Tickets// THE OPENING WHISTLE
The University of Cincinnati women's soccer team, coming off back-to-back shutout victories at home last weekend, will hit the road for the second time in 2018 this week as the Bearcats will travel to South Bend, Ind., to face rv/#25 Notre Dame Thursday at 7 p.m. at Alumni Stadium. The match will be broadcast live on ACC Network Extra.
// 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. As always, fans are encouraged to join in the conversation using the hashtag #Bearcats.
// GOING LIVE
This week's match at Notre Dame will be streamed live online by the ACC Network Extra through the Watch ESPN app. Live statistics for the match will be available through StatBroadcast.com.
// QUICK SHOTS
• Cincinnati won both matches against regional foes over the weekend, downing Wright State, 2-0, Friday night before taking down Northern Kentucky, 1-0, in overtime Sunday
• With the wins, the Bearcats ran their current home undefeated streak to 15 in a row (12-0-3)
• 1,194 fans turned out Sunday for the Riverboat Rivalry, the sixth-largest home crowd ever
• Jill Vetere scored the game-winner in overtime against NKU and was named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll for her one goal, one assist weekend
• Dee Picou picked up her first career point as she assisted on the Vetere winner
• Madison Less earned her 8th career shutout, moving her 0.2 from tying for the #10 spot on the program's all-time Top 10 ledger
• In the win over WSU, 25 players all saw action for the Bearcats, including 24 in the field
• Need 5: UC is 5 wins shy of 200 home victories in program history following two wins last week
// IN THE RANKINGS
The Bearcats are not ranked in either national poll this week after receiving votes one week ago in the United Soccer Coaches rankings. In this week's Coaches rankings, the Bearcats are ranked #4 in the South Region rankings behind USF, SMU and North Texas. Heading into the weekend, UC's next three foes are ranked in at least one national poll, including Notre Dame (rv United Soccer Coaches/#25 Top Drawer Soccer), Kansas (#19/rv) and Auburn (#17/#21). Three others on the schedule in conference play also are currently gaining attention, including SMU (rv/nr), USF (#24/#24) and UCF (rv/nr).
// KNOW THE FOE: NOTRE DAME
• The Fighting Irish enter the contest with a 3-1-0 record after seeing their three-match winning streak snapped in a 4-1 loss at Butler Sunday
• Notre Dame is receiving votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches Top 25 rankings while also ranking #25 in the Top Drawer Soccer rankings
• Three players are tied for the points lead on the team with Eva Hurm leading the way with two goals (4 points) and both Sabrina Flores and Jennifer Westendorf also sitting on four points as both have scored one goal and added two assists
• Mattie Interian and Brooke Littman have split keeper duties so far this year with both starting two matches each. Littman is 2-0-0 with 1 goal allowed (0.50 GAA) while Interian is 1-1-0 with five allowed (2.50 GAA)
// NOTING THE SERIES: BEARCATS-FIGHTING IRISH
• Notre Dame leads the all-time series, 13-1-1, and hold an 8-1-0 record at home against UC
• The Fighting Irish have won nine in a row in the series
• The lone win for the Bearcats came in South Bend on November 18, 2001, when UC scored a 3-2 upset in the NCAA Tournament
• UND won the last meeting, 7-0, on September 16, 2012, the final year the Bearcats were members of the BIG EAST (before joining the American Athletic Conference)
// VETERE HONORED BY AAC
With her strong performance over the weekend, Jill Vetere was selected to the American Athletic Conference's Weekly Honor Roll. Vetere set up the game-winner against Wright State (her pass to Kilgore preceded Kilgore dancing free and fire the ball into the net) and also earned an assist on the second goal against the Raiders before scoring the winning goal against the Norse in overtime.
// ADDING TO THE HAUL
Vetere's honor is the second earned by the Bearcats this season after Thomsen was named the rookie of the week last week. All told, Vetere is one of 14 players that have been named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll since the league formed in 2013. With her selection this week, Vetere has earned the 35th all-time honor roll selection for the Bearcats program.
