TicketsCINCINNATI – University of Cincinnati men's soccer will return to Gettler Stadium on Monday, Aug. 27, to host the Eastern Illinois Panthers. First touch is set for 7 p.m.
Admission to the match is free of charge as part of the season-long Experience UC initiative.
// GOING LIVE
All home matches in 2018 will once again be streamed live on GoBearcats.com and will all be free. The link to the stream can be found on the men's soccer schedule page. On the same page, links to live statistics can also be found.
// 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.
// MATCH PROMOTIONS
Monday's match is a rUCkus Rewards Priority Night. In addition, the first 500 fans in attendance will receive complimentary Thundersticks. Click here to view the 2018 promotional calendar.
// SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
Going into their first match of the regular season, the Panthers return Edgar Mesa and Erik Isaksson who were both named to the 2017 Summit League All-Newcomer team. Kris Luke returns as the only senior from last season. Luke took 12 shots last season with six on goal. In the preseason, EIU challenged itself with exhibition matchups at both Wisconsin and DePaul.
// EASTERN ILLINOIS SERIES
The all-time series record between the Panthers and Bearcats is tied, 4-4. The two teams last met at the end of the 2016 season with Cincinnati taking a 3-1 home win over EIU. UC is 3-2 against EIU in Cincinnati, including wins in the last two meetings at Gettler.
// LAST TIME OUT
UC suffered a 1-0 overtime defeat to the visiting Northern Illinois Huskies on Friday night at Gettler Stadium in both teams' season openers. A goal in the 94th minute by NIU's Nick Markanich was the difference in a tightly-contested matchup. The game was played evenly in regards to shots with both teams notching 12. UC held a sizeable advantage in corner kicks with a 7-1 edge. Redshirt junior Ryan Melink (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland) led the way with four shots, while sophomore Sean Clarke (Baltimore, Md./Loyola Blakefield), redshirt junior Austin Smythe (Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country Day/Radford), and newcomers Paul Bangura (Woodbridge, Va./West Potomac) and Mortitz Schaller (Austria/Vienna University) each added two. Sophomore goalkeeper Noah Lawrence (Mitchellville, Md./Sacred Heart) had four saves on the night.
// DAYES OF OUR LIVES
Head coach Hylton Dayes enters his 18th season at the helm of the program in 2018. The dean of UC's varsity coaches and the all-time winningest coach in Bearcats men's soccer history, Dayes has won 132 matches in Clifton, reaching the NCAA Tournament twice (2003 & 2006). In 28 seasons as a collegiate head coach, including time as both the men's and women's head coach at Wright State, Dayes is 229-231-62.
// FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
The Bearcats' youth movement continues in 2018 with 18 underclassmen, including 13 newcomers. Notably, four of the 13 signees hail from the state of Ohio, including a trio of local products in Ben Wendell (Mason, Ohio/Mason), Will Lonneman (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller), and Zach Powell (Cincinnati, Ohio/Fairfield).
// THEY'RE BACK
UC returns 67 percent of its scoring from last year including Smythe who tallied five goals a season ago and sophomores Clarke and Darryn Commissiong (Pickering, Ontario/St. Mary Catholic) who each added four. Goalkeepers Lawrence and Pearce Skinner (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc), who combined to save an AAC-best 80 shots in 2017, are also back.
// SMYTHE HONORED
The American Athletic Conference announced on Aug. 14 its preseason all-conference team with Smythe one of 13 players selected to the squad. UC has now had a player named to the preseason all-conference team in consecutive years after Patrick Nielsen was a unanimous pick in 2017, while also being tabbed preseason Defensive Player of the Year. In the preseason conference poll, the Bearcats were picked to finish seventh in the eight-team league.
Admission to the match is free of charge as part of the season-long Experience UC initiative.
// GOING LIVE
All home matches in 2018 will once again be streamed live on GoBearcats.com and will all be free. The link to the stream can be found on the men's soccer schedule page. On the same page, links to live statistics can also be found.
// 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.
// MATCH PROMOTIONS
Monday's match is a rUCkus Rewards Priority Night. In addition, the first 500 fans in attendance will receive complimentary Thundersticks. Click here to view the 2018 promotional calendar.
// SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
Going into their first match of the regular season, the Panthers return Edgar Mesa and Erik Isaksson who were both named to the 2017 Summit League All-Newcomer team. Kris Luke returns as the only senior from last season. Luke took 12 shots last season with six on goal. In the preseason, EIU challenged itself with exhibition matchups at both Wisconsin and DePaul.
// EASTERN ILLINOIS SERIES
The all-time series record between the Panthers and Bearcats is tied, 4-4. The two teams last met at the end of the 2016 season with Cincinnati taking a 3-1 home win over EIU. UC is 3-2 against EIU in Cincinnati, including wins in the last two meetings at Gettler.
// LAST TIME OUT
UC suffered a 1-0 overtime defeat to the visiting Northern Illinois Huskies on Friday night at Gettler Stadium in both teams' season openers. A goal in the 94th minute by NIU's Nick Markanich was the difference in a tightly-contested matchup. The game was played evenly in regards to shots with both teams notching 12. UC held a sizeable advantage in corner kicks with a 7-1 edge. Redshirt junior Ryan Melink (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland) led the way with four shots, while sophomore Sean Clarke (Baltimore, Md./Loyola Blakefield), redshirt junior Austin Smythe (Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country Day/Radford), and newcomers Paul Bangura (Woodbridge, Va./West Potomac) and Mortitz Schaller (Austria/Vienna University) each added two. Sophomore goalkeeper Noah Lawrence (Mitchellville, Md./Sacred Heart) had four saves on the night.
// DAYES OF OUR LIVES
Head coach Hylton Dayes enters his 18th season at the helm of the program in 2018. The dean of UC's varsity coaches and the all-time winningest coach in Bearcats men's soccer history, Dayes has won 132 matches in Clifton, reaching the NCAA Tournament twice (2003 & 2006). In 28 seasons as a collegiate head coach, including time as both the men's and women's head coach at Wright State, Dayes is 229-231-62.
// FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
The Bearcats' youth movement continues in 2018 with 18 underclassmen, including 13 newcomers. Notably, four of the 13 signees hail from the state of Ohio, including a trio of local products in Ben Wendell (Mason, Ohio/Mason), Will Lonneman (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller), and Zach Powell (Cincinnati, Ohio/Fairfield).
// THEY'RE BACK
UC returns 67 percent of its scoring from last year including Smythe who tallied five goals a season ago and sophomores Clarke and Darryn Commissiong (Pickering, Ontario/St. Mary Catholic) who each added four. Goalkeepers Lawrence and Pearce Skinner (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc), who combined to save an AAC-best 80 shots in 2017, are also back.
// SMYTHE HONORED
The American Athletic Conference announced on Aug. 14 its preseason all-conference team with Smythe one of 13 players selected to the squad. UC has now had a player named to the preseason all-conference team in consecutive years after Patrick Nielsen was a unanimous pick in 2017, while also being tabbed preseason Defensive Player of the Year. In the preseason conference poll, the Bearcats were picked to finish seventh in the eight-team league.