Tickets// THE OPENING WHISTLE
The University of Cincinnati women's soccer team (3-3-1) is set to play host to both Lipscomb and LSU this week to close out the non-conference portion of the 2018 season while looking to maintain its current 16-match home undefeated streak. The Bearcats and Lady Bisons (4-2-2) will meet at Gettler Stadium Thursday at 7 p.m. before UC welcomes the Tigers (6-1-0) to Gettler Stadium Sunday afternoon for a 1 p.m. match.
// 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
All home matches in 2018 will once again be streamed live on GoBearcats.com and, once again this year, will all be free. The link to the stream can be found on the women's soccer schedule page. On the same page, links to live statistics can also be found.
// EXPERIENCE UC
All home matches in 2018 will once again be part of the Experience UC initiative, which is geared toward inviting the community to campus to see firsthand the great things about and surrounding the university. Experience UC includes complimentary admission for patrons attending lacrosse, volleyball, tennis, soccer, swimming & diving and track & field home events.
// QUICK SHOTS
• Cincinnati is 3-3-1 on the year with a 3-0-1 mark at home and 0-3-0 record on the road with all three road losses coming to teams ranked in the national Top 25 at the time of the match
• Last week, UC held #16 Kansas scoreless for the first time in 2018 to earn a 0-0 draw before traveling to #10 Auburn and falling to the Tigers, 3-1
• For their efforts in the draw with the Jayhawks, Claudia Eustaquio was named the AAC Goalkeeper of the Week and Kiki Lowell was named to the Honor Roll
• Cassie Wheldon netted the lone goal of the weekend for UC as she scored on a PK to tally her first goal for the Bearcats since her freshman season in 2015 (third career goal)
• UC is undefeated in its last 16 home games, dating back to the end of the 2016 season (12-0-4), including a 3-0-1 record so far this year
• Need 5: UC is 5 wins shy of 200 home victories in program history
• The Bearcats and Tigers will play Sunday and UC will look to keep its 'Sunday Fun Day' streak going as the Bearcats are 22-0-3 in Sunday afternoon home matches under Neil Stafford
• Sunday's match with LSU will be the 325th home contest in program history and the 250th played at Gettler Stadium for the women
• Through Sunday, UC has played 725 matches in program history and, including the scoreless draw with #16 last week, have played in just 22 matches ending in a 0-0 score line (0.03 percent)
• With that draw, UC is undefeated in its last nine overtime contests (1-0-8) and undefeated in its last 11 home overtime games (2-0-9)
// ALREADY HALFWAY
It's hard to believe, but, following this week's matches, the season will be half over. The 2018 slate features 18 matches with #8 (Lipscomb) and #9 (LSU) scheduled for this week with conference play opening next week on the road at Memphis and Tulsa.
// IN THE RANKINGS
The Bearcats are not ranked this week in either poll and sit sixth in the latest United Soccer Coaches South Region rankings, slipping one spot from last week. Two teams remaining on the 2018 schedule are currently mentioned in the polls, including USF and SMU. The Bulls are ranked #19 in both the United Soccer Coaches poll and Top Drawer Soccer's poll while the Mustangs are receiving votes in the Coaches poll.
// EUSTAQUIO GRABS KEEPER AWARD
Following her strong performance that included six saves in UC's 0-0 draw with #16 Kansas, Claudia Eustaquio was named the American Athletic Conference Goalkeeper of the Week. It marks the first time she has earned the honor at UC and her second career major weekly award from a conference after the Horizon League tabbed her as the Defensive Player of the Week September 14, 2015, when she was playing for Detroit Mercy.
// MAJOR AWARDS
Eustaquio's award is the sixth for a keeper since UC joined the AAC in 2013 and the first since Madison Less was selected October 30 of last year. That duo joins Natalie Smith, who was a four-time honoree, including two awards in 2015 and one each in 2013 and 2016. When including offensive, defensive and rookie weekly awards from the AAC, the Bearcats have now seen 15 different players collect 31 accolades since 2013.
