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The Game:
- The University of Cincinnati men's soccer team will take on a pair of Missouri Valley Conference opponents at the ProRehab Aces Classic on Friday, Sept. 7 and Sunday, Sept. 9. The Bearcats will tangle with Bradley on Friday at 6 p.m. and battle host Evansville on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
Series History:
- UC leads the all-time series against Bradley, 4-2. The squads last met in 2007, with Bradley taking a 1-0 victory in Peoria, Ill.
- Evansville holds a 4-1-0 advantage against the Bearcats, winning four straight from 1978-1983.
Story Lines:
- Head coach Hylton Dayes is in his 12th season at Cincinnati and 23rd as a head coach. Dayes holds an 93-92-30 mark at UC and a 190-176-49 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).
The Glorious Return of...:
- Matt Bahner, a 2010 second-team All-BIG EAST midfielder, returns to the squad for his fifth season after missing the entire 2011 campaign with a knee injury. Bahner led the Bearcats with seven goals and six assists in 2010 and has 12 career goals to his name.
- Bahner scored his first goal of the season on Sept. 2 at No. 22 Xavier.
- Peter Jannelli, who last played with the Bearcats during the 2009 season, started in the midfield in the first two contests, assisting on the game-winning goal in the 1-0 victory against Drake on Aug. 24.
New Kids on the Block:
- Five true freshmen and a first-year transfer saw time for the Bearcats in the opening weekend.
- Freshmen defenders Richardo Israel and Gabriel Robinson and freshman forward John Manga earned starts in each of the first two contests.
- Freshman forward Evan Talkers, defender Ben Keane, and sophomore transfer David Murrow saw action against Indiana.
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.
Preseason Polling:
- The Bearcats were picked to finish sixth in the BIG EAST Red Division by the league's coaches.
- UC has topped its preseason expectations in all but two seasons since joining the BIG EAST in 2005.
Ranking the Foes:
- The Bearcats have 13 wins over ranked opponents under Hylton Dayes (since 2001).
- UC is 13-31-6 against Top 25 foes since 2001, including a win against No. 1 Connecticut on Sept. 16, 2005, in Gettler Stadium.
- The Bearcats are 0-2-0 against ranked teams this season, falling 3-0 to No. 12/9 Indiana on Aug. 26 and 2-1 at No. 22 Xavier on Sept. 2.