TicketsCINCINNATI - Four players scored at least three goals each as the University of Cincinnati offense got back to its high powered ways to rebound from Wednesday's road loss with an 18-8 home victory over visiting Detroit Mercy Sunday afternoon at Gettler Stadium. The Bearcats (3-2), who scored seven of their goals on free-position shots, scored 18 or more goals for the third time in 2019 to hand the Titans (1-3) their third loss of the season.
// QUICK NOTES
• Cincinnati moved to 3-2 on the year and 3-1 at home while Detroit Mercy fell to 1-3 overall
• The Bearcats improved to 8-3 in the all-time series with the Titans, including a perfect 7-0 record when playing in the Queen City
• UC has scored 73 goals through the first five games of the year, the most in that stretch in program history
• The Bearcats have scored at least 18 goals in all three of their wins this year after having only scored 18 or more in a game five total times in the previous 11 seasons
• On a team level, the 18 goals rank as tied for the eighth most in a single game in program history while two man-up goals scored tie for the fourth-most in a single game
• The Bearcats entered the season with six goals scored on 26 free-position shots before scoring on 7-of-8 today with the seven goals tying for the single game record (3/25/09 vs. Fresno State)
• Four players scored hat tricks in the game including Borzillo (6), Alyssa Adams (3), Taylor Gysin (3) and Sam Mlkvy (3)
• Three other players scored one goal each, including Amanda Fess, who netted her first of the season
• Giuliana Durso recorded a season-high 13 saves in goal for UC, surpassing her previous high of 10 she recorded against both Ohio State and Virginia Tech... her 13 saves were one off her career high (14)
// HOW IT HAPPENED
UC jumped out to a 2-0 lead as Adams scored just 39 seconds into the game on a free-position shot before Amanda Donovan scored on an assist from Adams. The two teams traded goals from there to make it 4-2 with 23:10 remaining as Borzillo netted her first of the day and Jayde Sains scored on a free-position shot. The Bearcats would add two more after that with Mlkvy and Borzillo scoring to make it 6-2 before UMD halted that run for a 6-3 score line. UC responded, however, and scored the next five goals in a row with Borzillo scoring three and both Adams and Mlkvy finding their second. After a UMD goal at 9:24, the Bearcats would go on to score the final three goals of the opening half as Adams, Mlkvy and Gysin scored once again to give UC a 14-4 advantage at the break.
The second half started at a much slower pace than the first as it took nearly five minutes before either team scored. Before UMD got the goal at 25:04, they took several shots with Durso making four saves to keep the Titans out of the cage. After that goal, the Bearcats scored the next four goals with Gysin netting a pair and both Borzillo and Amanda Fess finding the net as well. Leading 18-5, UC did not score again in the final 11:23 of play while the visitors scored three times to bring about the final margin.
// BORZILLO GOING BIG
Borzillo had another big day offensively as she netted six goals and chipped in three assists for nine points, totals that rank as the fourth-most points (tied) in a game and the fifth-most (tied) goals in a game. Tying the single-game record with three free-position goals scored, Borzillo has now scored 22 goals and added 12 assists this year as she has now scored at least one goal in 13 games in a row, added one assist in seven in a row and tallied at least one point in 22 in a row. With all her scoring this year, the junior has taken over two career categories as the all-time assists leader (73) now has the all-time points record to her name as she has tallied 176 points (103-73-176) in two-plus years of playing for UC, surpassing Laura Simanski, who held the record of 169 points (2009-12).
// STRONG SOPHOMORES
Adams and Gysin have continued to build upon strong debuts last year as both women have scored 10 goals in five games in 2019 with Gysin adding a pair of assists and Adams one. To date, Adams is just three goals and one assist away from matching her entire 17-game output from last year (13-2-15) while Gysin is nearly half way to equaling her freshman campaign in which she scored 22-6-28. Today, both women scored three goals each with Adams adding one assist and seven draw controls while also going 2-for-2 on free-position shots.
// DURSO MAKING STOPS
For the second game in a row, Durso recorded a season-high save total as she knocked down 13 shots in the win after stopping 10 at Virginia Tech Wednesday. One shy of her career high (14), Durso made six saves in the opening half before stopping seven more in the second half of play. With the win, she now has 11 career victories, leaving her one shy of second on the all-time wins list that is currently occupied by Katherine Russo (2009-12) with 12. Also on a career level, Durso now has 212 saves in her time with UC, making her just the fourth Bearcats goalie with 200+ saves in a career.
// REWRITING RECORDS
So far this year, UC has won three games and scored at least 18 goals in each of those contests. As a program, the Bearcats had recorded 18 or more goals in a game just five times total in the previous 11 years. Thanks to those three outbursts this year, UC has scored 73 goals so far, the most in program history through the first five games of a campaign. While the 18 goals scored today tie for the eighth-most in a single game in program history, several of those goals also added to historical marks, including two man-up goals and seven free-position goals. The advantage goals tie for the fourth-most in a single game while the free-po goals tie for the single-game record that was first set against Fresno State in 2009. Additionally, the 7-of-8 performance in free-position shots gave UC more made free-po goals today (7) than the team had made all season (6) ahead of the game.
// NEXT UP
The Bearcats return to the road for a pair of games next weekend with games at Central Michigan and Michigan upcoming. First, Cincinnati will play against the Chippewas in Mount Pleasant Friday, March 1, in a 3 p.m. start before traveling to face the Wolverines in Ann Arbor Sunday, March 3, in a 1 p.m. start.