// LOWELL EARNS ACCOLADE
Kiki Lowell earned an honor for her play as she was selected for the weekly Honor Roll. Lowell played 194 of a possible 200 minutes over the weekend, including the full 110 in the 0-0 draw with KU. In that match, she tracked down a breakaway attempt in the final two minutes of regulation to prevent a shot in the waning minutes of the scoreless match. At Auburn, she also played strong, helping clear the box several times while blocking a trio of shots from the Tigers.
// FEELING HONORED
Historically, Lowell's honor makes her the 15th different Bearcats player to earn a spot on the Honor Roll and is the 36th award given since 2013. She is the second to earn a place on the Honor Roll this year after Jill Vetere was selected August 27.
// KNOW THE FOE: LIPSCOMB
• The Lady Bisons enter the week with a 4-2-2 record after dropping a 2-0 decision at Northern Kentucky and winning, 3-2, in overtime against visiting Miami (Ohio).
• LU is 1-1-1 away with a 6-1 win at Belmont, a 1-1 draw at Western Kentucky and the loss at NKU.
• Riley Henry and Olivia Doak are the top scorers for LU with the duo scoring four and three goals, respectively while accounting for 18 total points.
• Nine different players have scored at least one goal for the Lady Bisons so far this year.
• Kate Mason has played every minute of the season in goal, stopping 28 shots and allowing eight goals for a 0.94 goals-against average and a 77.8 save percentage.
// COMMON FOE
The 2018 season features one common opponent between Cincinnati and Lipscomb with that foe being Northern Kentucky. Both teams have played the Norse already with the Bearcats scoring a 1-0 win overtime to capture the Riverboat Rivalry title for the third year in a row while the Lady Bisons fell at NKU, 2-0, last week.
// NOTING THE SERIES: BEARCATS-BISONS
• Thursday's match will be the third in the series with the Bearcats holding a 1-0-1 record all-time.
• Cincinnati won the last meeting, 4-0, on September 15, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn.
• The only meeting held in Cincinnati so far came August 27, 2015, a scoreless draw.
// KNOW THE FOE: LSU
• The Tigers enter the week with a 6-1-0 record and have won six in a row since opening the year with a 2-1 overtime loss to visiting Villanova. They play at #4 Texas A&M Friday night to open SEC play before traveling to Cincinnati for Sunday's match.
• LSU has allowed just two goals this year, both of which came in the season-opening loss. The Tigers have shutout their last six foes while scoring 11 goals in that stretch.
• Adrienne Richardson leads the team in goals (4) and points (9) while Abbey Newton (3g-2a-8p) and Marlena Cutura (2g-3a-7p) are just behind her in points.
• Caroline Brockmeier has played all the minutes in goal for the Tigers and carries a goals-against average of 0.28 after allowing just two goals and stopped 20 shots so far this year.
// NOTING THE SERIES: BEARCATS-TIGERS
• Sunday's match will mark the second meeting in the all-time series with LSU leading, 1-0-0, after winning the inaugural meeting, 1-0, in Baton Rouge last year (9/14/17).
• The two teams will be meeting in Cincinnati for the first time.
• The Bearcats are 15-19-1 all-time against the current roster of SEC schools and have lost two in a row, including at LSU last year and at #10 Auburn last weekend.
// ANOTHER COMMON FOE
One common opponent appears on both teams' schedules in 2018 and that foe is Auburn. The Bearcats fell at the #10 Tigers Sunday, 3-1, while LSU will play host to Auburn next Thursday in an SEC contest in Alabama.
