TicketsCINCINNATI - Jill Vetere notched her first goal as a member of the team and the defense posted its third clean sheet in a row as the University of Cincinnati women's soccer team collected a 1-0 victory over host UConn at Morrone Stadium in Storrs, Conn., Thursday night. The win, UC's first at UConn in the five matches played, pushed the Bearcats to 8-1-2 overall this year and improved them to 2-0-1 in the American Athletic Conference while the Huskies slipped to 2-5-3 overall and 0-1-0 following the league opener.
"Our second half performance was something I will always remember about tonight," Head Coach Neil Stafford said. "The way we played, with the determination, grit and grind, showed me this team gets it. The way we played in the second half was the opposite of our match at LSU. I am so proud of the character of these players and how they handled our tactical change(s) by playing in a formation that we maybe haven't used much this year. The ladies showed their grit by adapting to the roles we needed them to play and I am so proud of that effort.
"Being from New England and getting my 50th win at Cincinnati here, against a storied UConn program and against Len Tsantiris, who I have a great deal of respect, is something special," Stafford said. "While it is special, I think I will remember this win more for how this team came together and fought to the finish. We were without a couple of key contributors tonight but that didn't stop our players from reacting positively and doing what was needed to be successful. We have a young team with a large group of freshmen and sophomores and they all stepped up tonight with true grit and determination. This wasn't a pretty win, but it is a win and I am extremely proud of how the players & coaches grinded out that win. That is what great programs do."
Vetere, a local product that transferred into the program from Louisville this past summer, was in the right place at the right time as Katy Couperus' shot from distance rang the crossbar and deflected down to Vetere, who hit a half-volley into the back of the net to give the guests a 1-0 lead in the 66'. From there, the Bearcats defense continued to keep the hosts out of the score column to post their seventh shutout of the season through 11 matches. Currently, the defense not only has held all three AAC foes scoreless this year, but currently holds a streak of 336:23 minutes of match time since the last goal was surrendered (at LSU), the sixth-longest streak at UC since the start of the 2001 season and the third-longest since Stafford and his coaching staff took over the program.
Speaking of Stafford, with the win, he collected the 50th win of his Bearcats coaching career while also seeing UConn to just its second home loss in AAC action (since 2013). The Huskies had not lost at home since a 2-0 defeat to USF on October 17, 2014, a span in which they had gone 10-0-0. This is the second time the Bearcats have halted a home winning streak this season as UC's 2-1 win at Northwestern (September 3) was the first home loss (in all competitions) for the Wildcats since a defeat on October 12, 2014.
// QUICK NOTES
• The Bearcats moved to 8-1-2 overall and 2-0-1 in league play on the year while UConn fell to 2-5-3 overall and 0-1-0
• UC is now 12-11-1 all-time in its first road conference match of the year and has won two in a row
• The Bearcats are undefeated in their first road AAC match played dating back to the 2013 season when the league formed, posting a 4-0-1 record (2-1 at Houston, 3-0 at ECU, 2-2 at SMU, 2-0 at ECU and now 1-0 at UConn)
• The win for UC is its first at UConn after going 0-3-1 in the previous four matches in Storrs and cuts the Huskies' advantage in the series to 5-4-2 all-time
• The loss for UConn is their first in AAC play at home since a 2-0 set back to USF on October 17, 2014. It also is just their second loss in AAC home matches since the league started in 2013 with the Huskies falling to 14-2-2 in that span
• The Bearcats have shutout all three AAC foes it has faced this year, including a 0-0 tie with #14 UCF and 1-0 wins over USF and UConn
• With the clean sheet, UC has not allowed a goal in the last 336:23 of play, a streak that ranks as the sixth-longest for the program dating back to the start of the 2001 season and the third-longest under head coach Neil Stafford
• Speaking of Stafford, the win tonight is the 50th in his career at UC
• Jill Vetere scored her first goal as a Bearcat and also her first game-winning score with the team
• Katy Couperus was credited with the assist, the 11th of her UC career
• Madison Less recorded one save while the defense in front of her blocked six different attempts on the night
• Vanessa Gilles made her 75th career start for the Bearcats to tie Heather Herweh (1999-02) for the ninth-most in UC history
// FIRST HALF
The Bearcats came out on the attack early and often in the opening 10 minutes of play as they held possession much of the time, but unable to get many chances on frame. The 13' saw Jill Vetere take the first shot of the match as she collected a loose ball, carried toward the top of the box and ripped a shot toward the upper 90 only to see the UConn keeper punch the ball over the frame for a UC corner. Four minutes later, UC had another chance as Jaycie Brown gathered a pass near the top of the 18, turned to her left and let a shot fly, but the offering missed wide to the left to end the threat.
