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CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati men's soccer team defeated the USF Bulls, 2-1, on Saturday afternoon at Gettler Stadium in its conference home opener.
With the win, UC improves to 6-3-1 on the season and 2-0-0 in American Athletic Conference play while USF drops to 4-5-2 overall and 1-1-0 in league action. The Bearcats are now unbeaten in their last six matches - including five victories - and have begun The American play 2-0 for the first time in their four years as members of the conference.
Facing a USF team who was receiving votes this week in the national top-25 poll, UC came out ready to play. The Bearcats were on the attack early and it paid off when sophomore Adam Wilson (Auchterarder, Scotland/Dollar Academy) scored his second goal of the season on a free kick at the eight-minute mark. UC continued to be aggressive throughout the half with three corner kicks, while redshirt junior goalkeeper Pedro Diaz (Mason, Ohio/Mason) kept the Bulls off of the scoreboard with three saves.
Searching for an insurance goal, the Bearcats capitalized with a header from freshman Aerin West (Sylvania, Ohio/Northview) midway through the second half to put UC up 2-0. USF made things interesting just 10 minutes later with a score from Cliff Maina in the 77th minute to reduce the home team advantage to 2-1. Down the stretch the Bearcats were able to turn away USF match-tying attempts as they picked up their biggest win of the season.
// GOAL SCORING SUMMARY
8' - CIN Adam Wilson
On a free kick from about 22 yards out, Wilson's kick deflected off of one of the defenders in the USF wall and went into the left corner of the net for the first score of the day.
67' - CIN Aerin West (Adam Wilson)
The Bearcats again proved dangerous off of a set piece when Wilson sent a free kick into the box where West fought for position, went up and met the ball in the air, and sent a header into the back of the net from about six yards out.
77' - USF Cliff Maina (Lindo Mfeka)
Maina finished inside the box with his left foot off of a corner kick to give the Bulls their first, and only, score of the match.
// BEARCATS SCORING OPPORTUNTIES
- West's header attempt off of a Wilson corner kick goes wide right in the 15th
- Off of a Wilson free kick, freshman Elliott Williams (London, England) battled for position in the box and set a shot towards the net that was saved by the USF goalkeeper.
- A strike from junior Jack Clark (Mason, Ohio/Mason) from the far side of the box is sent wide left in the 48th minute.
- Freshman Patrick Nielsen's (Copenhagen, Denmark/Rungsted Gymnasium) header attempt from the near side of the box off of a Wilson corner kick during the 51st minute is saved.
- Around the 75th minute, the Bearcats had a couple chances when a shot from Wilson was saved and freshman Daniel Oginni (Mississauga, Ontario/King's Christian Collegiate) went wide of the net in a one-on-one situation.
- Clark fired a shot in the 88th minute that was saved.
// MATCH NOTES
- UC is unbeaten in its last six matches with five victories. The Bearcats last lost on Sept. 9 at the NKU Soccer Stadium against Xavier in a 4-2 decision.
- The all-time series between the two teams moves to 11-8-5 in favor of USF. The series is 4-4-3 all-time in matches played in Cincinnati.
- Wilson now has six assists on the season. He came into Saturday's match ranked 10th nationally and third in the conference in total assists.
- West scored his second goal of the season. His first was during the home opener against Wright State on Sept. 2.
- Diaz's six saves were a season high. He also had six saves at Memphis on Sept. 24.
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats will have a week off from competition before returning to conference play against UConn on Saturday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m. in Storrs, Connecticut.