Tickets// THE OPENING WHISTLE
The University of Cincinnati women's soccer team is set for its first American Athletic Conference matches of the 2017 season this weekend as #14 UCF (4-1-0) and USF (4-2-0) visit Gettler Stadium on the opening week of conference action. The Bearcats, who hold a 6-1-1 record, will face the Knights in the opener at 7 p.m. Thursday night with the match being shown live on the American Digital Network. Then, the opening week comes to a close Sunday at noon when the Bearcats and Bulls meet in a match that will be aired live on GoBearcats.com.
// FOLLOW US
GoBearcats.com is your one-stop destination for all things UC Athletics. Socially, the team can also be followed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with all using the handle GoBearcatsWSOC. Head Coach Neil Stafford (@UCGaffer) also can be followed on Twitter.
// GOING LIVE
Thursday's match with UCF will be broadcast live on the American Digital Network with Kit McConnico on the call with analysis from Roland Garangzuey and sideline reports from Matt Schumaker. It will mark the first event of the 2017-18 academic year aired by the ADN. Sunday, the match with USF will be streamed live on GoBearcats.com and, this year, will be free. The link to the stream can be found on the women's soccer schedule page. On the same page, links to live statistics can also be found.
// EXPERIENCE UC
Both matches this week, along with all home matches in 2017, will be part of the Experience UC initiative, which is geared toward inviting the community to campus to see firsthand the great things about and surrounding the university. Experience UC includes complimentary admission for patrons attending women's basketball, lacrosse, volleyball, women's tennis, men's and women's soccer, swimming and diving and track and field home events.
// QUICK SHOTS
• UC is 6-1-1 on the year after suffering their first loss last week at LSU (1-0)
• Prior to the loss, the 6-0-1 start was the best in school history and made UC one of just 15 schools (prior to last Thursday) without a loss on the year
• Since the start of the 2001 season, the Bearcats have upset five teams in the national Top 25 rankings with three being ranked in the Top 12 (at #6 Notre Dame in 2001; at #12 St. John's in 2009; and vs. #10 UConn in 2015)
• The Bearcats are 11-11-1 all-time in their first conference match of the year and are undefeated in their last two openers with a 2-2 tie at SMU and a 2-0 win at ECU
• In its first home conference match of the season, UC holds an 8-11-4 record and is undefeated in its last two openers at Gettler Stadium (1-0 defeat of #18 USF; 0-0 draw with Houston)
• The last time the Bearcats played at home, they came from behind to defeat Purdue, 2-1, and claim both the 150th win in HC Neil Stafford's coaching career and the 375th program win for UC
• With two starts this weekend, Vanessa Gilles would bring her career total to 74 and for the 10th-most starts in program history
// IN THE RANKINGS
The latest collegiate women's soccer rankings were released this week with the Bearcats seeing their name at #25 in the Top Drawer Soccer Top 25. UC did not receive votes in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 and slipped one spot to #9 in the Southeast Region rankings. In the USC poll, Thursday's foe, UCF, moved up one spot to #14 and remained #3 in the region.
// RPI RELEASED
The first RPI list of the 2017 was released with Cincinnati coming in at #20, which is believed to be the highest ranking the team has achieved dating back to the 2001 season's final rankings (week-by-week rankings are unavailable prior to the 2011 season). Previously, UC's best rankings were in the final releases of 2001 (#21) and 2002 (#26). The RPI is based upon a team's win-loss record and its strength of schedule. So far this year, UC has played three teams in the Top 60, including #14 LSU (L, 0-1), #22 Purdue (W, 2-1) and #54 Northwestern (W, 2-1), with four more still on the slate: #4 UCF, #60 USF, #33 Memphis and #38 SMU with all but the SMU match at home.
// QUICK RECAP: FIRST LOSS
• Cincinnati dropped a 1-0 decision at LSU on Thursday, September 14, for the Bearcats' first loss of the year in a battle of undefeated teams (LSU was 7-0-0 after the match before falling to Vanderbilt, 1-0, in its next match)
• The Tigers took the lead in the 44' as the countered off a shot from UC, drove down the pitch and played the ball off to Alex Thomas, who stuck the ball one time to find the back of the net
• UC out-shot LSU, 15-11, and both teams drew five corners each in the match
• Freshman Madison Less got the start in goal and recorded a career-high four saves in the match
• Sophomore Dee Picou and freshman Riley Gruenbaum both earned their first career starts
// KNOW THE FOE: UCF
• The Knights enter the match with a 4-1-0 record, but have not played a competitive match since September 3 (18 days between matches) because of the effects of Hurricane Irma in Florida
• UCF opened the year with a 0-2 loss at #4 South Carolina before winning four in a row, including a 2-1 overtime defeat of then-#4 North Carolina at home
• The last time the Knights played, the won a pair of 2-1 decisions in Tempe, Ariz., with wins over Arizona and host Arizona State
• Dina Orschmann leads the team in points with five and is tied for the team lead with Morgan Ferrara with two goals each
• Vera Varis and Chloe N'Gazi have split time in goal with each seeing minutes in all five matches this season as the duo have combined for 15 saves and one clean sheet
// IN THE SERIES: BEARCATS vs. KNIGHTS
• UC and UCF have meet seven times previously with the series tied, 3-3-1
• Cincinnati has won the last two meetings, 2-0, with the past three meetings all ending in a 2-0 score line (UC lost, 2-0, at UCF in 2014)
• The Bearcats are 2-0-1 all-time in the series at home
// AGAINST RANKED TEAMS
Thursday will mark the 10th time a Neil Stafford-led Bearcats team has played a nationally-ranked team since he took over in 2013 and the fourth time the foe will be one of the two Florida schools in the American with UC standing 1-0-2 in those matches. The last time UC faced a ranked team at home was last year in a 2-0 setback to #19 UConn. The last time the Bearcats upset a ranked foe at home came in 2015 in a 1-0 victory over #18 USF. In Stafford's first year with the program, UCF came to town ranked #19 and the Bearcats recorded a 1-1 tie in that match. Overall, UC is 2-5-2 in matches against ranked teams under Stafford with six of those coming in the 2015 season alone.