// RECAP • CIN 2:0 WRIGHT STATE
• UC opened the weekend with a 2-0 win over Wright State in the second match of a doubleheader with the men's team
• Sydney Kilgore scored her first goal for the Bearcats (junior transfer from Indiana) for the game-winner and her collegiate goal since October 25, 2016, in IU's 1-0 win at #25 Ohio State
• Sophie Gorman bagged her first score of the season as she one-timed a back-heel pass from Brandi Thomsen, who sent the ball on goal after receiving a pass off Jill Vetere's set-piece pass
• Jane Sensibaugh saw her first action of the season and made one save to keep a clean sheet
• 25 players saw minutes in the match, including all 24 field players that dressed
// BEARCATS VS. OHIO
Cincinnati holds an all-time record of 85-23-6 against foes from Ohio and have won the last three matches played against Ohio schools following Friday's 2-0 defeat of visiting Wright State. The Bearcats, undefeated in their last six matches against the state (5-0-1), had played 16 matches against Ohio foes since UC and Wright State last played (8/24/08) and, since that 2-1 win for the Raiders, the Bearcats had posted a 12-3-1 record against the Buckeye State, recording eight shutouts in those 16 matches while also outscoring its foes, 26-13.
// RECAP • CIN 1:0 NORTHERN KENTUCKY
• The Bearcats closed out the weekend with a 1-0 overtime win against visiting NKU Sunday night
• UC has now won all three Riverboat Rivalry matches with all three ending, 1-0
• Jill Vetere netted the winner in the 99' as she collected a pass from Dee Picou off a corner kick and calmly slotted her shot into the netting for the 1-0 win
• The assist for Picou marked the first point of her collegiate career
• Madison Less recorded three saves in the game to earn the shutout in her season debut and the eighth of her career, leaving her 0.2 shy of tying for 10th all-time in career shutouts at UC
• 1,194 fans turned out to watch the match, the sixth-largest home crowd in UC history
// PACKING THEM IN
The 1,194 fans that attended the Riverboat Rivalry match Sunday ranks highly in program history attendance figures. That total stands as the sixth-largest home crowd in Bearcats history while also ranking as the 11th-largest UC has played before in program history. Sunday's attendance also means two of the Top 6 home crowds in UC history have come when the Norse have visited after the inaugural Riverboat Rivalry in 2016 drew 4,722 fans, a record for a women's college soccer game played in the state of Ohio.
// EXTRA TIME
The last time the Bearcats won an overtime match was the opener of the 2016 season when they defeated visiting Dayton, 2-1, on Julie Gavorski's dart from outside the box with 16 second remaining in double overtime. With the win Sunday, the Bearcats have inched closer to a .500 win percentage in overtime matches as they now stand 33-34-61 all-time in such matches.
// EARLY AND LATE
Over the weekend, two of the goals scored rank among the Top 20 according to time since Neil Stafford took over (2013 season). Vetere's winning strike against NKU came at 98:46, marking the third-latest goal scored in a match that Stafford has coached at UC. Kilgore's goal time of 16:14 ranks as the 20th-fastest under Stafford.
// ALMOST OVER THE HILL
The 2018 season marks the 39th varsity campaign for the Bearcats program. Through the second week of action, Cincinnati's all-time record stands at 384-277-61 (.574), including a mark of 195-100-28 at home, leaving the team just five wins away from the 200-victory milestone.
// HOME STREAKING
Speaking of the success the Bearcats have enjoyed at home, the team is currently on a 15-match undefeated streak, dating back to the home finale in 2016, a 2-1 win over Temple. Holders of the second-longest streak in program history, UC posted an 8-0-3 record at Gettler Stadium last year and are 3-0-0 so far this season to build the mark. The record is 23 in a row which was set during the 1983-86 seasons.
// PROTECT THIS HOUSE
Since the start of the 2013 season, the Bearcats have played 49 home matches, posting a 34-6-9 record in that time (.786 win percentage). Including 2017, UC has won at least four home contests each season with eight in 2017, seven wins in 2014 and 2015, six in 2016 and four in 2013. Also, in that time, UC has out-scored its guests, 89-33 (+56). So far in 2018, the Bearcats are 3-0-0 at home and have out scored their opponents, 5-1.