From there, however, the tides turned as the hosts fired the next - and final - 10 shots of the period. Of those 10 shots, only one needed saving from Madison Less as the rookie tipped the shot over the cross bar to ensure the shot did no damage. Four of the shots taken by the Huskies also were blocked by UC defenders as the back line remained active throughout, making it tough for any of those shots to really bother Less. Each team had one save recorded in the opening 45' by their keepers with the Bearcats also being whistled for offsides a trio of times.
// SECOND HALF
The second half started off similar to how the first ended as the hosts applied pressure and fired the first shot of the stanza. From there, however, the Bearcats got back on track and saw Brown get in behind the back line and try to slip a shot low only to see UConn keeper Courtney Hofer make a sliding save in the 49'. With both teams looking to make runs into their respective attacking sides, the Bearcats were able to get the better of the Huskies in the 66' as Couperus carried the ball forward and let a shot fly from distance, only to see it hit the cross bar. The ball came down to Vetere, who calmly volleyed the ball out of the air and into the net for a the 1-0 lead.
Each team had several other chances throughout the remainder of the half, but UConn had perhaps the best. In the 79', the Huskies pushed forward and Kim Urbanek came up with a loose ball. She turned toward goal, moved in a fired a shot the hit the cross bar and shot down toward the line. Less was there to smother the loose ball and ensure it stayed out of the goal to preserve the 1-0 lead. From there, each side continued to look for another opening, but each side's defense prevented any more scoring.
// NEXT MATCH
The Bearcats will remain on the road for their next match which will take place at 1 p.m. Sunday in Philadelphia, Pa., against the Temple Owls.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
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.
// EXPERIENCE UC
The University of Cincinnati department of athletics announced an initiative entitled Experience UC, 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.
"Our second half performance was something I will always remember about tonight," Head Coach Neil Stafford said. "The way we played, with the determination, grit and grind, showed me this team gets it. The way we played in the second half was the opposite of our match at LSU. I am so proud of the character of these players and how they handled our tactical change(s) by playing in a formation that we maybe haven't used much this year. The ladies showed their grit by adapting to the roles we needed them to play and I am so proud of that effort.
"Being from New England and getting my 50th win at Cincinnati here, against a storied UConn program and against Len Tsantiris, who I have a great deal of respect, is something special," Stafford said. "While it is special, I think I will remember this win more for how this team came together and fought to the finish. We were without a couple of key contributors tonight but that didn't stop our players from reacting positively and doing what was needed to be successful. We have a young team with a large group of freshmen and sophomores and they all stepped up tonight with true grit and determination. This wasn't a pretty win, but it is a win and I am extremely proud of how the players & coaches grinded out that win. That is what great programs do."
Vetere, a local product that transferred into the program from Louisville this past summer, was in the right place at the right time as Katy Couperus' shot from distance rang the crossbar and deflected down to Vetere, who hit a half-volley into the back of the net to give the guests a 1-0 lead in the 66'. From there, the Bearcats defense continued to keep the hosts out of the score column to post their seventh shutout of the season through 11 matches. Currently, the defense not only has held all three AAC foes scoreless this year, but currently holds a streak of 336:23 minutes of match time since the last goal was surrendered (at LSU), the sixth-longest streak at UC since the start of the 2001 season and the third-longest since Stafford and his coaching staff took over the program.
Speaking of Stafford, with the win, he collected the 50th win of his Bearcats coaching career while also seeing UConn to just its second home loss in AAC action (since 2013). The Huskies had not lost at home since a 2-0 defeat to USF on October 17, 2014, a span in which they had gone 10-0-0. This is the second time the Bearcats have halted a home winning streak this season as UC's 2-1 win at Northwestern (September 3) was the first home loss (in all competitions) for the Wildcats since a defeat on October 12, 2014.
