TicketsCINCINNATI - Sunday afternoon at Gettler Stadium was quite a day for the University of Cincinnati women's soccer program. The Bearcats played Purdue in a close match and came from behind to win, 2-1, with Jaycie Brown scoring the winner with just under five minutes remaining in the match. With the win, not only did UC improve to 20-0-2 on 'Sunday Fun Day' (home Sunday afternoon matches under Head Coach Neil Stafford), the Bearcats also secured the best start in program history to go along with several other milestones.
// BEST START
Following the 2-1 victory over Purdue Sunday afternoon, the Bearcats are now 6-0-1 on the year and have recorded the best start in program history. The current mark surpassed the 2010 team, who opened the year 5-0-1 before falling in their seventh match of the season, a 3-0 set back at home to Illinois. The Bearcats have gotten off to this superb start on the strength of the defense, which has allowed just four goals (including one own goal) through seven matches. Only the 2001 team allowed fewer (2 goal against) through the first seven matches in a season.
// LONG STREAK
While opening the year undefeated, the Bearcats also have built one of only 12 streaks in program history that a UC team has gone undefeated in seven or matches. This year's current streak is tied for the ninth-longest with the 1982 (7-0-0), 1984 (5-0-2) and 2008 (4-0-3) sides. A result Thursday at LSU would move the streak to eight matches and a tie for eighth all-time with the 1997 team that went 7-0-1 from matches three through 10. The record for the program is 14 in a row set in 1994 as the team went 12-0-2 from matches eight through 21. The 1983 and 1986 teams also posted 13-match streaks.
// PROGRAM WIN #375
On September 21, 1980, the Bearcats played host to Marquette and handed the visitors at 7-0 defeat. That score line provided the Bearcats with their first victory in program history. Heading into the match with Purdue last Sunday, the program had secured 374 wins with the 2-1 defeat of the Boilermakers now standing as the 375th all-time win in program history. Here are the major milestone wins:
• 1 - Sept. 21, 1980 - UC defeated Marquette, 7-0, at home
• 50 - Sept. 29, 1984 - UC defeated Missouri-Rolla, 4-0, at Missouri-St. Louis
• 100 - Sept. 16, 1989 - UC defeated Missouri-St. Louis, 3-0, at UMSL
• 150 - Oct. 30, 1994 - UC defeated Creighton, 5-4, in overtime at home
• 200 - Oct. 13, 1998 - UC defeated Butler, 1-0, in overtime at home
• 250 - Sept. 1, 2002 - UC defeated Florida, 2-1, at home
• 300 - Oct. 24, 2008 - UC defeated Villanova, 2-1, at home
• 350 - Sept. 13, 2015 - UC defeated Duquesne, 3-2, on the road
• 375 - Sept. 10, 2017 - UC defeated Purdue, 2-1, at home
// COACHING WIN #150 FOR STAFFORD
This year marks the 15th year Neil Stafford has coached collegiate women's soccer. With the win over Purdue, Stafford now has 150 career coaching victories to his credit after coaching stops at Assumption and Central Michigan before UC. Here is a look at his milestone wins during his coaching tenure:
• 1 - Sept. 1, 2001 - Assumption defeated New Haven, 2-1, at the Stonehill Tournament
• 25 - Oct. 25, 2003 - Assumption defeated St. Anslem, 2-1, at home
• 50 - Sept. 29, 2005 - Assumption defeated St. Anslem, 2-1, at home
• 75 - Aug. 28, 2011 - Central Michigan defeated Indiana State, 2-0, on the road
• 100 - Oct. 25, 2012 - Central Michigan defeated Bowling Green, 4-0, on the road
• 125 - Sept. 13, 2015 - UC defeated Duquesne, 3-3, on the road
• 150 - Sept. 10, 2017 - UC defeated Purdue, 2-1, at home
// WHERE THEY CAME FROM
The success the Bearcats have enjoyed this year hasn't come over night. When Stafford took over the program in time for the 2013 season, UC had just finished the 2012 campaign with a 4-13-1 overall record and were ranked #227 in the final RPI ratings. Each year, the Bearcats steadily added wins and an improved RPI, climbing to #138 in 2013, #132 in 2014 and then #39 in 2015, the year they won the American Athletic Conference. While the team was at #75 in the final RPI of 2016, it marked the first time since 2000-02 (#47-#21-#26) that the Bearcats have been ranked in the Top 75 of the final RPI in consecutive campaigns.