// FRIENDLY CONFINES
In their first five seasons (including 2017), Stafford and his staff accumulated 31 home wins, the most of any UC women's soccer coach in his/her first five seasons. Meridy Glenn's teams from 1983 to 1987 won 28 matches and posted a .843 win percentage (28-4-3) in her first five years.
// SUNDAY FUN DAY!
Since Stafford took over the program in time for the 2013 season, the Bearcats have played at home on Sunday 25 times and hold an impressive 22-0-3 record in those matches after posting a win over Northern Kentucky this past weekend. In that span, the Bearcats have not only posted an impressive record, but also have outscored their foes, 51-11, while the defense has recorded 16 clean sheets. Three more 'Sunday Fun Days' remain on the schedule in 2018, including matches with LSU (Sept. 16), Houston (Sept. 30) and UConn (Oct. 14).
PREVIOUSLY NOTED
// HELLO! MY NAME IS...
Nine true freshmen, one sophomore and a junior transfer make up this year's newest Bearcats. Junior Sydney Kilgore, a native of Cincinnati (Oak Hills HS) joins the program after playing for two years at Indiana while sophomore Ying Zhan, a native of China, is in her first year playing collegiate soccer. The rookies are comprised of four individuals from the Cincinnati area, including Emi Carlo (Lebanon HS), Kiley Keehan (Walnut Hills HS), Madison Lindsay (Lebanon HS) and Annie Metzger (Mason HS), three from the Cleveland area, including Vanessa DiNardo (Strongsville, Ohio), Camryn Hartman (Bay Village, Ohio) and Ally Sidloski (Strongsville, Ohio), and two others from outside of the state, including Wisconsin's Brandi Thomsen (Brookfield) and Massachusetts' Alli Pestaina (Brimfield).
// PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Two of the newcomers earned high honors ahead of joining the Bearcats. Brandi Thomsen twice earned player of the year honors in the state of Wisconsin, including being named the 2018 Gatorade Player of the Year and the 2017 Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association Player of the Year. Vanessa DiNardo also earned a state honor as she was tabbed as the 2017 Ohio Division I State Player of the Year.
// SAME SCHOOL
While local players joining the program often hail from the same high schools as upperclassmen is nothing new for a collegiate program or, like this year, two sets of two teammates joining the program at the same time (DiNardo/Sidloski from Strongsville and Carlo/Lindsay from Lebanon), the addition of Alli Pestaina to the team brings with it another connection. Before coming to UC, Pestaina, a native of Brimfield, Mass., attended Worcester Academy... the same academy head coach Neil Stafford attended during his prep days.
// WELCOME TO AMERICA!
Throughout the history of the program, the roster has featured several Canadian players with this year's team featuring a trio from north of the border in Claudia Eustaquio, Michelle Travassos and Cassie Wheldon. This year, though, a new country was added to the list with the arrival of Ying Zhan from Shenzhen, China. Along with the American and Canadian players that have appeared on the rosters, only three other nations have been represented in program history, including Ana Farmer of Scotland (2004-06), Alana McShane of Northern Ireland (2013) and now Zhan.
// DOUBLE DIGIT WINS
Last year, the Bearcats won 12 matches, marking the fourth year in a row the team has won 10+ in a single season under Stafford. That streak ties for the second-best in program history and leaves the Bearcats one shy of equalling the all-time best. Currently, the four-year streak equals the 1980-83 and 1986-89 squads for second while the 1994-97 teams hold the mark with five in a row.
// CONTINUING TO IMPROVE
Before Stafford took over the program, UC had improved its season win percentage in two-consecutive seasons four times, with the most recent coming in 2000 (.727 from .447) and 2001 (.834 from .727). After the program finished with a win percentage of .250 in 2012 and Stafford came in, the team has raised its win percentage in all five seasons, posting marks of .425 (2013), .550 (2014), .646 (2015), .650 (2016) and .711 (2017).
