TicketsCINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati men's soccer team closes out exhibition play Saturday at Lipscomb, taking on the Bisons at 8 p.m. ET in the Lipscomb Soccer Complex.
The Bearcats are 1-1 in the preseason after two home matches with a 2-0 win over Rio Grande on Aug. 14 and a 3-1 loss to Detroit on Aug. 11.
"We are entering the final stretch of preseason," Head Coach Hylton Dayes said. "This is our third preseason match and it's on the road. We want to see how our team reacts to the dynamic of playing away from home. Dealing with the distractions of being on the road and dealing with an opponent, facility and environment which is different than ours."
The Bearcats had a pair of goals the last time out from junior JJ Iroh and sophomore Cameron Panley with freshman Darryn Commissiong dealing both assists.
"We want to see continued improvement from the Rio Grande game," Dayes said. "We scored two goals, we moved the ball better, we were defending better, were a little more compact and I thought we limited Rio's chances. We knew Darron was a good player and he's made good progress, doing really well for a freshman. He's taking advantage of and making the most of his opportunities which is what I was hoping for."
The Bearcats will face a challenge in a Lipscomb team that is coming off a 1-0 loss at No. 9 Louisville on Aug. 12.
"We are playing an opponent who I think is the best overall of the three teams we've played this preseaosn," Dayes said. "We deal with their physical play. They're going to be physical, they're going to be organized and they're going to challenge us in a lot of different ways. I want to see how our team reacts to that. Overall, we want to look at this as a precurser to the season opener and we are going to treat it like that."
Dayes will look to settle on a top-11 ahead of the Bearcats regular-season opener at Gettler Stadium on Friday, Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. ET.
"We are where we thought we would be at this point in the preseason," Dayes said. "We are certainly looking to make progress on the road against a good oponent who will challenge us. Our guys have bought in, the culture of the team and their willingness to work has been great. Our training has been really good. We haven't had any poor sessions which has been encouraging."
The Bearcats are 1-1 in the preseason after two home matches with a 2-0 win over Rio Grande on Aug. 14 and a 3-1 loss to Detroit on Aug. 11.
"We are entering the final stretch of preseason," Head Coach Hylton Dayes said. "This is our third preseason match and it's on the road. We want to see how our team reacts to the dynamic of playing away from home. Dealing with the distractions of being on the road and dealing with an opponent, facility and environment which is different than ours."
The Bearcats had a pair of goals the last time out from junior JJ Iroh and sophomore Cameron Panley with freshman Darryn Commissiong dealing both assists.
"We want to see continued improvement from the Rio Grande game," Dayes said. "We scored two goals, we moved the ball better, we were defending better, were a little more compact and I thought we limited Rio's chances. We knew Darron was a good player and he's made good progress, doing really well for a freshman. He's taking advantage of and making the most of his opportunities which is what I was hoping for."
The Bearcats will face a challenge in a Lipscomb team that is coming off a 1-0 loss at No. 9 Louisville on Aug. 12.
"We are playing an opponent who I think is the best overall of the three teams we've played this preseaosn," Dayes said. "We deal with their physical play. They're going to be physical, they're going to be organized and they're going to challenge us in a lot of different ways. I want to see how our team reacts to that. Overall, we want to look at this as a precurser to the season opener and we are going to treat it like that."
Dayes will look to settle on a top-11 ahead of the Bearcats regular-season opener at Gettler Stadium on Friday, Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. ET.
"We are where we thought we would be at this point in the preseason," Dayes said. "We are certainly looking to make progress on the road against a good oponent who will challenge us. Our guys have bought in, the culture of the team and their willingness to work has been great. Our training has been really good. We haven't had any poor sessions which has been encouraging."