// KNOW THE FOE: USF
• The Bulls sport a 4-2-0 record despite missing two matches the second week of September
• Weather also changed USF's schedule as the Bulls saw a home match with Mississippi State and a road match at Florida cancelled because of Hurricane Irma
• USF opened the year with a 3-0-0 record with two wins coming in overtime before dropping a 4-2 score to #4 North Carolina at home and a 6-2 decision at Ohio State
• Evelyne Viens, the AAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, leads the team with 11 points on a team-high five goals
• Kat Elliott has seen most of the minutes on goal, stopping 26 shots and allowing 12 (2.21 GAA)
// IN THE SERIES: BEARCATS vs. BULLS
• Sunday's match will be the 25th all-time in a series that is tied, 10-10-4
• The last three matches have all ended in draws with two coming in the AAC Tournament, including a PK win for UC in the final of the 2015 and a PK win for USF last year in the quarterfinals
• The Bearcats are 1-0-3 in the last four meetings with a 1-0 win at home over #18 USF (10/2/15) in the most recent match in Cincinnati
• UC leads the all-time series in Cincinnati, 6-3-1, and is 2-0-1 in the last three
// SUNDAY FUN DAY!
Since Stafford took over the program in time for the 2013 season, the Bearcats have played at home on Sunday 22 times and hold an impressive 20-0-2 record in those matches after posting wins over Boston University, 2-0, Miami (Fla.), 1-0, and Purdue, 2-1, already this year. During those 22 matches, the Bearcats have out scored their foes, 49-11, with the UC defense recording 13 clean sheets in that span. Following this week's meeting with the Bulls, the final 'SFD' looks to be a match of the season candidate as it will see Memphis, the preseason pick to win the AAC, come to town.
// PROTECT THIS HOUSE
Not only has Sunday been a fun day at home for the Bearcats under Stafford, but most days at Gettler Stadium fit the bill as well. Since the start of the 2013 season, the Bearcats have played 41 home matches, posting a 28-6-7 record in that time (.717 win percentage). Including 2017, UC has won at least four home contests each season with seven wins in 2014 and 2015, six in 2016 and four each in 2013 and so far in 2017. Also, in that time, UC has out-scored its guests, 80-31.
// LONG STREAK
Prior to the loss at LSU, the team's streak of seven in a row without a defeat stood in a tie for the ninth-best in program history. The 1994 team posted a 14-match streak (12-0-2) from match #8 through #21 while both the 1983 (10-0-3) and 1986 (12-0-1) sides put together 13-match runs, both between match #4 and #16 of their respective seasons. This is the second seven-match or better streak a Stafford-led Bearcats squad has amassed after the team went on a nine-match run in 2015, posting a 6-0-3 record in the process.
// MORE STREAKING
For the fourth year in a row, the Bearcats have recorded a run of five or matches in which they have gone undefeated. After not posting such a streak in Stafford's first year (2013), UC came back in 2014 with a five-match run (3-0-2) before posting its nine-match stretch in 2015 (6-0-3). Last year, the team had a run of six matches in a row without a defeat (5-0-1) before this year's current seven-match streak. Historically, this is just the second time the program has seen four seasons in a row with a five-match or better undefeated streak. The only other instance came in the programs first four years of play, posting streaks of five in 1980, six in 1981 and seven in both 1982 and 1983.
// WINS IN A ROW
The Bearcats had won four matches in a row, marking the 23rd time in program history that the team has won at least four matches in a row during one season. Not including the current streak, UC teams have posted win streaks of four (9 times), five (3), six (4), seven (3), nine (2) and 13 (1) since the program began in 1980.
// GILLES CLIMBING CAREER LADDERS
Vanessa Gilles has played every minute of the season so far this year and that has helped propel the defensive stalwart up a pair of career ladders at UC. With her 740 minutes of playing time this year, Gilles has brought her career total to 6,635, which recently helped her move up to #3 in the record book, passing Andrea Kaminski (2006-09), who played 6,614 minutes in her career. Next on the list is Kim Sykes (2005-08), who played 6,820 minutes her career with Gilles former back line teammate Kayla Utley (2013-16) leading all players with 7,101 career minutes. Gilles, who has started every match of her collegiate career, has 72 starts to her credit and is just two shy of tying Sykes for #10 on the list.
// SEEING THE FIELD
So far this year, 27 different Bearcats have seen playing time, including two keepers and 25 field players with just five individuals - Vanessa Gilles (740), Kiki Lowell (617), Katy Couperus (579), Taylor Pavlika (564) and Cassie Wheldon (521) - seeing 500+ minutes. Of those 27 individuals, 18 different field players and both keepers have started at least one match in 2017.
PREVIOUSLY NOTED
// BEST START
With wins at NKU (Sept. 7) and home to Purdue (Sept. 10), the Bearcats improved to 6-0-1 on the year, their best start in program history. The previous mark was 5-0-1 by the 2010 side before they lost in their seventh match of the season. The start also is another improvement for a team under the direction of Neil Stafford, who took over after the 2012 season. In his first campaign, the Bearcats opened their first seven matches of the year with a 1-6-0 record and now, after 4, 4 and 5 wins in the first seven matches each of the last three years, the Bearcats are 6-0-1 under Stafford.
// MILESTONE - PROGRAM
The win over Purdue marked a pair of milestones as well. First, the win is the 375th in program history. The Bearcats now stand 375-272-59 all-time since becoming a varsity program in time for the start of the 1980 campaign. With the win, the Bearcats now have two milestone wins under Neil Stafford as they won, 3-2, at Duquesne on Sept. 13, 2015, for the program's 350th win.