// SORRY, THE GOAL IS CLOSED
One of the reasons the Bearcats have continued to raise its overall profile has been the outstanding defense it has played. In 2012, UC conceded 39 goals. Since then, that number has gone down every year under Stafford, reaching a miniscule total of 11 allowed in 2017, which tied for the fewest in a season. During that span, UC has allowed 37 (2013), 27 (2014), 22 (2015), 21 (2016) and 11 (2017).
LOOKING BACK AT 2017
// AWARDS HAUL
For the 2017 season, the Bearcats collected 19 weekly awards from the American, including nine major awards and 10 Honor Roll selections. Here is the breakdown:
• Offensive POTW: Julie Gavorski (1), Jaycie Brown (1)
• Defensive POTW: Vanessa Gilles (4), Kiki Lowell (2)
• Goalkeeper OTW: Madison Less (1)
• Honor Roll: Less (3), Sophie Gorman (3), Gavorski (1), Taylor Pavlika (1), Karli Royer (1), Jill Vetere (1)
Following the season, several Bearcats were honored by the league as well:
• Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Vanessa Gilles
• AAC All-Conference: Vanessa Gilles (1), Sophie Gorman (2)
• AAC All-Rookie: Sophie Gorman, Kiki Lowell
// IN THE RPI
During the 2017 season, the Bearcats rose as high as #11 in the RPI data released by the NCAA, the highest ranking they have attained in program history. What is more impressive is where the program had come from. At the end of the 2012 season, Cincinnati's final RPI ranking was #227, meaning that, in the five years Stafford and his staff have guided the program, the Bearcats have clawed their way up 216 positions since the start of the 2013 season.
// BROUGHT HOME THE BAGEL
With the regular season finale - a 1-0 win over ECU - the 2017 Bearcats did something only four other UC squads had done in program history: post an undefeated home record. With the win, UC closed out the home slate with an 8-0-3 record, the first undefeated home slate since 1996. Here is a look at some of the stats and notes following the 8-0-3 record:
• The team's .950 win percentage at home is the third-best in program history behind only the 1982 (7-0-0) and 1984 (5-0-0) teams
• The 8 home wins is a program record, surpassing 10 previous times UC had recorded 7 wins
• The Bearcats posted eight shutouts at home, which ties the 2015 side for the most in a single season in program history
• UC allowed just 0.45 goals per match at home this year, one of only nine campaigns win which the Bearcats allowed one-half of one goal or less
// GORMAN GOALS
To get the 1-0 victory over ECU, Sophie Gorman did her thing and scored in the 42' as a shot was deflected by the defense right to Gorman, who put the ball over the keeper's head and under the crossbar for what would be the winner. What makes that goal even more interesting is that it not only won the game, but also book-ended the regular season with winning goals from Gorman as the freshman scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Buffalo in the season opener before Friday's victorious strike.
// SHARING THE SHEETS
In 2017, the Bearcats recorded 11 shutouts. While that is a strong statistic on its own, what is more impressive is that all four keepers on the roster have contributed to those clean sheets. Madison Less has recorded seven shutouts while Jane Sensibaugh and Claudia Eustaquio have tallied two and 1.5, respectively. Kaleigh Piscioneri joined in with a scoreless second half against Morehead State to pick up a share of a shutout. What does it all mean? It means that UC is the only team in the nation that has four keepers with at least a share of one shutout and also has the Bearcats joining Louisiana Tech as the only schools with three keepers that have tallied at least one full shutout.
// ACADEMICALLY SOUND
Last year, the Bearcats collectively sported a 3.50 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, 28 of the 31 women on the roster recorded a 3.00 GPA or better during the 2017-18 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 2017-18 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.
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats will play a pair of matches next week with both coming against nationally ranked foes. First, UC will play host to #19/rv Kansas at 7 p.m. Thursday, September 6, with all fans encouraged to join the Bearcats in wearing red. Then, on Sunday, the Bearcats hit the road for a meeting with #17/#21 Auburn in Auburn, Ala. The match is slated to start at 1 p.m. ET (noon CT).
