TicketsCLEVELAND – Beginning a stretch of three-consecutive matches against teams from the state of Ohio, University of Cincinnati men's soccer will travel north Friday to face the Cleveland State Vikings at 7 p.m. at Krenzler Field.
Fans can watch the game live on ESPN+. Live statistics can be accessed on CSUVikings.com.
// LAST TIME OUT
UC fell, 2-0, Monday to the visiting Eastern Illinois Panthers at Gettler Stadium. The Bearcats (0-2) fell behind early as EIU (1-0) found the back of the net in the 23rd minute. The Bearcats were dealt another blow in the 41st minute when it was whistled for a foul in the box which the Panthers subsequently converted into a penalty-kick score. Unable to cash in on multiple chances in the second half, the Red & Black ultimately could not recover from its deficit as it dropped a 2-0 decision.
// SCOUTING THE VIKINGS
CSU (0-2) has dropped its first two matches of the season, most recently a 1-0 road setback at Loyola (Ill.) on Monday. The Vikings previously suffered a 3-0 defeat at Northwestern in their regular-season opener. Coming into 2018, CSU has 13 newcomers on the roster: 10 freshmen and three transfers. Returners Vlad Jandric and Noah Pio were both selected All-Horizon League Second Team in 2017, while Thomas M'Barek was named to the All-Freshman Team. Cleveland State was recently tabbed fifth in the Horizon League preseason poll.
// CLEVELAND STATE SERIES
UC leads the all-time series, 8-7-1, but trails CSU, 2-4-0, in matches played in Cleveland. In the Red & Black's last visit to the Sixth City, it dropped a 3-1 decision on Sept. 23, 2015. The Bearcats last won at CSU in 2013, but has come away victorious in the past two overall matchups, most recently a 2-1 home win last year. Ryan Melink (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland) scored the game winner on a penalty kick in the 76th minute.
// 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 229-232-62.
// 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 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 Noah Lawrence (Mitchellville, Md./Sacred Heart) 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.
Fans can watch the game live on ESPN+. Live statistics can be accessed on CSUVikings.com.
// LAST TIME OUT
UC fell, 2-0, Monday to the visiting Eastern Illinois Panthers at Gettler Stadium. The Bearcats (0-2) fell behind early as EIU (1-0) found the back of the net in the 23rd minute. The Bearcats were dealt another blow in the 41st minute when it was whistled for a foul in the box which the Panthers subsequently converted into a penalty-kick score. Unable to cash in on multiple chances in the second half, the Red & Black ultimately could not recover from its deficit as it dropped a 2-0 decision.
// SCOUTING THE VIKINGS
CSU (0-2) has dropped its first two matches of the season, most recently a 1-0 road setback at Loyola (Ill.) on Monday. The Vikings previously suffered a 3-0 defeat at Northwestern in their regular-season opener. Coming into 2018, CSU has 13 newcomers on the roster: 10 freshmen and three transfers. Returners Vlad Jandric and Noah Pio were both selected All-Horizon League Second Team in 2017, while Thomas M'Barek was named to the All-Freshman Team. Cleveland State was recently tabbed fifth in the Horizon League preseason poll.
// CLEVELAND STATE SERIES
UC leads the all-time series, 8-7-1, but trails CSU, 2-4-0, in matches played in Cleveland. In the Red & Black's last visit to the Sixth City, it dropped a 3-1 decision on Sept. 23, 2015. The Bearcats last won at CSU in 2013, but has come away victorious in the past two overall matchups, most recently a 2-1 home win last year. Ryan Melink (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland) scored the game winner on a penalty kick in the 76th minute.
// 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 229-232-62.
// 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 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 Noah Lawrence (Mitchellville, Md./Sacred Heart) 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.