// MILESTONE - STAFFORD
The second milestone hit in the win over Purdue was for Stafford, who recorded the 150th win of his coaching career. Currently in his 15th collegiate season and his fifth at Cincinnati, Stafford holds a 150-101-32 record as a collegiate women's coach and, with a 48-30-13 record, is approaching his 50th win with the Bearcats.
// RECOGNIZED
On September 15, for the fourth week in a row, the American selected several Bearcats for weekly honors. That week, however, four players garnered awards. Jaycie Brown, who scored the winner against Purdue, was tabbed as the AAC Offensive Player of the Week, her first award this year and the third time in her career she has been selected for that honor. Vanessa Gilles was named the AAC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this year and the ninth time in her career. Freshmen Sophie Gorman and Madison Less were both named to the Honor Roll as each collected their first weekly honors. The awards didn't stop there, though, as Gilles was named to the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week for the second time this year and Brown was up for national player of the week in a vote by fans on Hero Sports.
// IMPRESSIVE HOME START
For just the sixth time in program history, the Bearcats opened a season with two clean sheets in their first two matches and did so for the first time since the 2006 season in which UC downed Kentucky, 1-0, and tied #21 Purdue, 0-0, with both matches played in Cincinnati. The back-to-back shut outs at home to open the season also marked the first time the Bearcats have done so and won both matches in program history.
// ACCOUNT OPENED
In the season opener, the Bearcats picked up a 1-0 victory over Buffalo thanks to the scoring touch of true freshman Sophie Gorman. The local product from McNicholas High School found the back of the net in the 70' after she dribbled into the box, side stepped the keeper and pushed the ball into the goal for what would stand as the game winner. Gorman is no stranger to scoring, however. If you include the two preseason exhibitions UC played (vs. NIU and at Indiana), her strike against UB marked her third collegiate match in a row that she found the back of the net for the Red and Black.
// ROOKIE OPENERS
With Gorman's goal, the Bearcats have now seen a true freshman score the first goal of the season for UC in each of the past two seasons. Last year, Gabrielle LoPresti got things going for the Bearcats as she converted a penalty kick attempt to give UC a 1-0 lead on its way to a 2-1, double overtime victory against visiting Dayton.
// FRESHMEN EARN STARTING XI SPOTS
So far, five true freshmen and one redshirt saw their names added to the Starting XI this year with Kiki Lowell and Karli Royer both earning starts in each of the first two matches. Also earning their first career starts in their rookie seasons were Sophie Gorman and redshirt Madison Less against Buffalo while Jane Sensibaugh and Lexie Kolano both started against Boston University.
// MORE DEBUTS
Four other newcomers also saw their first minutes of action for the Bearcats, including three more rookies. Junior transfer Jill Vetere joined Abby Brauning and Bailey Korhorn as substitutes in the match with Buffalo while Riley Gruenbaum saw her first collegiate minutes against Boston U.
// LIFTING THE LID - SEASON
The Bearcats now hold a 25-12-1 all-time record in their season-opening matches with a 3-2-0 mark in Stafford's time leading the program following the 1-0 defeat of Buffalo last week. Additionally, when playing their first home match of the season, the Bearcats now hold a 26-10-2 overall record and are 2-1-1 in their last four home openers.
// GILLES ONCE AGAIN HONORED
For the second year in a row, Vanessa Gilles has been named the American Athletic Conference's Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, an honor she first earned last season. The award, which comes through a vote of the league head coaches, is just the second preseason honor earned in program history after Gilles' first honor last year. The awards didn't stop there for Gilles as she was also named to the AAC Preseason All-Conference team and the TopDrawerSoccer.com Women's DI Preseason Best XI Third Team. She joined Memphis' Marie Levasseur on the third team with both being the only players selected from the American.
// GAVORSKI GRABS HONOR
Julie Gavorski also earned a preseason honor as she joined Gilles on the American's Preseason All-Conference squad. The accolade is the first preseason honor earned by Gavorski who finished the 2016 season by being selected to the American Athletic All-Conference Second Team. Gavorski led the team in goals (8), points (17) and game-winning goals (4) one year ago.
// BEARCATS SELECTED THIRD
The Bearcats have been predicted to finish third in the American Athletic Conference this season in a vote of the league coaches as UC collected 60 points and one first-place vote - a first for the Bearcats as members of the American. Memphis was picked to win the title, scoring 74 points and five first-place votes while SMU was second with 65 points and three first-place votes. USF (57 points, 1 first-place vote) and UConn (56) rounded out the Top 5. For the Bearcats, the third-place selection equals its highest predicted finish as a member of the American after they were slotted in a tie for third prior to last season.
// GAFFER BACK FOR YEAR FIVE
Head Coach Neil Stafford is set to start his fifth season at the helm of the Bearcats program. In his previous four seasons in Cincinnati, Stafford and his staff have guided UC to 42 victories, which is tied for the most wins in the first four years of leading the program with Meridy Glenn. He has led the team to an improved winning percentage in each year he has been with UC. Statistically, the team has allowed fewer goals each season, letting in 37 his first year before conceding just 21 last year. Offensively, his side has tallied at least 30 goals in all four of his seasons, a streak that had not happened since an 11-year run came to an end in the 2003 season.
// SENIOR SIX
Six seniors are set to compete in their final collegiate seasons this fall. The Class of 2017 includes Jaycie Brown, Katy Couperus, Lizzie Ehrnfelt, Julie Gavorski, Vanessa Gilles and Taylor Pavlika. The seniors will be honored during Senior Night festivities surrounding the Bearcats' match with visiting Morehead State on October 6.
