TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati men's soccer team opened the preseason Monday night with a 2-0 win over visiting Detroit Mercy inside historic Nippert Stadium.
Juniors Austin Smythe (Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country Day/Radford) and Ryan Melink (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland) both scored first half goals to pace the Bearcats' scoring attack. UC's defensive effort was stout, allowing only three shots, including one on goal which was saved by sophomore goalkeeper Noah Lawrence (Mitchellville, Md./Sacred Heart).
In the first outing of the season for both teams, the opening 20 minutes consisted of each squad feeling the other out. UC then went on the attack in the 23rd minute when Melink got behind the defense and chipped a shot past the extended UDM kicker, but his shot was saved by an incoming Titans defender who left the ball available for Smythe to punch in for the opening score of the match. Less than a minute later, the ball was played over the top to junior Daniel Oginni (Mississauga, Ontario/King's Christian Collegiate) who nodded it past the again extended keeper and Melink swooped in for the easy finish to give UC a 2-0 advantage. Armed with the lead, UC continued to limit the UDM offense with solid defensive play throughout the period to take a 2-0 lead into halftime.
The Bearcats used much of the second half to get its bevy of newcomers meaningful minutes. The new crop of Bearcats showed the potential for offensive punch with freshmen Zach Powell (Cincinnati, Ohio/Fairfield) and Andrew Minnis (Elizabethtown, Ky./John Hardin) both striking shots, including one on goal by Minnis. Pitching a shutout on opening night, UC showed many positives on Monday as preparation for the regular season continues.
"I thought tonight's performance was good considering it was our first preseason match," said head coach Hylton Dayes. "I thought we moved the ball well in attack and got the two early goals. We were also able to give valuable minutes to our young players and came out of the match healthy. There are things we still need to work on before our next preseason match on Friday."
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats will wrap up the 2018 preseason with an 8 p.m. ET first touch at SIUE on Friday, Aug. 17. UC's regular season will kick off on Friday, Aug. 24, at 7 p.m. at Gettler Stadium against Northern Illinois. Admission to the match will be free as part of the season-long Experience UC initiative.
Juniors Austin Smythe (Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country Day/Radford) and Ryan Melink (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland) both scored first half goals to pace the Bearcats' scoring attack. UC's defensive effort was stout, allowing only three shots, including one on goal which was saved by sophomore goalkeeper Noah Lawrence (Mitchellville, Md./Sacred Heart).
In the first outing of the season for both teams, the opening 20 minutes consisted of each squad feeling the other out. UC then went on the attack in the 23rd minute when Melink got behind the defense and chipped a shot past the extended UDM kicker, but his shot was saved by an incoming Titans defender who left the ball available for Smythe to punch in for the opening score of the match. Less than a minute later, the ball was played over the top to junior Daniel Oginni (Mississauga, Ontario/King's Christian Collegiate) who nodded it past the again extended keeper and Melink swooped in for the easy finish to give UC a 2-0 advantage. Armed with the lead, UC continued to limit the UDM offense with solid defensive play throughout the period to take a 2-0 lead into halftime.
The Bearcats used much of the second half to get its bevy of newcomers meaningful minutes. The new crop of Bearcats showed the potential for offensive punch with freshmen Zach Powell (Cincinnati, Ohio/Fairfield) and Andrew Minnis (Elizabethtown, Ky./John Hardin) both striking shots, including one on goal by Minnis. Pitching a shutout on opening night, UC showed many positives on Monday as preparation for the regular season continues.
"I thought tonight's performance was good considering it was our first preseason match," said head coach Hylton Dayes. "I thought we moved the ball well in attack and got the two early goals. We were also able to give valuable minutes to our young players and came out of the match healthy. There are things we still need to work on before our next preseason match on Friday."
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats will wrap up the 2018 preseason with an 8 p.m. ET first touch at SIUE on Friday, Aug. 17. UC's regular season will kick off on Friday, Aug. 24, at 7 p.m. at Gettler Stadium against Northern Illinois. Admission to the match will be free as part of the season-long Experience UC initiative.