The University of Cincinnati women's soccer team, coming off back-to-back shutout victories at home last weekend, will hit the road for the second time in 2018 this week as the Bearcats will travel to South Bend, Ind., to face rv/#25 Notre Dame Thursday at 7 p.m. at Alumni Stadium. The match will be broadcast live on ACC Network Extra.
// 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. As always, fans are encouraged to join in the conversation using the hashtag #Bearcats.
// GOING LIVE
This week's match at Notre Dame will be streamed live online by the ACC Network Extra through the Watch ESPN app. Live statistics for the match will be available through StatBroadcast.com.
// QUICK SHOTS
• Cincinnati won both matches against regional foes over the weekend, downing Wright State, 2-0, Friday night before taking down Northern Kentucky, 1-0, in overtime Sunday
• With the wins, the Bearcats ran their current home undefeated streak to 15 in a row (12-0-3)
• 1,194 fans turned out Sunday for the Riverboat Rivalry, the sixth-largest home crowd ever
• Jill Vetere scored the game-winner in overtime against NKU and was named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll for her one goal, one assist weekend
• Dee Picou picked up her first career point as she assisted on the Vetere winner
• Madison Less earned her 8th career shutout, moving her 0.2 from tying for the #10 spot on the program's all-time Top 10 ledger
• In the win over WSU, 25 players all saw action for the Bearcats, including 24 in the field
• Need 5: UC is 5 wins shy of 200 home victories in program history following two wins last week
// IN THE RANKINGS
The Bearcats are not ranked in either national poll this week after receiving votes one week ago in the United Soccer Coaches rankings. In this week's Coaches rankings, the Bearcats are ranked #4 in the South Region rankings behind USF, SMU and North Texas. Heading into the weekend, UC's next three foes are ranked in at least one national poll, including Notre Dame (rv United Soccer Coaches/#25 Top Drawer Soccer), Kansas (#19/rv) and Auburn (#17/#21). Three others on the schedule in conference play also are currently gaining attention, including SMU (rv/nr), USF (#24/#24) and UCF (rv/nr).
// KNOW THE FOE: NOTRE DAME
• The Fighting Irish enter the contest with a 3-1-0 record after seeing their three-match winning streak snapped in a 4-1 loss at Butler Sunday
• Notre Dame is receiving votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches Top 25 rankings while also ranking #25 in the Top Drawer Soccer rankings
• Three players are tied for the points lead on the team with Eva Hurm leading the way with two goals (4 points) and both Sabrina Flores and Jennifer Westendorf also sitting on four points as both have scored one goal and added two assists
• Mattie Interian and Brooke Littman have split keeper duties so far this year with both starting two matches each. Littman is 2-0-0 with 1 goal allowed (0.50 GAA) while Interian is 1-1-0 with five allowed (2.50 GAA)
// NOTING THE SERIES: BEARCATS-FIGHTING IRISH
• Notre Dame leads the all-time series, 13-1-1, and hold an 8-1-0 record at home against UC
• The Fighting Irish have won nine in a row in the series
• The lone win for the Bearcats came in South Bend on November 18, 2001, when UC scored a 3-2 upset in the NCAA Tournament
• UND won the last meeting, 7-0, on September 16, 2012, the final year the Bearcats were members of the BIG EAST (before joining the American Athletic Conference)
// VETERE HONORED BY AAC
With her strong performance over the weekend, Jill Vetere was selected to the American Athletic Conference's Weekly Honor Roll. Vetere set up the game-winner against Wright State (her pass to Kilgore preceded Kilgore dancing free and fire the ball into the net) and also earned an assist on the second goal against the Raiders before scoring the winning goal against the Norse in overtime.
// ADDING TO THE HAUL
Vetere's honor is the second earned by the Bearcats this season after Thomsen was named the rookie of the week last week. All told, Vetere is one of 14 players that have been named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll since the league formed in 2013. With her selection this week, Vetere has earned the 35th all-time honor roll selection for the Bearcats program.