// CHASING WINS - SENIORS
The 2017 seniors have won 39 matches in their time at UC, which currently ranks tied for 17th on the all-time class wins list. Having won 10, 13 and 11 matches in the last three seasons, should the Bearcats record double-digit wins again this year, the seniors would finish with at least 44 victories, which would rank them 12th all-time. To crack the Top 10, the seniors would need 13 wins this year as 47 victories is a 3-way time for 8th (1996, 1989, 1983).
// HELLO! MY NAME IS...
The program has welcomed 10 new players to the roster this year, including one transfer and nine true freshmen. The transfer comes in the form of Jill Vetere, a native of Mason, Ohio, who is returning home following two years at the University of Louisville. The nine-member freshman class includes Abby Brauning (Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame), Sophie Gorman (Cincinnati McNicholas), Riley Gruenbaum (Plain City, Ohio), Lexie Kolano (Trafford, Pa.), Bailey Korhorn (Grand Rapids, Mich.), Kiki Lowell (Kitchener, Ontario), Delaney Riester (Nobelsville, Ind.), Karli Royer (Westerville, Ohio) and Jane Sensibaugh (Solon, Ohio).
// BIG AWARDS
Looking back at their high school careers, two newcomers on the 2017 roster bring with them USC (formerly NSCAA) All-America accolades earned during their prep careers. Vetere earned All-America honors in 2014 as a senior while also being named the Ohio Division I Player of the Year. Gorman was a two-time All-American, being selected for the honor in both 2014 and 2016.
// MAC IS BACK
Players were not the only new addition to the program this offseason as Gavin MacLeod, a former volunteer assistant with the staff in 2014, has returned to the Bearcats. MacLeod will serve as an assistant coach and director of player performance. Prior to his arrival, MacLeod served as the director of coaching for girls at AFC Lightning in Peachtree City, Ga. His coaching experience also includes time in the Cincinnati area working with Kings Hammer Academy as an assistant coach with its USL PDL side and also was the head coach of the Dayton Dutch Lions (USL W-League), Unite Premier (CUP) and Ohio South ODP.
// STAFFORD RECEIVES HALL CALL
At the end of June, it was announced that Jacquie Stafford, the Bearcats' Director of Operations and wife to head coach Neil Stafford, will be one of six former Central Michigan University student-athletes enshrined in the CMU Marcy Weston Hall of Fame. The former Jacquie Lacek, had standout career for the Chippewas as she still holds program records for single-match goals scored (3) and points in a match (7) while also holding the school record for career assists (19). An NSCAA Scholar-Athlete Second Team honoree and three-time All-MAC selection, Jacquie will be enshrined in a ceremony in Mount Pleasant, Mich., Friday, September 22.
// CLEAN SHEETS
Last year, the Bearcats shut out nine opponents on its way to allowing just 21 goals, which was just over one goal allowed per match. During the season, UC went on a streak of not allowing a goal scored for a span of 311:40, a streak that ranks as the seventh-longest since the start of the 2001 season and spanned three full matches and parts of two others. Once Memphis scored at the 86:35 mark of the match, the Bearcats came out and shut out their next three foes, including a 0-0, double overtime draw with Houston (110:00 minutes). The streak came to an end at the 18:15 mark when USF tallied a goal to tie that match a 1-1. Since Stafford and his staff have taken over the program, UC has recorded stretches of 250 minutes or more of holding a foe scoreless six different times.
// QUICK TO SCORE
Last year, three goals were scored by UC in the opening seven minutes of play with Jaycie Brown finding the back of the net in 1:54 in a match at Memphis. That strike from Brown ranks as the 11th-fastest in program history (dating back to 2001) and the third-fastest goal scored during Stafford's tenure at UC. During the four years Stafford has guided the program, the Bearcats have found the back of the net 17 times in the opening 15 minutes of play with five such goals last year.
// HANGING ON AT THE END
On the opposite end of the time spectrum, the Bearcats also have had a propensity for scoring late in matches. Since the start of the 2001 season, UC has scored 25 goals with 88:03 or later showing on the clock, including 14 in overtime/double-overtime. Three late goals last year made noise, including Gavorski's goal with 14 seconds remaining in double overtime (109:46) to defeat Dayton, 2-1, as goal that ranks as the second latest, surpassed only by Laura Rose's winner at 109:58 (just two seconds from the end of the match) in 2012. An own goal by BU at 89:52 ranks as the 16th latest for UC while Brown's goal at 89:09 at USF pulled the Bearcats level and helped earn a point with a 2-2 draw, a point that was needed to reach the postseason conference tournament.
// ACADEMICALLY SOUND
Last year, the Bearcats collectively sported a 3.51 grade-point average for the year and earned a College Team Academic Award from the NSCAA, an award the program has collected each of the past two years and nine times in total. Individually, 25 of the 30 women on the roster recorded a 3.00 GPA or better during the 2016-17 academic year and were named American Athletic Conference All-Academic. Staying the conference, Vanessa Gilles was one of three UC student-athletes to also be named a 2016-17 Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Award recipient by the AAC, an award that is give annually to one student-athlete that carries a 3.00 GPA, has strong academic and athletic credentials and serves in the community. Gilles, who was chosen by the Faculty Representatives from around the conference, was the winner for women's soccer, joining Adrian Valles (outdoor track & field, men) and Connor Davis (swimming & diving, men) as award winners.
// UP NEXT
The first two conference road matches of the 2017 season await the Bearcats next week as they travel east to face UConn and Temple. First, the Bearcats and Huskies will meet at 7 p.m. in Storrs, Conn., on Thursday, September 28, before the road swing comes to an end Sunday, October 1, in a 1 p.m. contest at Temple in Philadelphia, Pa. The two matches are the first two of just four road conference matches the Bearcats play this year with a trip to Houston and SMU awaiting October 19 and 22, respectively.