// QUICK RECAP: #16 KANSAS
• The Bearcats played KU to a scoreless draw, seeing the #16 side in the nation push for the winning score late in the match and overtime, but the UC defense held strong to earn the result
• Tonight's match marked the first time KU has not scored this year
• With the tie, UC improved to 3-2-1 on the year and 3-0-1 at home while Kansas remained undefeated at 5-0-2 following their first road contest of the 2018 season
• UC moved to 0-2-1 on the year against ranked teams having lost at #8 Virginia & #25 Notre Dame
• With the tie, UC remained undefeated at home this year, moving to 3-0-1, while also increasing its current home undefeated streak to 16 in a row (12-0-4), dating back to the end of 2016
• The Bearcats are 1-0-1 in overtime this year with a 1-0 win over NKU two weeks ago
• The match was the first between the two teams and just the sixth against the Big XII with UC moving to 2-3-1 in those matches and snapping a three-match losing streak to the league
• GK Claudia Eustaquio recorded six saves to record her first clean sheet of the season and the second of her UC career
• The match started 47 minutes late because of lightning in the area, the second time weather has delayed a home match in 2018 after a 53 minute delay held up the season opener with EKU
// CLOUD 9
Including the 0-0 draw with KU, the Bearcats are now undefeated in their last nine OT contests, posting a 1-0-8 record when playing past 90 minutes since dropping a 2-1 decision at Purdue in 2016. It marks the second time under Neil Stafford that the Bearcats have not lost in overtime in nine-consecutive matches with the first starting in the 2014 season with a 2-2 tie to visiting UC Santa Barbara and finished with a 2-1 win against visiting Dayton to start the 2016 season. The match that ended that streak? The 2-1 setback to Purdue in 2016. Those two stretches are the longest in program history with another nine-match streak from 1996-98 also joining in (5-0-4).
// HOME OVERTIME
When playing in home overtime matches, the Bearcats have been tough to beat recently as they are undefeated in their last 11, holding a 2-0-9 record. The last time UC lost in overtime at home came in 2013 in a 5-4 loss to Louisville. Prior to the current streak, the longest stretch of undefeated home overtime matches was six and came two times, first from 1996-98 (3-0-3) and then from 1999-03 (5-0-1). All told, the Bearcats are 18-19-29 all-time in home overtime contests.
// QUICK RECAP: #10 AUBURN
• Cincinnati took an early lead thanks to a Cassie Wheldon penalty kick, but the #10 Tigers responded three minutes later to pull level before adding a pair of goals in the second half to grab a 3-1 victory Sunday in Auburn
• UC led for 2:37 marking just the second time Auburn has trailed all year and the longest it had trailed as well (previous was 1:13 to Louisiana) while also marking just the second goal surrendered so far in 2018
• Madison Less recorded four saves in the match, including a pair of diving stabs to keep the Bearcats in the match much of the time as AU scored their second on a PK and their third with under two minutes remaining and the Bearcats pressing forward for an equalizer
// SPOT ON
At the 11:38 mark, Jill Vetere played the ball into the box and Brandi Thomsen was pulled down to earn a penalty kick for the Bearcats. Cassie Wheldon stepped up to the spot and coolly slotted her shot low and into the netting for a 1-0 lead. It was the first PK conversion for the Bearcats in over one year after Julie Gavorski scored from the spot on August 27, 2017, to secure a 1-0 win over visiting Miami (Fla.).
// BACK IN THE SCORING COLUMN
Wheldon's goal was the third of her career, but her first since 2015, her freshman campaign for the Bearcats. That year, she scored twice with the last coming October 18, 2015, when she knocked in the fourth and final goal of a 4-0 victory over visiting Evansville.
// ALMOST OVER THE HILL
The 2018 season marks the 39th varsity campaign for the Bearcats program. Through the match with Auburn, Cincinnati's all-time record stands at 384-279-62 (.572), including a mark of 195-100-29 at home, leaving the team just five wins away from the 200-victory milestone.
// RARE FINISH
Sunday's match at Auburn was the 725th in program history. In those 725 matches, including Thursday against Kansas, a match has only ended in a scoreless draw 22 times (0.03 percent). Of those 22 matches, seven have come in the last four seasons with two each in the 2015, 2016 and 2017 seasons and once this year.
// MILESTONE MATCH
Of those 725 matches played, 324 have been played at home with Thursday's match against Lipscomb standing as both the 325th all-time home match in program history, but also as the 250th played at Gettler Stadium. All-time, the Bearcats are 195-100-29 at home and sport a 136-86-26 record at Gettler Stadium/Meyers Field.
// HOME STREAKING
Speaking of the success the Bearcats have enjoyed at home, the team is currently on a 16-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 3-0-1 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 and including Thursday's game with Kansas, the Bearcats have played 50 home matches, posting a 34-6-10 record in that time (.780 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 3-0-1 at home and have out scored their opponents, 5-1.