// RECAP • CIN 2:0 WRIGHT STATE
• UC opened the weekend with a 2-0 win over Wright State in the second match of a doubleheader with the men's team
• Sydney Kilgore scored her first goal for the Bearcats (junior transfer from Indiana) for the game-winner and her collegiate goal since October 25, 2016, in IU's 1-0 win at #25 Ohio State
• Sophie Gorman bagged her first score of the season as she one-timed a back-heel pass from Brandi Thomsen, who sent the ball on goal after receiving a pass off Jill Vetere's set-piece pass
• Jane Sensibaugh saw her first action of the season and made one save to keep a clean sheet
• 25 players saw minutes in the match, including all 24 field players that dressed
// BEARCATS VS. OHIO
Cincinnati holds an all-time record of 85-23-6 against foes from Ohio and have won the last three matches played against Ohio schools following Friday's 2-0 defeat of visiting Wright State. The Bearcats, undefeated in their last six matches against the state (5-0-1), had played 16 matches against Ohio foes since UC and Wright State last played (8/24/08) and, since that 2-1 win for the Raiders, the Bearcats had posted a 12-3-1 record against the Buckeye State, recording eight shutouts in those 16 matches while also outscoring its foes, 26-13.
// RECAP • CIN 1:0 NORTHERN KENTUCKY
• The Bearcats closed out the weekend with a 1-0 overtime win against visiting NKU Sunday night
• UC has now won all three Riverboat Rivalry matches with all three ending, 1-0
• Jill Vetere netted the winner in the 99' as she collected a pass from Dee Picou off a corner kick and calmly slotted her shot into the netting for the 1-0 win
• The assist for Picou marked the first point of her collegiate career
• Madison Less recorded three saves in the game to earn the shutout in her season debut and the eighth of her career, leaving her 0.2 shy of tying for 10th all-time in career shutouts at UC
• 1,194 fans turned out to watch the match, the sixth-largest home crowd in UC history
// PACKING THEM IN
The 1,194 fans that attended the Riverboat Rivalry match Sunday ranks highly in program history attendance figures. That total stands as the sixth-largest home crowd in Bearcats history while also ranking as the 11th-largest UC has played before in program history. Sunday's attendance also means two of the Top 6 home crowds in UC history have come when the Norse have visited after the inaugural Riverboat Rivalry in 2016 drew 4,722 fans, a record for a women's college soccer game played in the state of Ohio.
// EXTRA TIME
The last time the Bearcats won an overtime match was the opener of the 2016 season when they defeated visiting Dayton, 2-1, on Julie Gavorski's dart from outside the box with 16 second remaining in double overtime. With the win Sunday, the Bearcats have inched closer to a .500 win percentage in overtime matches as they now stand 33-34-61 all-time in such matches.
// EARLY AND LATE
Over the weekend, two of the goals scored rank among the Top 20 according to time since Neil Stafford took over (2013 season). Vetere's winning strike against NKU came at 98:46, marking the third-latest goal scored in a match that Stafford has coached at UC. Kilgore's goal time of 16:14 ranks as the 20th-fastest under Stafford.
// ALMOST OVER THE HILL
The 2018 season marks the 39th varsity campaign for the Bearcats program. Through the second week of action, Cincinnati's all-time record stands at 384-277-61 (.574), including a mark of 195-100-28 at home, leaving the team just five wins away from the 200-victory milestone.
// HOME STREAKING
Speaking of the success the Bearcats have enjoyed at home, the team is currently on a 15-match undefeated streak, dating back to the home finale in 2016, a 2-1 win over Temple. Holders of the second-longest streak in program history, UC posted an 8-0-3 record at Gettler Stadium last year and are 3-0-0 so far this season to build the mark. The record is 23 in a row which was set during the 1983-86 seasons.
// PROTECT THIS HOUSE
Since the start of the 2013 season, the Bearcats have played 49 home matches, posting a 34-6-9 record in that time (.786 win percentage). Including 2017, UC has won at least four home contests each season with eight in 2017, seven wins in 2014 and 2015, six in 2016 and four in 2013. Also, in that time, UC has out-scored its guests, 89-33 (+56). So far in 2018, the Bearcats are 3-0-0 at home and have out scored their opponents, 5-1.
