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CINCINNATI -- The University of Cincinnati men's soccer team played the final home regular season match of 2015 on a wild Wednesday night at Gettler Stadium, drawing with Memphis, 3-3. The Bearcats (7-6-3, 1-2-3 American) and Tigers (3-7-4, 1-2-3 American) were tied in the standings entering the match and remain tied following six goals, seven cards and 110 minutes of soccer.
Memphis scored a pair of early goals in the sixth and 14th minutes to jump out to a 2-0 lead. UC responded with goals in the 24th and 35th minutes to equalize the match, 2-2. Six minutes later, Memphis and Cincinnati each had a player sent off. The teams played the remainder of the match at 10 men each.
The Bearcats briefly took a lead on the second goal of the match by Alejandro Garcia (Coral Springs, Fla./Darton State) in the 51st minute, but Memphis responded just less than two minutes later when Raul Gonzalez scored the final goal to make it 3-3.
// GOAL SCORING SUMMARY
6' - MEM Julio Vargas (Josh Burnett)
Vargas spotted the visitors to the early lead, heading home a cross from Josh Burnett.
14' - MEM Chandler Klemm (Raul Gonzalez)
Klemm extended the Memphis lead just eight minutes later, taking a cross from Gonzalez who played the ball into the box from the left side. Klemm sent it back and finished in the lower right corner for the 2-0 lead.
24' - CIN Alejandro Garcia (Emmanuel Appiah)
Appiah (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville Central) got a run down the left side of the field and dribbled all the way to the end line. He then crossed it into Garcia, who redirected it to the far post for UC's first goal of the match, cutting the Memphis lead to 2-1.
35' - CIN John Manga (Terence Carter & Emmanuel Appiah)
Manga (Lexington, Ky./Henry Clay), the preseason offensive player of the year in The American who has battled injuries all year, scored his second goal of the season on a restart by Appiah. Appiah sent it in from 30 yards, where Carter got a head on it, but could only redirect it. Manga was there to clean it up and equalize the match at 2-2.
51' - CIN Alejandro Garcia (Emmanuel Appiah)
The Bearcats took their first lead of the match early in the second half when Appiah sent a corner kick in and Garcia was there to head it home. It was Garcia's second goal and Appiah's third assist of the night.
52' - MEM Raul Gonzalez
The UC lead was short-lived, as just one minute and 49 seconds later, Gonzalez took a free kick from 22 yards out and put it right on goal. It tipped off the keeper's hands and in to tie the score at 3-3.
// GAME NOTES
- It was Cincinnati's third draw of the season, all coming in conference play.
- The Bearcats have played extra time five times this year, going 1-1-3 in those matches. - Garcia had his third two-goal performance of the season.
- Garcia now has 10 goals on the year, matching Manga's total from last season which was the best for a Cincinnati player since 2007.
- Appiah becomes the first UC player with multiple assists in one match since Manga had two against Temple on Sept. 26, 2014.
// UP NEXT
Cincinnati plays its final two matches of the regular season on the road. First up is a visit to Temple on Saturday, Oct. 24. The match is set for 1 p.m. in Ambler, Pennsylvania. The Bearcats wrap-up the regular season the next Saturday, Oct. 31, at UCF.