// FRIENDLY CONFINES
In their first five seasons, Stafford and his staff accumulated 32 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. Expanding into the first six years, Glenn's teams won 34 home matches (34-5-3) while Stafford's Bearcats now have won 35 (35-5-4) thanks to a 3-0-1 start to 2018.
// 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 this Sunday and future dates with Houston (Sept. 30) and UConn (Oct. 14).
// PRO UPDATE: GILLES ALREADY IMPRESSING
Recently, Vanessa Gilles made her debut with Bordeaux in the French Division 1 with her side opening with a 1-0 victory at Montpellier. In her first action in the second-ranked division of all of Europe, Gilles was a big contributor with her sides website having this to say about her performance:
"It took something of a miracle to prevent Bordeaux from conceding in the first half. A miracle called Vanessa Gilles. In the 31st minute, Jackobsson looked to have an open goal ahead of her, but the Canadian newcomer charged back to block the shot and keep the Girondines level at the break. A few minutes later Gilles almost made a decisive contribution at the other end, with a header which beat Murphy but strayed just outside the post (34')." via Girondins.com
Gilles' second match of the new season will come this Saturday as the Girondins play host to Rodez.
PREVIOUSLY NOTED
// VETERE HONORED BY AAC
With her strong performances against both Wright State and Northern Kentucky, Jill Vetere was selected to the American Athletic Conference's Weekly Honor Roll. Vetere set up the game-winner against WSU (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.
// PACKING THEM IN
The 1,194 fans that attended the Riverboat Rivalry match with Northern Kentucky (Aug. 26) 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. That 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.
// 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).
// 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
Conference action begins next week with the Bearcats hitting the road to face both Memphis and Tulsa to open American Athletic play. First, UC will travel to Memphis, Tenn., to meet the Tigers in an 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT) match at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex on Thursday, September 20. The trip concludes Sunday, September 23, with the Bearcats taking on the Golden Hurricane in a 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT) match at Hurricane Stadium in Tulsa, Okla.
The University of Cincinnati women's soccer team (3-3-1) is set to play host to both Lipscomb and LSU this week to close out the non-conference portion of the 2018 season while looking to maintain its current 16-match home undefeated streak. The Bearcats and Lady Bisons (4-2-2) will meet at Gettler Stadium Thursday at 7 p.m. before UC welcomes the Tigers (6-1-0) to Gettler Stadium Sunday afternoon for a 1 p.m. match.
// 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
All home matches in 2018 will once again be streamed live on GoBearcats.com and, once again this year, will all be free. The link to the stream can be found on the women's soccer schedule page. On the same page, links to live statistics can also be found.
// EXPERIENCE UC
All home matches in 2018 will once again be part of the Experience UC initiative, which is geared toward inviting the community to campus to see firsthand the great things about and surrounding the university. Experience UC includes complimentary admission for patrons attending lacrosse, volleyball, tennis, soccer, swimming & diving and track & field home events.
// QUICK SHOTS
• Cincinnati is 3-3-1 on the year with a 3-0-1 mark at home and 0-3-0 record on the road with all three road losses coming to teams ranked in the national Top 25 at the time of the match
• Last week, UC held #16 Kansas scoreless for the first time in 2018 to earn a 0-0 draw before traveling to #10 Auburn and falling to the Tigers, 3-1
• For their efforts in the draw with the Jayhawks, Claudia Eustaquio was named the AAC Goalkeeper of the Week and Kiki Lowell was named to the Honor Roll
• Cassie Wheldon netted the lone goal of the weekend for UC as she scored on a PK to tally her first goal for the Bearcats since her freshman season in 2015 (third career goal)
• UC is undefeated in its last 16 home games, dating back to the end of the 2016 season (12-0-4), including a 3-0-1 record so far this year
• Need 5: UC is 5 wins shy of 200 home victories in program history
• The Bearcats and Tigers will play Sunday and UC will look to keep its 'Sunday Fun Day' streak going as the Bearcats are 22-0-3 in Sunday afternoon home matches under Neil Stafford
• Sunday's match with LSU will be the 325th home contest in program history and the 250th played at Gettler Stadium for the women
• Through Sunday, UC has played 725 matches in program history and, including the scoreless draw with #16 last week, have played in just 22 matches ending in a 0-0 score line (0.03 percent)
• With that draw, UC is undefeated in its last nine overtime contests (1-0-8) and undefeated in its last 11 home overtime games (2-0-9)
// ALREADY HALFWAY
It's hard to believe, but, following this week's matches, the season will be half over. The 2018 slate features 18 matches with #8 (Lipscomb) and #9 (LSU) scheduled for this week with conference play opening next week on the road at Memphis and Tulsa.