// NEXT UP
The Bearcats will look to extend their program-best start Thursday night as they will travel to Baton Rouge, La., to face fellow undefeated LSU (6-0-0) in a 6 p.m. local (7 p.m. ET) match. The match will be the final non-conference tilt of the regular season for the Bearcats as the conference season opens September 21 with UCF coming to Gettler Stadium for a 7 p.m. American Athletic Conference contest that will be aired live on the American Digital Network.
// BEST START
Following the 2-1 victory over Purdue Sunday afternoon, the Bearcats are now 6-0-1 on the year and have recorded the best start in program history. The current mark surpassed the 2010 team, who opened the year 5-0-1 before falling in their seventh match of the season, a 3-0 set back at home to Illinois. The Bearcats have gotten off to this superb start on the strength of the defense, which has allowed just four goals (including one own goal) through seven matches. Only the 2001 team allowed fewer (2 goal against) through the first seven matches in a season.
// LONG STREAK
While opening the year undefeated, the Bearcats also have built one of only 12 streaks in program history that a UC team has gone undefeated in seven or matches. This year's current streak is tied for the ninth-longest with the 1982 (7-0-0), 1984 (5-0-2) and 2008 (4-0-3) sides. A result Thursday at LSU would move the streak to eight matches and a tie for eighth all-time with the 1997 team that went 7-0-1 from matches three through 10. The record for the program is 14 in a row set in 1994 as the team went 12-0-2 from matches eight through 21. The 1983 and 1986 teams also posted 13-match streaks.
// PROGRAM WIN #375
On September 21, 1980, the Bearcats played host to Marquette and handed the visitors at 7-0 defeat. That score line provided the Bearcats with their first victory in program history. Heading into the match with Purdue last Sunday, the program had secured 374 wins with the 2-1 defeat of the Boilermakers now standing as the 375th all-time win in program history. Here are the major milestone wins:
• 1 - Sept. 21, 1980 - UC defeated Marquette, 7-0, at home
• 50 - Sept. 29, 1984 - UC defeated Missouri-Rolla, 4-0, at Missouri-St. Louis
• 100 - Sept. 16, 1989 - UC defeated Missouri-St. Louis, 3-0, at UMSL
• 150 - Oct. 30, 1994 - UC defeated Creighton, 5-4, in overtime at home
• 200 - Oct. 13, 1998 - UC defeated Butler, 1-0, in overtime at home
• 250 - Sept. 1, 2002 - UC defeated Florida, 2-1, at home
• 300 - Oct. 24, 2008 - UC defeated Villanova, 2-1, at home
• 350 - Sept. 13, 2015 - UC defeated Duquesne, 3-2, on the road
• 375 - Sept. 10, 2017 - UC defeated Purdue, 2-1, at home
// COACHING WIN #150 FOR STAFFORD
This year marks the 15th year Neil Stafford has coached collegiate women's soccer. With the win over Purdue, Stafford now has 150 career coaching victories to his credit after coaching stops at Assumption and Central Michigan before UC. Here is a look at his milestone wins during his coaching tenure:
• 1 - Sept. 1, 2001 - Assumption defeated New Haven, 2-1, at the Stonehill Tournament
• 25 - Oct. 25, 2003 - Assumption defeated St. Anslem, 2-1, at home
• 50 - Sept. 29, 2005 - Assumption defeated St. Anslem, 2-1, at home
• 75 - Aug. 28, 2011 - Central Michigan defeated Indiana State, 2-0, on the road
• 100 - Oct. 25, 2012 - Central Michigan defeated Bowling Green, 4-0, on the road
• 125 - Sept. 13, 2015 - UC defeated Duquesne, 3-3, on the road
• 150 - Sept. 10, 2017 - UC defeated Purdue, 2-1, at home
// WHERE THEY CAME FROM
The success the Bearcats have enjoyed this year hasn't come over night. When Stafford took over the program in time for the 2013 season, UC had just finished the 2012 campaign with a 4-13-1 overall record and were ranked #227 in the final RPI ratings. Each year, the Bearcats steadily added wins and an improved RPI, climbing to #138 in 2013, #132 in 2014 and then #39 in 2015, the year they won the American Athletic Conference. While the team was at #75 in the final RPI of 2016, it marked the first time since 2000-02 (#47-#21-#26) that the Bearcats have been ranked in the Top 75 of the final RPI in consecutive campaigns.
// NEXT UP
The Bearcats will look to extend their program-best start Thursday night as they will travel to Baton Rouge, La., to face fellow undefeated LSU (6-0-0) in a 6 p.m. local (7 p.m. ET) match. The match will be the final non-conference tilt of the regular season for the Bearcats as the conference season opens September 21 with UCF coming to Gettler Stadium for a 7 p.m. American Athletic Conference contest that will be aired live on the American Digital Network.