// QUICK NOTES
• The Bearcats moved to 8-1-2 overall and 2-0-1 in league play on the year while UConn fell to 2-5-3 overall and 0-1-0
• UC is now 12-11-1 all-time in its first road conference match of the year and has won two in a row
• The Bearcats are undefeated in their first road AAC match played dating back to the 2013 season when the league formed, posting a 4-0-1 record (2-1 at Houston, 3-0 at ECU, 2-2 at SMU, 2-0 at ECU and now 1-0 at UConn)
• The win for UC is its first at UConn after going 0-3-1 in the previous four matches in Storrs and cuts the Huskies' advantage in the series to 5-4-2 all-time
• The loss for UConn is their first in AAC play at home since a 2-0 set back to USF on October 17, 2014. It also is just their second loss in AAC home matches since the league started in 2013 with the Huskies falling to 14-2-2 in that span
• The Bearcats have shutout all three AAC foes it has faced this year, including a 0-0 tie with #14 UCF and 1-0 wins over USF and UConn
• With the clean sheet, UC has not allowed a goal in the last 336:23 of play, a streak that ranks as the sixth-longest for the program dating back to the start of the 2001 season and the third-longest under head coach Neil Stafford
• Speaking of Stafford, the win tonight is the 50th in his career at UC
• Jill Vetere scored her first goal as a Bearcat and also her first game-winning score with the team
• Katy Couperus was credited with the assist, the 11th of her UC career
• Madison Less recorded one save while the defense in front of her blocked six different attempts on the night
• Vanessa Gilles made her 75th career start for the Bearcats to tie Heather Herweh (1999-02) for the ninth-most in UC history
FT #Bearcats 1:0 @UConnWSOC
— Cincinnati W-Soccer (@GoBearcatsWSOC) September 29, 2017
UC grabs road W in @American_WSoc play, hands Huskies 1st H AAC loss since 2014; @UCGaffer gets 50th @uofcincy pic.twitter.com/szxYoAtNmk
// FIRST HALF
The Bearcats came out on the attack early and often in the opening 10 minutes of play as they held possession much of the time, but unable to get many chances on frame. The 13' saw Jill Vetere take the first shot of the match as she collected a loose ball, carried toward the top of the box and ripped a shot toward the upper 90 only to see the UConn keeper punch the ball over the frame for a UC corner. Four minutes later, UC had another chance as Jaycie Brown gathered a pass near the top of the 18, turned to her left and let a shot fly, but the offering missed wide to the left to end the threat.
From there, however, the tides turned as the hosts fired the next - and final - 10 shots of the period. Of those 10 shots, only one needed saving from Madison Less as the rookie tipped the shot over the cross bar to ensure the shot did no damage. Four of the shots taken by the Huskies also were blocked by UC defenders as the back line remained active throughout, making it tough for any of those shots to really bother Less. Each team had one save recorded in the opening 45' by their keepers with the Bearcats also being whistled for offsides a trio of times.
// SECOND HALF
The second half started off similar to how the first ended as the hosts applied pressure and fired the first shot of the stanza. From there, however, the Bearcats got back on track and saw Brown get in behind the back line and try to slip a shot low only to see UConn keeper Courtney Hofer make a sliding save in the 49'. With both teams looking to make runs into their respective attacking sides, the Bearcats were able to get the better of the Huskies in the 66' as Couperus carried the ball forward and let a shot fly from distance, only to see it hit the cross bar. The ball came down to Vetere, who calmly volleyed the ball out of the air and into the net for a the 1-0 lead.
Each team had several other chances throughout the remainder of the half, but UConn had perhaps the best. In the 79', the Huskies pushed forward and Kim Urbanek came up with a loose ball. She turned toward goal, moved in a fired a shot the hit the cross bar and shot down toward the line. Less was there to smother the loose ball and ensure it stayed out of the goal to preserve the 1-0 lead. From there, each side continued to look for another opening, but each side's defense prevented any more scoring.
// NEXT MATCH
The Bearcats will remain on the road for their next match which will take place at 1 p.m. Sunday in Philadelphia, Pa., against the Temple Owls.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
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.
// EXPERIENCE UC
The University of Cincinnati department of athletics announced an initiative entitled Experience UC, 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.