// IN THE RANKINGS
The Bearcats are not ranked this week in either poll and sit sixth in the latest United Soccer Coaches South Region rankings, slipping one spot from last week. Two teams remaining on the 2018 schedule are currently mentioned in the polls, including USF and SMU. The Bulls are ranked #19 in both the United Soccer Coaches poll and Top Drawer Soccer's poll while the Mustangs are receiving votes in the Coaches poll.
Congrats to our 2⃣ @American_WSoc weekly award winners!
— Cincinnati W-Soccer (@GoBearcatsWSOC) September 10, 2018
Goalkeeper of the Week: @ClaudsEustaquio
Weekly Honor Roll: @_kikilowell
Read the whole story ➡️ https://t.co/yPFkVCGLvK#Bearcats | #CultureofExcellence | #AmericanWSOC pic.twitter.com/qfmW5bXFi3
// EUSTAQUIO GRABS KEEPER AWARD
Following her strong performance that included six saves in UC's 0-0 draw with #16 Kansas, Claudia Eustaquio was named the American Athletic Conference Goalkeeper of the Week. It marks the first time she has earned the honor at UC and her second career major weekly award from a conference after the Horizon League tabbed her as the Defensive Player of the Week September 14, 2015, when she was playing for Detroit Mercy.
// MAJOR AWARDS
Eustaquio's award is the sixth for a keeper since UC joined the AAC in 2013 and the first since Madison Less was selected October 30 of last year. That duo joins Natalie Smith, who was a four-time honoree, including two awards in 2015 and one each in 2013 and 2016. When including offensive, defensive and rookie weekly awards from the AAC, the Bearcats have now seen 15 different players collect 31 accolades since 2013.
// LOWELL EARNS ACCOLADE
Kiki Lowell earned an honor for her play as she was selected for the weekly Honor Roll. Lowell played 194 of a possible 200 minutes over the weekend, including the full 110 in the 0-0 draw with KU. In that match, she tracked down a breakaway attempt in the final two minutes of regulation to prevent a shot in the waning minutes of the scoreless match. At Auburn, she also played strong, helping clear the box several times while blocking a trio of shots from the Tigers.
// FEELING HONORED
Historically, Lowell's honor makes her the 15th different Bearcats player to earn a spot on the Honor Roll and is the 36th award given since 2013. She is the second to earn a place on the Honor Roll this year after Jill Vetere was selected August 27.
// KNOW THE FOE: LIPSCOMB
• The Lady Bisons enter the week with a 4-2-2 record after dropping a 2-0 decision at Northern Kentucky and winning, 3-2, in overtime against visiting Miami (Ohio).
• LU is 1-1-1 away with a 6-1 win at Belmont, a 1-1 draw at Western Kentucky and the loss at NKU.
• Riley Henry and Olivia Doak are the top scorers for LU with the duo scoring four and three goals, respectively while accounting for 18 total points.
• Nine different players have scored at least one goal for the Lady Bisons so far this year.
• Kate Mason has played every minute of the season in goal, stopping 28 shots and allowing eight goals for a 0.94 goals-against average and a 77.8 save percentage.
// COMMON FOE
The 2018 season features one common opponent between Cincinnati and Lipscomb with that foe being Northern Kentucky. Both teams have played the Norse already with the Bearcats scoring a 1-0 win overtime to capture the Riverboat Rivalry title for the third year in a row while the Lady Bisons fell at NKU, 2-0, last week.
// NOTING THE SERIES: BEARCATS-BISONS
• Thursday's match will be the third in the series with the Bearcats holding a 1-0-1 record all-time.
• Cincinnati won the last meeting, 4-0, on September 15, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn.
• The only meeting held in Cincinnati so far came August 27, 2015, a scoreless draw.