The University of Cincinnati women's soccer team is set for its first American Athletic Conference matches of the 2017 season this weekend as #14 UCF (4-1-0) and USF (4-2-0) visit Gettler Stadium on the opening week of conference action. The Bearcats, who hold a 6-1-1 record, will face the Knights in the opener at 7 p.m. Thursday night with the match being shown live on the American Digital Network. Then, the opening week comes to a close Sunday at noon when the Bearcats and Bulls meet in a match that will be aired live on GoBearcats.com.
// FOLLOW US
GoBearcats.com is your one-stop destination for all things UC Athletics. Socially, the team can also be followed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with all using the handle GoBearcatsWSOC. Head Coach Neil Stafford (@UCGaffer) also can be followed on Twitter.
// GOING LIVE
Thursday's match with UCF will be broadcast live on the American Digital Network with Kit McConnico on the call with analysis from Roland Garangzuey and sideline reports from Matt Schumaker. It will mark the first event of the 2017-18 academic year aired by the ADN. Sunday, the match with USF will be streamed live on GoBearcats.com and, this year, will be free. The link to the stream can be found on the women's soccer schedule page. On the same page, links to live statistics can also be found.
// EXPERIENCE UC
Both matches this week, along with all home matches in 2017, will be part of the Experience UC initiative, which is geared toward inviting the community to campus to see firsthand the great things about and surrounding the university. Experience UC includes complimentary admission for patrons attending women's basketball, lacrosse, volleyball, women's tennis, men's and women's soccer, swimming and diving and track and field home events.
// QUICK SHOTS
• UC is 6-1-1 on the year after suffering their first loss last week at LSU (1-0)
• Prior to the loss, the 6-0-1 start was the best in school history and made UC one of just 15 schools (prior to last Thursday) without a loss on the year
• Since the start of the 2001 season, the Bearcats have upset five teams in the national Top 25 rankings with three being ranked in the Top 12 (at #6 Notre Dame in 2001; at #12 St. John's in 2009; and vs. #10 UConn in 2015)
• The Bearcats are 11-11-1 all-time in their first conference match of the year and are undefeated in their last two openers with a 2-2 tie at SMU and a 2-0 win at ECU
• In its first home conference match of the season, UC holds an 8-11-4 record and is undefeated in its last two openers at Gettler Stadium (1-0 defeat of #18 USF; 0-0 draw with Houston)
• The last time the Bearcats played at home, they came from behind to defeat Purdue, 2-1, and claim both the 150th win in HC Neil Stafford's coaching career and the 375th program win for UC
• With two starts this weekend, Vanessa Gilles would bring her career total to 74 and for the 10th-most starts in program history
// IN THE RANKINGS
The latest collegiate women's soccer rankings were released this week with the Bearcats seeing their name at #25 in the Top Drawer Soccer Top 25. UC did not receive votes in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 and slipped one spot to #9 in the Southeast Region rankings. In the USC poll, Thursday's foe, UCF, moved up one spot to #14 and remained #3 in the region.
// RPI RELEASED
The first RPI list of the 2017 was released with Cincinnati coming in at #20, which is believed to be the highest ranking the team has achieved dating back to the 2001 season's final rankings (week-by-week rankings are unavailable prior to the 2011 season). Previously, UC's best rankings were in the final releases of 2001 (#21) and 2002 (#26). The RPI is based upon a team's win-loss record and its strength of schedule. So far this year, UC has played three teams in the Top 60, including #14 LSU (L, 0-1), #22 Purdue (W, 2-1) and #54 Northwestern (W, 2-1), with four more still on the slate: #4 UCF, #60 USF, #33 Memphis and #38 SMU with all but the SMU match at home.
// QUICK RECAP: FIRST LOSS
• Cincinnati dropped a 1-0 decision at LSU on Thursday, September 14, for the Bearcats' first loss of the year in a battle of undefeated teams (LSU was 7-0-0 after the match before falling to Vanderbilt, 1-0, in its next match)
• The Tigers took the lead in the 44' as the countered off a shot from UC, drove down the pitch and played the ball off to Alex Thomas, who stuck the ball one time to find the back of the net
• UC out-shot LSU, 15-11, and both teams drew five corners each in the match
• Freshman Madison Less got the start in goal and recorded a career-high four saves in the match
• Sophomore Dee Picou and freshman Riley Gruenbaum both earned their first career starts
// KNOW THE FOE: UCF
• The Knights enter the match with a 4-1-0 record, but have not played a competitive match since September 3 (18 days between matches) because of the effects of Hurricane Irma in Florida
• UCF opened the year with a 0-2 loss at #4 South Carolina before winning four in a row, including a 2-1 overtime defeat of then-#4 North Carolina at home
• The last time the Knights played, the won a pair of 2-1 decisions in Tempe, Ariz., with wins over Arizona and host Arizona State
• Dina Orschmann leads the team in points with five and is tied for the team lead with Morgan Ferrara with two goals each
• Vera Varis and Chloe N'Gazi have split time in goal with each seeing minutes in all five matches this season as the duo have combined for 15 saves and one clean sheet
// IN THE SERIES: BEARCATS vs. KNIGHTS
• UC and UCF have meet seven times previously with the series tied, 3-3-1
• Cincinnati has won the last two meetings, 2-0, with the past three meetings all ending in a 2-0 score line (UC lost, 2-0, at UCF in 2014)
• The Bearcats are 2-0-1 all-time in the series at home
// AGAINST RANKED TEAMS
Thursday will mark the 10th time a Neil Stafford-led Bearcats team has played a nationally-ranked team since he took over in 2013 and the fourth time the foe will be one of the two Florida schools in the American with UC standing 1-0-2 in those matches. The last time UC faced a ranked team at home was last year in a 2-0 setback to #19 UConn. The last time the Bearcats upset a ranked foe at home came in 2015 in a 1-0 victory over #18 USF. In Stafford's first year with the program, UCF came to town ranked #19 and the Bearcats recorded a 1-1 tie in that match. Overall, UC is 2-5-2 in matches against ranked teams under Stafford with six of those coming in the 2015 season alone.
