against Drake, No. 12/9 Indiana

Aug. 23, 2012

Game Notes | Live Stats (Drake) | Live Stats (Indiana)

The Game:

  • The University of Cincinnati men's soccer team opens the 2012 regular season at the Billiken Classic, hosted by Saint Louis University. UC will square off against Drake on Friday, Aug. 24, at 5 p.m. in the tournament opener in Hermann Stadium. The Bearcats will then take on No. 12/9 Indiana, one of college soccer's premier programs, at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 26.

    Series History:

  • Drake leads the all-time series, 2-1-1.
  • Indiana owns an 11-0-0 mark all-time against the Bearcats.
  • UC last played Drake and Indiana in 1990, falling 4-1 at Drake, and 3-1 at Indiana.

    Story Lines:

  • Head coach Hylton Dayes is in his 12th season at Cincinnati and 23rd as a head coach. Dayes holds an 92-89-30 mark at UC and a 189-173-49 overall record.
  • Dayes is the second-winningest coach in UC history behind only Bob Muro, who posted a 114-111-13 mark in 12 seasons on the Bearcats sideline.
  • In 2011, UC posted a 6-11-1 overall mark, including a 2-7-0 ledger in BIG EAST play. The Bearcats failed to advance to the BIG EAST Tournament for just the second time since joining the league in 2005.
  • Returning this season are 2011 BIG EAST all-Rookie honoree Cole DeNormandie and 2010 second-team all-BIG EAST midfielder Matt Bahner.
  • The Bearcats look to rebuild a defensive unit which needs to replace both center backs and graduated captain and four-year starter Sam Klosterman.
  • A revamped back line and new starting goalkeeper, sophomore Taylor Hafling, will look to improve upon the 1.6 goals per game allowed in 2011.
  • A bevy of young but experienced players will take the pitch in 2012, including sophomores forward DeNormandie (18 starts in 2011), defender Will Diebold (14 starts), midfielders Matt Remaley (12 starts), Emmanuel Appiah (12 starts), and Ashani Walker (seven starts).

    BIG EAST/National Honors:

  • Cole DeNormandie was named to the BIG EAST all-Rookie team following the 2011 campaign. He led the Bearcats with seven goals and 15 points.
  • Four UC freshmen were named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Top 100 Freshmen list last season. Cole DeNormandie was No. 14 on the list, while Will Diebold (No. 69), Matt Remaley (No. 85), and Emmanuel Appiah (No. 95) were also recognized.

    Last Time Out:

  • UC closed out its 2012 exhibition season with a 0-0 draw at Michigan on Aug. 18 in the U-M Soccer Stadium.
  • Taylor Hafling made a pair of saves and the Bearcats have posted shutouts in each of the two exhibition contests this fall.
  • UC's back line, an area which has seen some turnover since 2011, seems to have gelled in the preseason. Led by center backs Michael Millay, a junior, and freshman Richardo Israel, the defense has looked like a strength in the early going.
  • Michigan outshot UC, 16-12, in an evenly-played contest. The Bearcats earned five corners to UM's two and each team was caught offsides once.