// KNOW THE FOE: LSU
• The Tigers enter the week with a 6-1-0 record and have won six in a row since opening the year with a 2-1 overtime loss to visiting Villanova. They play at #4 Texas A&M Friday night to open SEC play before traveling to Cincinnati for Sunday's match.
• LSU has allowed just two goals this year, both of which came in the season-opening loss. The Tigers have shutout their last six foes while scoring 11 goals in that stretch.
• Adrienne Richardson leads the team in goals (4) and points (9) while Abbey Newton (3g-2a-8p) and Marlena Cutura (2g-3a-7p) are just behind her in points.
• Caroline Brockmeier has played all the minutes in goal for the Tigers and carries a goals-against average of 0.28 after allowing just two goals and stopped 20 shots so far this year.
// NOTING THE SERIES: BEARCATS-TIGERS
• Sunday's match will mark the second meeting in the all-time series with LSU leading, 1-0-0, after winning the inaugural meeting, 1-0, in Baton Rouge last year (9/14/17).
• The two teams will be meeting in Cincinnati for the first time.
• The Bearcats are 15-19-1 all-time against the current roster of SEC schools and have lost two in a row, including at LSU last year and at #10 Auburn last weekend.
// ANOTHER COMMON FOE
One common opponent appears on both teams' schedules in 2018 and that foe is Auburn. The Bearcats fell at the #10 Tigers Sunday, 3-1, while LSU will play host to Auburn next Thursday in an SEC contest in Alabama.
// QUICK RECAP: #16 KANSAS
• The Bearcats played KU to a scoreless draw, seeing the #16 side in the nation push for the winning score late in the match and overtime, but the UC defense held strong to earn the result
• Tonight's match marked the first time KU has not scored this year
• With the tie, UC improved to 3-2-1 on the year and 3-0-1 at home while Kansas remained undefeated at 5-0-2 following their first road contest of the 2018 season
• UC moved to 0-2-1 on the year against ranked teams having lost at #8 Virginia & #25 Notre Dame
• With the tie, UC remained undefeated at home this year, moving to 3-0-1, while also increasing its current home undefeated streak to 16 in a row (12-0-4), dating back to the end of 2016
• The Bearcats are 1-0-1 in overtime this year with a 1-0 win over NKU two weeks ago
• The match was the first between the two teams and just the sixth against the Big XII with UC moving to 2-3-1 in those matches and snapping a three-match losing streak to the league
• GK Claudia Eustaquio recorded six saves to record her first clean sheet of the season and the second of her UC career
• The match started 47 minutes late because of lightning in the area, the second time weather has delayed a home match in 2018 after a 53 minute delay held up the season opener with EKU
// CLOUD 9
Including the 0-0 draw with KU, the Bearcats are now undefeated in their last nine OT contests, posting a 1-0-8 record when playing past 90 minutes since dropping a 2-1 decision at Purdue in 2016. It marks the second time under Neil Stafford that the Bearcats have not lost in overtime in nine-consecutive matches with the first starting in the 2014 season with a 2-2 tie to visiting UC Santa Barbara and finished with a 2-1 win against visiting Dayton to start the 2016 season. The match that ended that streak? The 2-1 setback to Purdue in 2016. Those two stretches are the longest in program history with another nine-match streak from 1996-98 also joining in (5-0-4).
// HOME OVERTIME
When playing in home overtime matches, the Bearcats have been tough to beat recently as they are undefeated in their last 11, holding a 2-0-9 record. The last time UC lost in overtime at home came in 2013 in a 5-4 loss to Louisville. Prior to the current streak, the longest stretch of undefeated home overtime matches was six and came two times, first from 1996-98 (3-0-3) and then from 1999-03 (5-0-1). All told, the Bearcats are 18-19-29 all-time in home overtime contests.
