TicketsCINCINNATI – University of Cincinnati men's soccer's 2018 preseason will begin on Monday, Aug. 13, when it welcomes Detroit Mercy to Nippert Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
Admission to the match will be free of charge. Fans are encouraged to sit on the west side of the stadium where restrooms and concessions will be available. Cash parking will be offered at Calhoun Garage for $5.
UC will follow Monday's match with one additional exhibition game -- an 8 p.m. ET kickoff at SIUE on Friday, Aug. 17.
"There are a number of things we want to accomplish in our exhibition matches in the preseason," said head coach Hylton Dayes. "Because we have such a young team, I think it is important to give playing time and experience to our young players. We have 12 new players on the team and many of them have never played college soccer, so we certainly want to give them experience. We also want to look at players in different positions. We are looking to fill a few positions and also build depth within the team. I think it will take us both exhibitions, and probably more, to settle on a consistent lineup."
"We also want to build their match fitness from one preseason game to the next. We also need to build the cohesiveness within the team and make sure our principles of play are crystallized within the group. In the second preseason game, we will look to shorten the rotation a bit. We will probably play a few less players and make sure that we are giving consistent playing time to the players that have shown through the preseason that they are going to be major contributors for us."
Entering its ninth season under head coach Nicholas Deren in 2018, Detroit Mercy will look to continue its progression from last season in which it went 7-8-4 overall and advanced to the semifinals of the Horizon League Championship. Following the departure of eight seniors, the Titans will return a young roster featuring 17 underclassmen.
In its first season as a member of the Mid-American Conference in 2017, SIUE reached the MAC Tournament semifinals with a 7-10-1 overall record. The Cougars return the team's leading scorer from last year in midfielder Jorge Gonzalez who tallied five goals, as well as two assists, en route to Second Team All-MAC honors.
The Bearcats will face a challenging, 18-game slate this season. 2017 NCAA Sweet 16 squad Western Michigan, Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) semifinalist Bradley, and consistent American Athletic Conference (AAC) contender USF highlight the home schedule, while crosstown rival Xavier, former league mate West Virginia, and 2017 NCAA Third Round participant SMU provide notable road tests.
UC returns 67 percent of its scoring from last year including redshirt junior Austin Smythe (Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country Day/Radford) who tallied five goals a season ago and sophomores Sean Clarke (Baltimore, Md./Loyola Blakefield) and Darryn Commissiong (Pickering, Ontario/St. Mary Catholic) who each added four. Goalkeepers Pearce Skinner (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) and Noah Lawrence (Mitchellville, Md./Sacred Heart), who combined to save an AAC-best 80 shots in 2017, are also back.
View the Bearcats' complete 2018 schedule here.
// EXPERIENCE UC
Again this season, the Bearcats will be participating in the University's Experience UC initiative that offers free admission (no ticket required) to regular season, home events for select sports. Enjoy free admission to cross country, lacrosse, volleyball, women's tennis, men's and women's soccer, swimming and diving, and track and field home events. Football, men's and women's basketball, and baseball home events will be ticketed.
Experience UC is a community outreach effort that offers the opportunity for sports fans to witness the seismic changes transpiring on our incredible campus. We are proud to open our doors to fans of all ages. The Bearcats are competing to be the class of the league and we invite people to be a part of an unprecedented time in Clifton.
A number of behind-the-scenes experiences geared towards groups are available before most men's soccer matches. Groups interested in attending games should contact Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing and Branding Luke Willman at 513-556-1081 or luke.willman@uc.edu for more information and to schedule group experiences.
Admission to the match will be free of charge. Fans are encouraged to sit on the west side of the stadium where restrooms and concessions will be available. Cash parking will be offered at Calhoun Garage for $5.
UC will follow Monday's match with one additional exhibition game -- an 8 p.m. ET kickoff at SIUE on Friday, Aug. 17.
"There are a number of things we want to accomplish in our exhibition matches in the preseason," said head coach Hylton Dayes. "Because we have such a young team, I think it is important to give playing time and experience to our young players. We have 12 new players on the team and many of them have never played college soccer, so we certainly want to give them experience. We also want to look at players in different positions. We are looking to fill a few positions and also build depth within the team. I think it will take us both exhibitions, and probably more, to settle on a consistent lineup."
"We also want to build their match fitness from one preseason game to the next. We also need to build the cohesiveness within the team and make sure our principles of play are crystallized within the group. In the second preseason game, we will look to shorten the rotation a bit. We will probably play a few less players and make sure that we are giving consistent playing time to the players that have shown through the preseason that they are going to be major contributors for us."
Entering its ninth season under head coach Nicholas Deren in 2018, Detroit Mercy will look to continue its progression from last season in which it went 7-8-4 overall and advanced to the semifinals of the Horizon League Championship. Following the departure of eight seniors, the Titans will return a young roster featuring 17 underclassmen.
In its first season as a member of the Mid-American Conference in 2017, SIUE reached the MAC Tournament semifinals with a 7-10-1 overall record. The Cougars return the team's leading scorer from last year in midfielder Jorge Gonzalez who tallied five goals, as well as two assists, en route to Second Team All-MAC honors.
The Bearcats will face a challenging, 18-game slate this season. 2017 NCAA Sweet 16 squad Western Michigan, Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) semifinalist Bradley, and consistent American Athletic Conference (AAC) contender USF highlight the home schedule, while crosstown rival Xavier, former league mate West Virginia, and 2017 NCAA Third Round participant SMU provide notable road tests.
UC returns 67 percent of its scoring from last year including redshirt junior Austin Smythe (Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country Day/Radford) who tallied five goals a season ago and sophomores Sean Clarke (Baltimore, Md./Loyola Blakefield) and Darryn Commissiong (Pickering, Ontario/St. Mary Catholic) who each added four. Goalkeepers Pearce Skinner (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) and Noah Lawrence (Mitchellville, Md./Sacred Heart), who combined to save an AAC-best 80 shots in 2017, are also back.
View the Bearcats' complete 2018 schedule here.
// EXPERIENCE UC
Again this season, the Bearcats will be participating in the University's Experience UC initiative that offers free admission (no ticket required) to regular season, home events for select sports. Enjoy free admission to cross country, lacrosse, volleyball, women's tennis, men's and women's soccer, swimming and diving, and track and field home events. Football, men's and women's basketball, and baseball home events will be ticketed.
Experience UC is a community outreach effort that offers the opportunity for sports fans to witness the seismic changes transpiring on our incredible campus. We are proud to open our doors to fans of all ages. The Bearcats are competing to be the class of the league and we invite people to be a part of an unprecedented time in Clifton.
A number of behind-the-scenes experiences geared towards groups are available before most men's soccer matches. Groups interested in attending games should contact Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing and Branding Luke Willman at 513-556-1081 or luke.willman@uc.edu for more information and to schedule group experiences.