// FRIENDLY CONFINES
In their first five seasons (including 2017), Stafford and his staff accumulated 31 home wins, the most of any UC women's soccer coach in his/her first five seasons. Meridy Glenn's teams from 1983 to 1987 won 28 matches and posted a .843 win percentage (28-4-3) in her first five years.
// SUNDAY FUN DAY!
Since Stafford took over the program in time for the 2013 season, the Bearcats have played at home on Sunday 25 times and hold an impressive 22-0-3 record in those matches after posting a win over Northern Kentucky this past weekend. In that span, the Bearcats have not only posted an impressive record, but also have outscored their foes, 51-11, while the defense has recorded 16 clean sheets. Three more 'Sunday Fun Days' remain on the schedule in 2018, including matches with LSU (Sept. 16), Houston (Sept. 30) and UConn (Oct. 14).
PREVIOUSLY NOTED
// HELLO! MY NAME IS...
Nine true freshmen, one sophomore and a junior transfer make up this year's newest Bearcats. Junior Sydney Kilgore, a native of Cincinnati (Oak Hills HS) joins the program after playing for two years at Indiana while sophomore Ying Zhan, a native of China, is in her first year playing collegiate soccer. The rookies are comprised of four individuals from the Cincinnati area, including Emi Carlo (Lebanon HS), Kiley Keehan (Walnut Hills HS), Madison Lindsay (Lebanon HS) and Annie Metzger (Mason HS), three from the Cleveland area, including Vanessa DiNardo (Strongsville, Ohio), Camryn Hartman (Bay Village, Ohio) and Ally Sidloski (Strongsville, Ohio), and two others from outside of the state, including Wisconsin's Brandi Thomsen (Brookfield) and Massachusetts' Alli Pestaina (Brimfield).
// PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Two of the newcomers earned high honors ahead of joining the Bearcats. Brandi Thomsen twice earned player of the year honors in the state of Wisconsin, including being named the 2018 Gatorade Player of the Year and the 2017 Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association Player of the Year. Vanessa DiNardo also earned a state honor as she was tabbed as the 2017 Ohio Division I State Player of the Year.
// SAME SCHOOL
While local players joining the program often hail from the same high schools as upperclassmen is nothing new for a collegiate program or, like this year, two sets of two teammates joining the program at the same time (DiNardo/Sidloski from Strongsville and Carlo/Lindsay from Lebanon), the addition of Alli Pestaina to the team brings with it another connection. Before coming to UC, Pestaina, a native of Brimfield, Mass., attended Worcester Academy... the same academy head coach Neil Stafford attended during his prep days.
// WELCOME TO AMERICA!
Throughout the history of the program, the roster has featured several Canadian players with this year's team featuring a trio from north of the border in Claudia Eustaquio, Michelle Travassos and Cassie Wheldon. This year, though, a new country was added to the list with the arrival of Ying Zhan from Shenzhen, China. Along with the American and Canadian players that have appeared on the rosters, only three other nations have been represented in program history, including Ana Farmer of Scotland (2004-06), Alana McShane of Northern Ireland (2013) and now Zhan.
// DOUBLE DIGIT WINS
Last year, the Bearcats won 12 matches, marking the fourth year in a row the team has won 10+ in a single season under Stafford. That streak ties for the second-best in program history and leaves the Bearcats one shy of equalling the all-time best. Currently, the four-year streak equals the 1980-83 and 1986-89 squads for second while the 1994-97 teams hold the mark with five in a row.
// CONTINUING TO IMPROVE
Before Stafford took over the program, UC had improved its season win percentage in two-consecutive seasons four times, with the most recent coming in 2000 (.727 from .447) and 2001 (.834 from .727). After the program finished with a win percentage of .250 in 2012 and Stafford came in, the team has raised its win percentage in all five seasons, posting marks of .425 (2013), .550 (2014), .646 (2015), .650 (2016) and .711 (2017).