// QUICK RECAP: #10 AUBURN
• Cincinnati took an early lead thanks to a Cassie Wheldon penalty kick, but the #10 Tigers responded three minutes later to pull level before adding a pair of goals in the second half to grab a 3-1 victory Sunday in Auburn
• UC led for 2:37 marking just the second time Auburn has trailed all year and the longest it had trailed as well (previous was 1:13 to Louisiana) while also marking just the second goal surrendered so far in 2018
• Madison Less recorded four saves in the match, including a pair of diving stabs to keep the Bearcats in the match much of the time as AU scored their second on a PK and their third with under two minutes remaining and the Bearcats pressing forward for an equalizer
// SPOT ON
At the 11:38 mark, Jill Vetere played the ball into the box and Brandi Thomsen was pulled down to earn a penalty kick for the Bearcats. Cassie Wheldon stepped up to the spot and coolly slotted her shot low and into the netting for a 1-0 lead. It was the first PK conversion for the Bearcats in over one year after Julie Gavorski scored from the spot on August 27, 2017, to secure a 1-0 win over visiting Miami (Fla.).
// BACK IN THE SCORING COLUMN
Wheldon's goal was the third of her career, but her first since 2015, her freshman campaign for the Bearcats. That year, she scored twice with the last coming October 18, 2015, when she knocked in the fourth and final goal of a 4-0 victory over visiting Evansville.
// ALMOST OVER THE HILL
The 2018 season marks the 39th varsity campaign for the Bearcats program. Through the match with Auburn, Cincinnati's all-time record stands at 384-279-62 (.572), including a mark of 195-100-29 at home, leaving the team just five wins away from the 200-victory milestone.
// RARE FINISH
Sunday's match at Auburn was the 725th in program history. In those 725 matches, including Thursday against Kansas, a match has only ended in a scoreless draw 22 times (0.03 percent). Of those 22 matches, seven have come in the last four seasons with two each in the 2015, 2016 and 2017 seasons and once this year.
// MILESTONE MATCH
Of those 725 matches played, 324 have been played at home with Thursday's match against Lipscomb standing as both the 325th all-time home match in program history, but also as the 250th played at Gettler Stadium. All-time, the Bearcats are 195-100-29 at home and sport a 136-86-26 record at Gettler Stadium/Meyers Field.
// HOME STREAKING
Speaking of the success the Bearcats have enjoyed at home, the team is currently on a 16-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 3-0-1 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 and including Thursday's game with Kansas, the Bearcats have played 50 home matches, posting a 34-6-10 record in that time (.780 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 3-0-1 at home and have out scored their opponents, 5-1.
// FRIENDLY CONFINES
In their first five seasons, Stafford and his staff accumulated 32 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. Expanding into the first six years, Glenn's teams won 34 home matches (34-5-3) while Stafford's Bearcats now have won 35 (35-5-4) thanks to a 3-0-1 start to 2018.
// 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 this Sunday and future dates with Houston (Sept. 30) and UConn (Oct. 14).
// PRO UPDATE: GILLES ALREADY IMPRESSING
Recently, Vanessa Gilles made her debut with Bordeaux in the French Division 1 with her side opening with a 1-0 victory at Montpellier. In her first action in the second-ranked division of all of Europe, Gilles was a big contributor with her sides website having this to say about her performance:
"It took something of a miracle to prevent Bordeaux from conceding in the first half. A miracle called Vanessa Gilles. In the 31st minute, Jackobsson looked to have an open goal ahead of her, but the Canadian newcomer charged back to block the shot and keep the Girondines level at the break. A few minutes later Gilles almost made a decisive contribution at the other end, with a header which beat Murphy but strayed just outside the post (34')." via Girondins.com
Gilles' second match of the new season will come this Saturday as the Girondins play host to Rodez.
PREVIOUSLY NOTED
// VETERE HONORED BY AAC
With her strong performances against both Wright State and Northern Kentucky, Jill Vetere was selected to the American Athletic Conference's Weekly Honor Roll. Vetere set up the game-winner against WSU (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.
// PACKING THEM IN
The 1,194 fans that attended the Riverboat Rivalry match with Northern Kentucky (Aug. 26) 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. That 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.
// 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).
// 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
Conference action begins next week with the Bearcats hitting the road to face both Memphis and Tulsa to open American Athletic play. First, UC will travel to Memphis, Tenn., to meet the Tigers in an 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT) match at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex on Thursday, September 20. The trip concludes Sunday, September 23, with the Bearcats taking on the Golden Hurricane in a 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT) match at Hurricane Stadium in Tulsa, Okla.