// KNOW THE FOE: USF
• The Bulls sport a 4-2-0 record despite missing two matches the second week of September
• Weather also changed USF's schedule as the Bulls saw a home match with Mississippi State and a road match at Florida cancelled because of Hurricane Irma
• USF opened the year with a 3-0-0 record with two wins coming in overtime before dropping a 4-2 score to #4 North Carolina at home and a 6-2 decision at Ohio State
• Evelyne Viens, the AAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, leads the team with 11 points on a team-high five goals
• Kat Elliott has seen most of the minutes on goal, stopping 26 shots and allowing 12 (2.21 GAA)
// IN THE SERIES: BEARCATS vs. BULLS
• Sunday's match will be the 25th all-time in a series that is tied, 10-10-4
• The last three matches have all ended in draws with two coming in the AAC Tournament, including a PK win for UC in the final of the 2015 and a PK win for USF last year in the quarterfinals
• The Bearcats are 1-0-3 in the last four meetings with a 1-0 win at home over #18 USF (10/2/15) in the most recent match in Cincinnati
• UC leads the all-time series in Cincinnati, 6-3-1, and is 2-0-1 in the last three
// SUNDAY FUN DAY!
Since Stafford took over the program in time for the 2013 season, the Bearcats have played at home on Sunday 22 times and hold an impressive 20-0-2 record in those matches after posting wins over Boston University, 2-0, Miami (Fla.), 1-0, and Purdue, 2-1, already this year. During those 22 matches, the Bearcats have out scored their foes, 49-11, with the UC defense recording 13 clean sheets in that span. Following this week's meeting with the Bulls, the final 'SFD' looks to be a match of the season candidate as it will see Memphis, the preseason pick to win the AAC, come to town.
// PROTECT THIS HOUSE
Not only has Sunday been a fun day at home for the Bearcats under Stafford, but most days at Gettler Stadium fit the bill as well. Since the start of the 2013 season, the Bearcats have played 41 home matches, posting a 28-6-7 record in that time (.717 win percentage). Including 2017, UC has won at least four home contests each season with seven wins in 2014 and 2015, six in 2016 and four each in 2013 and so far in 2017. Also, in that time, UC has out-scored its guests, 80-31.
// LONG STREAK
Prior to the loss at LSU, the team's streak of seven in a row without a defeat stood in a tie for the ninth-best in program history. The 1994 team posted a 14-match streak (12-0-2) from match #8 through #21 while both the 1983 (10-0-3) and 1986 (12-0-1) sides put together 13-match runs, both between match #4 and #16 of their respective seasons. This is the second seven-match or better streak a Stafford-led Bearcats squad has amassed after the team went on a nine-match run in 2015, posting a 6-0-3 record in the process.
// MORE STREAKING
For the fourth year in a row, the Bearcats have recorded a run of five or matches in which they have gone undefeated. After not posting such a streak in Stafford's first year (2013), UC came back in 2014 with a five-match run (3-0-2) before posting its nine-match stretch in 2015 (6-0-3). Last year, the team had a run of six matches in a row without a defeat (5-0-1) before this year's current seven-match streak. Historically, this is just the second time the program has seen four seasons in a row with a five-match or better undefeated streak. The only other instance came in the programs first four years of play, posting streaks of five in 1980, six in 1981 and seven in both 1982 and 1983.
// WINS IN A ROW
The Bearcats had won four matches in a row, marking the 23rd time in program history that the team has won at least four matches in a row during one season. Not including the current streak, UC teams have posted win streaks of four (9 times), five (3), six (4), seven (3), nine (2) and 13 (1) since the program began in 1980.
// GILLES CLIMBING CAREER LADDERS
Vanessa Gilles has played every minute of the season so far this year and that has helped propel the defensive stalwart up a pair of career ladders at UC. With her 740 minutes of playing time this year, Gilles has brought her career total to 6,635, which recently helped her move up to #3 in the record book, passing Andrea Kaminski (2006-09), who played 6,614 minutes in her career. Next on the list is Kim Sykes (2005-08), who played 6,820 minutes her career with Gilles former back line teammate Kayla Utley (2013-16) leading all players with 7,101 career minutes. Gilles, who has started every match of her collegiate career, has 72 starts to her credit and is just two shy of tying Sykes for #10 on the list.
// SEEING THE FIELD
So far this year, 27 different Bearcats have seen playing time, including two keepers and 25 field players with just five individuals - Vanessa Gilles (740), Kiki Lowell (617), Katy Couperus (579), Taylor Pavlika (564) and Cassie Wheldon (521) - seeing 500+ minutes. Of those 27 individuals, 18 different field players and both keepers have started at least one match in 2017.
PREVIOUSLY NOTED
// BEST START
With wins at NKU (Sept. 7) and home to Purdue (Sept. 10), the Bearcats improved to 6-0-1 on the year, their best start in program history. The previous mark was 5-0-1 by the 2010 side before they lost in their seventh match of the season. The start also is another improvement for a team under the direction of Neil Stafford, who took over after the 2012 season. In his first campaign, the Bearcats opened their first seven matches of the year with a 1-6-0 record and now, after 4, 4 and 5 wins in the first seven matches each of the last three years, the Bearcats are 6-0-1 under Stafford.
// MILESTONE - PROGRAM
The win over Purdue marked a pair of milestones as well. First, the win is the 375th in program history. The Bearcats now stand 375-272-59 all-time since becoming a varsity program in time for the start of the 1980 campaign. With the win, the Bearcats now have two milestone wins under Neil Stafford as they won, 3-2, at Duquesne on Sept. 13, 2015, for the program's 350th win.