// SORRY, THE GOAL IS CLOSED
One of the reasons the Bearcats have continued to raise its overall profile has been the outstanding defense it has played. In 2012, UC conceded 39 goals. Since then, that number has gone down every year under Stafford, reaching a miniscule total of 11 allowed in 2017, which tied for the fewest in a season. During that span, UC has allowed 37 (2013), 27 (2014), 22 (2015), 21 (2016) and 11 (2017).
LOOKING BACK AT 2017
// AWARDS HAUL
For the 2017 season, the Bearcats collected 19 weekly awards from the American, including nine major awards and 10 Honor Roll selections. Here is the breakdown:
• Offensive POTW: Julie Gavorski (1), Jaycie Brown (1)
• Defensive POTW: Vanessa Gilles (4), Kiki Lowell (2)
• Goalkeeper OTW: Madison Less (1)
• Honor Roll: Less (3), Sophie Gorman (3), Gavorski (1), Taylor Pavlika (1), Karli Royer (1), Jill Vetere (1)
Following the season, several Bearcats were honored by the league as well:
• Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Vanessa Gilles
• AAC All-Conference: Vanessa Gilles (1), Sophie Gorman (2)
• AAC All-Rookie: Sophie Gorman, Kiki Lowell
// IN THE RPI
During the 2017 season, the Bearcats rose as high as #11 in the RPI data released by the NCAA, the highest ranking they have attained in program history. What is more impressive is where the program had come from. At the end of the 2012 season, Cincinnati's final RPI ranking was #227, meaning that, in the five years Stafford and his staff have guided the program, the Bearcats have clawed their way up 216 positions since the start of the 2013 season.
// BROUGHT HOME THE BAGEL
With the regular season finale - a 1-0 win over ECU - the 2017 Bearcats did something only four other UC squads had done in program history: post an undefeated home record. With the win, UC closed out the home slate with an 8-0-3 record, the first undefeated home slate since 1996. Here is a look at some of the stats and notes following the 8-0-3 record:
• The team's .950 win percentage at home is the third-best in program history behind only the 1982 (7-0-0) and 1984 (5-0-0) teams
• The 8 home wins is a program record, surpassing 10 previous times UC had recorded 7 wins
• The Bearcats posted eight shutouts at home, which ties the 2015 side for the most in a single season in program history
• UC allowed just 0.45 goals per match at home this year, one of only nine campaigns win which the Bearcats allowed one-half of one goal or less
// GORMAN GOALS
To get the 1-0 victory over ECU, Sophie Gorman did her thing and scored in the 42' as a shot was deflected by the defense right to Gorman, who put the ball over the keeper's head and under the crossbar for what would be the winner. What makes that goal even more interesting is that it not only won the game, but also book-ended the regular season with winning goals from Gorman as the freshman scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Buffalo in the season opener before Friday's victorious strike.
// SHARING THE SHEETS
In 2017, the Bearcats recorded 11 shutouts. While that is a strong statistic on its own, what is more impressive is that all four keepers on the roster have contributed to those clean sheets. Madison Less has recorded seven shutouts while Jane Sensibaugh and Claudia Eustaquio have tallied two and 1.5, respectively. Kaleigh Piscioneri joined in with a scoreless second half against Morehead State to pick up a share of a shutout. What does it all mean? It means that UC is the only team in the nation that has four keepers with at least a share of one shutout and also has the Bearcats joining Louisiana Tech as the only schools with three keepers that have tallied at least one full shutout.
// ACADEMICALLY SOUND
Last year, the Bearcats collectively sported a 3.50 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, 28 of the 31 women on the roster recorded a 3.00 GPA or better during the 2017-18 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 2017-18 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.
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats will play a pair of matches next week with both coming against nationally ranked foes. First, UC will play host to #19/rv Kansas at 7 p.m. Thursday, September 6, with all fans encouraged to join the Bearcats in wearing red. Then, on Sunday, the Bearcats hit the road for a meeting with #17/#21 Auburn in Auburn, Ala. The match is slated to start at 1 p.m. ET (noon CT).