// 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 GoBearcatsLAX. Head Coach Gina Thomas (Oliver)(@GinaOliverUC) also can be followed on Twitter.
// QUICK NOTES
• Cincinnati moved to 3-2 on the year and 3-1 at home while Detroit Mercy fell to 1-3 overall
• The Bearcats improved to 8-3 in the all-time series with the Titans, including a perfect 7-0 record when playing in the Queen City
• UC has scored 73 goals through the first five games of the year, the most in that stretch in program history
• The Bearcats have scored at least 18 goals in all three of their wins this year after having only scored 18 or more in a game five total times in the previous 11 seasons
• On a team level, the 18 goals rank as tied for the eighth most in a single game in program history while two man-up goals scored tie for the fourth-most in a single game
• The Bearcats entered the season with six goals scored on 26 free-position shots before scoring on 7-of-8 today with the seven goals tying for the single game record (3/25/09 vs. Fresno State)
• Four players scored hat tricks in the game including Borzillo (6), Alyssa Adams (3), Taylor Gysin (3) and Sam Mlkvy (3)
• Three other players scored one goal each, including Amanda Fess, who netted her first of the season
• Giuliana Durso recorded a season-high 13 saves in goal for UC, surpassing her previous high of 10 she recorded against both Ohio State and Virginia Tech... her 13 saves were one off her career high (14)
// HOW IT HAPPENED
UC jumped out to a 2-0 lead as Adams scored just 39 seconds into the game on a free-position shot before Amanda Donovan scored on an assist from Adams. The two teams traded goals from there to make it 4-2 with 23:10 remaining as Borzillo netted her first of the day and Jayde Sains scored on a free-position shot. The Bearcats would add two more after that with Mlkvy and Borzillo scoring to make it 6-2 before UMD halted that run for a 6-3 score line. UC responded, however, and scored the next five goals in a row with Borzillo scoring three and both Adams and Mlkvy finding their second. After a UMD goal at 9:24, the Bearcats would go on to score the final three goals of the opening half as Adams, Mlkvy and Gysin scored once again to give UC a 14-4 advantage at the break.
The second half started at a much slower pace than the first as it took nearly five minutes before either team scored. Before UMD got the goal at 25:04, they took several shots with Durso making four saves to keep the Titans out of the cage. After that goal, the Bearcats scored the next four goals with Gysin netting a pair and both Borzillo and Amanda Fess finding the net as well. Leading 18-5, UC did not score again in the final 11:23 of play while the visitors scored three times to bring about the final margin.
// BORZILLO GOING BIG
Borzillo had another big day offensively as she netted six goals and chipped in three assists for nine points, totals that rank as the fourth-most points (tied) in a game and the fifth-most (tied) goals in a game. Tying the single-game record with three free-position goals scored, Borzillo has now scored 22 goals and added 12 assists this year as she has now scored at least one goal in 13 games in a row, added one assist in seven in a row and tallied at least one point in 22 in a row. With all her scoring this year, the junior has taken over two career categories as the all-time assists leader (73) now has the all-time points record to her name as she has tallied 176 points (103-73-176) in two-plus years of playing for UC, surpassing Laura Simanski, who held the record of 169 points (2009-12).
// STRONG SOPHOMORES
Adams and Gysin have continued to build upon strong debuts last year as both women have scored 10 goals in five games in 2019 with Gysin adding a pair of assists and Adams one. To date, Adams is just three goals and one assist away from matching her entire 17-game output from last year (13-2-15) while Gysin is nearly half way to equaling her freshman campaign in which she scored 22-6-28. Today, both women scored three goals each with Adams adding one assist and seven draw controls while also going 2-for-2 on free-position shots.
// DURSO MAKING STOPS
For the second game in a row, Durso recorded a season-high save total as she knocked down 13 shots in the win after stopping 10 at Virginia Tech Wednesday. One shy of her career high (14), Durso made six saves in the opening half before stopping seven more in the second half of play. With the win, she now has 11 career victories, leaving her one shy of second on the all-time wins list that is currently occupied by Katherine Russo (2009-12) with 12. Also on a career level, Durso now has 212 saves in her time with UC, making her just the fourth Bearcats goalie with 200+ saves in a career.
// REWRITING RECORDS
So far this year, UC has won three games and scored at least 18 goals in each of those contests. As a program, the Bearcats had recorded 18 or more goals in a game just five times total in the previous 11 years. Thanks to those three outbursts this year, UC has scored 73 goals so far, the most in program history through the first five games of a campaign. While the 18 goals scored today tie for the eighth-most in a single game in program history, several of those goals also added to historical marks, including two man-up goals and seven free-position goals. The advantage goals tie for the fourth-most in a single game while the free-po goals tie for the single-game record that was first set against Fresno State in 2009. Additionally, the 7-of-8 performance in free-position shots gave UC more made free-po goals today (7) than the team had made all season (6) ahead of the game.
// NEXT UP
The Bearcats return to the road for a pair of games next weekend with games at Central Michigan and Michigan upcoming. First, Cincinnati will play against the Chippewas in Mount Pleasant Friday, March 1, in a 3 p.m. start before traveling to face the Wolverines in Ann Arbor Sunday, March 3, in a 1 p.m. start.
// 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 GoBearcatsLAX. Head Coach Gina Thomas (Oliver)(@GinaOliverUC) also can be followed on Twitter.