// MILESTONE - STAFFORD
The second milestone hit in the win over Purdue was for Stafford, who recorded the 150th win of his coaching career. Currently in his 15th collegiate season and his fifth at Cincinnati, Stafford holds a 150-101-32 record as a collegiate women's coach and, with a 48-30-13 record, is approaching his 50th win with the Bearcats.
// RECOGNIZED
On September 15, for the fourth week in a row, the American selected several Bearcats for weekly honors. That week, however, four players garnered awards. Jaycie Brown, who scored the winner against Purdue, was tabbed as the AAC Offensive Player of the Week, her first award this year and the third time in her career she has been selected for that honor. Vanessa Gilles was named the AAC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this year and the ninth time in her career. Freshmen Sophie Gorman and Madison Less were both named to the Honor Roll as each collected their first weekly honors. The awards didn't stop there, though, as Gilles was named to the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week for the second time this year and Brown was up for national player of the week in a vote by fans on Hero Sports.
// IMPRESSIVE HOME START
For just the sixth time in program history, the Bearcats opened a season with two clean sheets in their first two matches and did so for the first time since the 2006 season in which UC downed Kentucky, 1-0, and tied #21 Purdue, 0-0, with both matches played in Cincinnati. The back-to-back shut outs at home to open the season also marked the first time the Bearcats have done so and won both matches in program history.
// ACCOUNT OPENED
In the season opener, the Bearcats picked up a 1-0 victory over Buffalo thanks to the scoring touch of true freshman Sophie Gorman. The local product from McNicholas High School found the back of the net in the 70' after she dribbled into the box, side stepped the keeper and pushed the ball into the goal for what would stand as the game winner. Gorman is no stranger to scoring, however. If you include the two preseason exhibitions UC played (vs. NIU and at Indiana), her strike against UB marked her third collegiate match in a row that she found the back of the net for the Red and Black.
// ROOKIE OPENERS
With Gorman's goal, the Bearcats have now seen a true freshman score the first goal of the season for UC in each of the past two seasons. Last year, Gabrielle LoPresti got things going for the Bearcats as she converted a penalty kick attempt to give UC a 1-0 lead on its way to a 2-1, double overtime victory against visiting Dayton.
// FRESHMEN EARN STARTING XI SPOTS
So far, five true freshmen and one redshirt saw their names added to the Starting XI this year with Kiki Lowell and Karli Royer both earning starts in each of the first two matches. Also earning their first career starts in their rookie seasons were Sophie Gorman and redshirt Madison Less against Buffalo while Jane Sensibaugh and Lexie Kolano both started against Boston University.
// MORE DEBUTS
Four other newcomers also saw their first minutes of action for the Bearcats, including three more rookies. Junior transfer Jill Vetere joined Abby Brauning and Bailey Korhorn as substitutes in the match with Buffalo while Riley Gruenbaum saw her first collegiate minutes against Boston U.
// LIFTING THE LID - SEASON
The Bearcats now hold a 25-12-1 all-time record in their season-opening matches with a 3-2-0 mark in Stafford's time leading the program following the 1-0 defeat of Buffalo last week. Additionally, when playing their first home match of the season, the Bearcats now hold a 26-10-2 overall record and are 2-1-1 in their last four home openers.
// GILLES ONCE AGAIN HONORED
For the second year in a row, Vanessa Gilles has been named the American Athletic Conference's Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, an honor she first earned last season. The award, which comes through a vote of the league head coaches, is just the second preseason honor earned in program history after Gilles' first honor last year. The awards didn't stop there for Gilles as she was also named to the AAC Preseason All-Conference team and the TopDrawerSoccer.com Women's DI Preseason Best XI Third Team. She joined Memphis' Marie Levasseur on the third team with both being the only players selected from the American.
// GAVORSKI GRABS HONOR
Julie Gavorski also earned a preseason honor as she joined Gilles on the American's Preseason All-Conference squad. The accolade is the first preseason honor earned by Gavorski who finished the 2016 season by being selected to the American Athletic All-Conference Second Team. Gavorski led the team in goals (8), points (17) and game-winning goals (4) one year ago.
// BEARCATS SELECTED THIRD
The Bearcats have been predicted to finish third in the American Athletic Conference this season in a vote of the league coaches as UC collected 60 points and one first-place vote - a first for the Bearcats as members of the American. Memphis was picked to win the title, scoring 74 points and five first-place votes while SMU was second with 65 points and three first-place votes. USF (57 points, 1 first-place vote) and UConn (56) rounded out the Top 5. For the Bearcats, the third-place selection equals its highest predicted finish as a member of the American after they were slotted in a tie for third prior to last season.
// GAFFER BACK FOR YEAR FIVE
Head Coach Neil Stafford is set to start his fifth season at the helm of the Bearcats program. In his previous four seasons in Cincinnati, Stafford and his staff have guided UC to 42 victories, which is tied for the most wins in the first four years of leading the program with Meridy Glenn. He has led the team to an improved winning percentage in each year he has been with UC. Statistically, the team has allowed fewer goals each season, letting in 37 his first year before conceding just 21 last year. Offensively, his side has tallied at least 30 goals in all four of his seasons, a streak that had not happened since an 11-year run came to an end in the 2003 season.
// SENIOR SIX
Six seniors are set to compete in their final collegiate seasons this fall. The Class of 2017 includes Jaycie Brown, Katy Couperus, Lizzie Ehrnfelt, Julie Gavorski, Vanessa Gilles and Taylor Pavlika. The seniors will be honored during Senior Night festivities surrounding the Bearcats' match with visiting Morehead State on October 6.
