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Bearcats Travel to No. 12/16 St. John's for BIG EAST Tilt

Bearcats Travel to No. 12/16 St. John's for BIG EAST TiltBearcats Travel to No. 12/16 St. John's for BIG EAST Tilt

Oct. 5, 2012

Game Notes | Watch Live |

The Game:

  • Riding a six-match unbeaten streak, the University of Cincinnati men's soccer team travels to Queens, N.Y., to face the No. 12/16 Red Storm of St. John's. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6.

Series History:

  • The Red Storm lead the series 3-2-0. Cincinnati has the edge at St. John's, leading 2-1-0. The Bearcats are looking to continue their two-game winning streak against St. John's. UC has outscored St. John's 4-3 in three road matches.
  • In last season's season finale and Senior Night, UC topped then No. 18/11 St. John's 1-0 in Gettler Stadium on Oct. 29.

Story Lines:

  • Head coach Hylton Dayes is in his 12th season at Cincinnati and 23rd as a head coach. Dayes holds an 97-93-33 mark at UC and a 194-177-52 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.
  • Cincinnati set a school record with its fifth consecutive shutout against Syracuse on Sept. 29 and extended the streak to six with a 0-0 draw vs. No. 21/20 USF. The Bearcats have not allowed a goal in 624:14.
  • Prior to the start of this streak, UC's previous record of four consecutive shutouts came Oct. 27-Nov. 7, 2007. Cincinnati posted a 1-0 win over Villanova, 2-0 win vs. Michigan State, 1-0 win at Rutgers, and 2-0 win at Providence in the 2007 BIG EAST Tournament opener.
  • Regular starter at centerback Richardo Israel missed the Sept. 26 match against Cleveland State due to accumulated yellow cards. He started the first nine matches of the year. Israel returned to the starting rotation against Syracuse (Sept. 29) and played all 90 minutes.
  • UC remains undefeated in the BIG EAST with 1-0 victories at Pittsburgh (Sept. 22) and vs. Syracuse (Sept. , and a double overtime 0-0 draw vs. USF (Oct. 3). UC is unbeaten in its first three BIG EAST matches (2-0-1) since 2010, when it began league play 3-0-0.
  • Cincinnati's win against the Panthers was the first for the Bearcats in Pittsburgh, having lost, 2-1, to the Panthers in 2006 at Founder's Field.
  • Under Dayes, UC has never lost to USF in Gettler Stadium, posting a 3-0-3 mark against the southern soccer power.
  • Senior forward Leon Powell made his first appearance of the season against Cleveland State on Sept. 26. An expected starter, Powell injured his knee in UC's exhibition finale against Michigan and missed the first nine games of the regular season.
  • Taylor Hafling has posted six consecutive shutouts and has seven on the season. He ranks second in the BIG EAST and 15th in the nation in saves with 55 and fifth in the league in saves per game (4.58). Hafling's seven shutous leads the BIG EAST.
  • For the second consecutive season, the Bearcats are dealing with a bevy of injuries to key players. Starters Leon Powell, Matt Bahner, Peter Jannelli, Emmanuel Appiah, Michael Millay, Ashani Walker, and Will Diebold have missed time due to injury in 2012.
  • 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 and scored the game winner against Syracuse on Sept. 29.
  • 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.
  • Three true freshmen have made starts this season: Richardo Israel (11 starts), Gabriel Robinson (10) and John Manga (8) while first year transfer David Murrow has started one match.
  • Freshmen forward Evan Talkers and defender Ben Keane have alse seen time for the Bearcats.
  • Freshman Jacob Martinez scored his first career goal in the 1-0 overtime victory against Gardner-Webb on Sept. 16. Martinez's 98th-minute goal came in his second appearance in the Bearcat uniform.
  • Manga tallied his first career goal in the 1-0 winn at Pitt on Sept. 22. He was named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week on Sept. 24.

BIG EAST/National Honors:

  • John Manga was named the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week on Sept. 24 after scoring his first career goal and game winner in the Bearcats 1-0 win at Pittsburgh on Sept. 22 in the BIG EAST opener for both teams.
  • Taylor Hafling was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll on Sept. 17 after making 12 saves and posting shutouts against Gardner-Webb and Towson.
  • 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 13-31-7 against Top 25 foes since 2001, including a win against No. 1 Connecticut on Sept. 16, 2005, in Gettler Stadium.
  • The Bearcats are 0-2-1 against ranked teams this season, falling 3-0 to No. 12/9 Indiana on Aug. 26, 2-1 at No. 22 Xavier on Sept. 2 and tying No. 21/20 USF 0-0 following double overtime on Oct. 3.

Last Time Out:

  • UC (5-4-3, 2-0-1 BIG EAST) shutout No. 21/20 USF (6-2-3, 1-0-2 BIG EAST) 0-0 to earn their seventh shutout of the season. The win marked UC's school-record sixth consecutive shutout.
  • Senior Zach Patterson led all-UC players with five shots. Cincinnati was outshot 13-17 in 110 minutes. Sophomore Taylor Hafling finished with six saves, four more than USF.