// CHASING WINS - SENIORS
The 2017 seniors have won 39 matches in their time at UC, which currently ranks tied for 17th on the all-time class wins list. Having won 10, 13 and 11 matches in the last three seasons, should the Bearcats record double-digit wins again this year, the seniors would finish with at least 44 victories, which would rank them 12th all-time. To crack the Top 10, the seniors would need 13 wins this year as 47 victories is a 3-way time for 8th (1996, 1989, 1983).
// HELLO! MY NAME IS...
The program has welcomed 10 new players to the roster this year, including one transfer and nine true freshmen. The transfer comes in the form of Jill Vetere, a native of Mason, Ohio, who is returning home following two years at the University of Louisville. The nine-member freshman class includes Abby Brauning (Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame), Sophie Gorman (Cincinnati McNicholas), Riley Gruenbaum (Plain City, Ohio), Lexie Kolano (Trafford, Pa.), Bailey Korhorn (Grand Rapids, Mich.), Kiki Lowell (Kitchener, Ontario), Delaney Riester (Nobelsville, Ind.), Karli Royer (Westerville, Ohio) and Jane Sensibaugh (Solon, Ohio).
// BIG AWARDS
Looking back at their high school careers, two newcomers on the 2017 roster bring with them USC (formerly NSCAA) All-America accolades earned during their prep careers. Vetere earned All-America honors in 2014 as a senior while also being named the Ohio Division I Player of the Year. Gorman was a two-time All-American, being selected for the honor in both 2014 and 2016.
// MAC IS BACK
Players were not the only new addition to the program this offseason as Gavin MacLeod, a former volunteer assistant with the staff in 2014, has returned to the Bearcats. MacLeod will serve as an assistant coach and director of player performance. Prior to his arrival, MacLeod served as the director of coaching for girls at AFC Lightning in Peachtree City, Ga. His coaching experience also includes time in the Cincinnati area working with Kings Hammer Academy as an assistant coach with its USL PDL side and also was the head coach of the Dayton Dutch Lions (USL W-League), Unite Premier (CUP) and Ohio South ODP.
// STAFFORD RECEIVES HALL CALL
At the end of June, it was announced that Jacquie Stafford, the Bearcats' Director of Operations and wife to head coach Neil Stafford, will be one of six former Central Michigan University student-athletes enshrined in the CMU Marcy Weston Hall of Fame. The former Jacquie Lacek, had standout career for the Chippewas as she still holds program records for single-match goals scored (3) and points in a match (7) while also holding the school record for career assists (19). An NSCAA Scholar-Athlete Second Team honoree and three-time All-MAC selection, Jacquie will be enshrined in a ceremony in Mount Pleasant, Mich., Friday, September 22.
// CLEAN SHEETS
Last year, the Bearcats shut out nine opponents on its way to allowing just 21 goals, which was just over one goal allowed per match. During the season, UC went on a streak of not allowing a goal scored for a span of 311:40, a streak that ranks as the seventh-longest since the start of the 2001 season and spanned three full matches and parts of two others. Once Memphis scored at the 86:35 mark of the match, the Bearcats came out and shut out their next three foes, including a 0-0, double overtime draw with Houston (110:00 minutes). The streak came to an end at the 18:15 mark when USF tallied a goal to tie that match a 1-1. Since Stafford and his staff have taken over the program, UC has recorded stretches of 250 minutes or more of holding a foe scoreless six different times.
// QUICK TO SCORE
Last year, three goals were scored by UC in the opening seven minutes of play with Jaycie Brown finding the back of the net in 1:54 in a match at Memphis. That strike from Brown ranks as the 11th-fastest in program history (dating back to 2001) and the third-fastest goal scored during Stafford's tenure at UC. During the four years Stafford has guided the program, the Bearcats have found the back of the net 17 times in the opening 15 minutes of play with five such goals last year.
// HANGING ON AT THE END
On the opposite end of the time spectrum, the Bearcats also have had a propensity for scoring late in matches. Since the start of the 2001 season, UC has scored 25 goals with 88:03 or later showing on the clock, including 14 in overtime/double-overtime. Three late goals last year made noise, including Gavorski's goal with 14 seconds remaining in double overtime (109:46) to defeat Dayton, 2-1, as goal that ranks as the second latest, surpassed only by Laura Rose's winner at 109:58 (just two seconds from the end of the match) in 2012. An own goal by BU at 89:52 ranks as the 16th latest for UC while Brown's goal at 89:09 at USF pulled the Bearcats level and helped earn a point with a 2-2 draw, a point that was needed to reach the postseason conference tournament.
// ACADEMICALLY SOUND
Last year, the Bearcats collectively sported a 3.51 grade-point average for the year and earned a College Team Academic Award from the NSCAA, an award the program has collected each of the past two years and nine times in total. Individually, 25 of the 30 women on the roster recorded a 3.00 GPA or better during the 2016-17 academic year and were named American Athletic Conference All-Academic. Staying the conference, Vanessa Gilles was one of three UC student-athletes to also be named a 2016-17 Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Award recipient by the AAC, an award that is give annually to one student-athlete that carries a 3.00 GPA, has strong academic and athletic credentials and serves in the community. Gilles, who was chosen by the Faculty Representatives from around the conference, was the winner for women's soccer, joining Adrian Valles (outdoor track & field, men) and Connor Davis (swimming & diving, men) as award winners.
// UP NEXT
The first two conference road matches of the 2017 season await the Bearcats next week as they travel east to face UConn and Temple. First, the Bearcats and Huskies will meet at 7 p.m. in Storrs, Conn., on Thursday, September 28, before the road swing comes to an end Sunday, October 1, in a 1 p.m. contest at Temple in Philadelphia, Pa. The two matches are the first two of just four road conference matches the Bearcats play this year with a trip to Houston and SMU awaiting October 19 and 22, respectively.