Women’s Soccer Heads to Missouri Thursday

// THE OPENING WHISTLE
The University of Cincinnati women's soccer team is set to close out its season-opening three match road swing Thursday night as the Bearcats (1-1-0) will travel to Columbia, Mo., to face rv/nr Missouri (2-0-0) inside the Walton Soccer Stadium. The Bearcats and Tigers are schedule to kickoff at 7:05 p.m. local (8:05 p.m. ET) with the match being streamed live on SEC Network+.

// GOING LIVE
Thursday's match will be carried live on SEC Network+ (ESPN+ or on the ESPN App) and will officially kickoff at 7:05 p.m. CT (8:05 p.m. ET) with Ben Arnet (play-by-play) and Simon Rose (analyst) on the call. MUTigers.com also will provide live stats during the match.

// QUICK SHOTS
• Cincinnati is 1-1-0 on the year after splitting its opening weekend trip to Virginia
• The Bearcats are playing in their 40th varsity campaign this year, holding a 388-287-64 all-time record starting in 1980 and including Sunday's loss at #25 Virginia Tech
• Madison Less recorded a clean sheet against St. John's and followed that with a career-high 10 saves in the loss at #25 Virginia Tech to earn AAC Goalkeeper of the Week honors
• Vanessa DiNardo scored a brace in 21 seconds against St. John's, the fastest in program history, to earn a spot on the AAC's weekly Honor Roll
• The brace by DiNardo marked the first for a Bearcats player in nearly two years after Julie Gavorski scored twice at #21 Northwestern in a 2-1 win September 3, 2017
• The youth of the Bearcats has been on display in the opening weekend as the identical lineups used Thursday and Sunday featured more than half (six) of the starters being freshmen and sophomores, including a trio of rookies making their first collegiate starts and three newcomers (1 sophomore, 2 freshmen) starting on the backline for the defense with one freshman, Kendall Battle, set to return to her home state this week (St. Louis / Pattonville HS)
• Sunday will be UC's home opener against Western Michigan (6 p.m.) after playing three on the road, one of which was a neutral site location (vs. St. John's at James Madison)
• When UC kicks off Thursday night, it will be just over two weeks away from the return of the Queen City Derby as Xavier will visit UC on Sunday, September 15, inside Nippert Stadium at 6 p.m., the first meeting of the two crosstown rivals since the 2015 season (0-0 draw)
• Heading into the year, the Bearcats need just three home victories for 200 in their career, a feat that would be more impressive as 2019 is the University's bicentennial (founded in 1819)

// QUICK CAP • OPENING WEEKEND
• The Bearcats posted a 1-1-0 record over the opening weekend, taking a 2-0 victory over St. John's Thursday night before falling at #25 Virginia Tech, 2-0, Sunday
• UC battled a 95 minute lightning delay at the 16:09 mark in the first half against the Red Storm before storming to a 2-0 lead with goals 21 seconds a part by Vanessa DiNardo to win the opener
• From there, UC traveled to VT and dropped a 2-0 game despite a 10 save effort by Madison Less
• Both Less (GK of the week) and DiNardo (Honor Roll) were recognized by the AAC Monday

// KNOW THE FOE: MISSOURI
• The Tigers stand 2-0-0 on the year after defeating Southern Miss (1-0) at home and Ohio State (3-1) on the road on opening weekend
• Following the weekend, the Tigers earned votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll, making them the second team in a row UC will face that is either in or just outside the Top 25
• MU's match with UC will be the middle of three in a row against Ohio schools with Xavier following behind the Bearcats Sunday
• Julissa Cisneros has scored all four goals for the Tigers, including the hat trick against Ohio State, with two of her season tallies coming from the penalty spot
• Peyton Bauman has played all the minutes in goal so far, allowing just one goal and saving five shots

// NOTING THE SERIES: BEARCATS-TIGERS
• Thursday's match will be the first meeting in the all-time series

// FACING THE MISSOURI SYSTEM
While Cincinnati and Missouri have not met before, Cincinnati has faced two of the Missouri branch campuses early in the program's history. In the 1980s, the Bearcats faced both Missouri-Rolla (not Missouri S&T) and Missouri-St. Louis. The Bearcats were 3-0-0 against UMR with the last victory coming by a 2-0 score in Cincinnati on October 12, 1985. UC split eight matches with UMSL, dropping four in a row before winning four in a row, the last with a 3-0 score on the road September 16, 1989.

// TAKING ON RANKINGS
When the Bearcats face Missouri, it will mark the second-consecutive foe for UC that either holds a national ranking in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 or is receiving votes. According to the latest updated for the Coaches, teams 2019 foes appearing on the list this week include #11 Tennessee (Sept. 8), #20 Memphis (Oct. 10), #25 SMU (Oct. 17) and a trio of teams receiving votes in Virginia Tech (L, 0-2), USF (Oct. 27) and Missouri (Thursday).

// FEELING HONORED
Following the opening weekend of the season, two Bearcats were selected for weekly awards from the American Athletic Conference as Madison Less was tabbed the AAC Goalkeeper of the Week and Vanessa DiNardo was selected to the Honor Roll. Less was honored after recording one clean sheet and then stopping a career-high-tying 10 shots at #25 Virginia Tech. DiNardo earned her award after bagging a brace in 21 seconds to lead UC to its 2-0 win over St. John's.

// AWARD HISTORY
Historically, the Bearcats collected their 34th player of the week accolade and 41st Honor Roll selection since joining the American Athletic Conference in time for the 2013 season. Less, who earned her third career keeper award, is one of three players that have combined for eight total award with Natalie Smith earning four and Claudia Eustaquio one. DiNardo is now the 18th different Bearcats player to be named to the weekly Honor Roll after collecting the team's 41st award.

// BRACE YOURSELF!
After playing 16:09 in the opener against, ironically, the Red Storm, a lightning storm forced the teams off the pitch for 95 minutes. Once the storm moved on and play resumed, more lightning was seen, this time not from the sky, but from the quick scoring of the Bearcats. The lightning came early in the second half, starting with Vanessa DiNardo, a preseason AAC all-conference selection in 2019, finding the back of the net at 51:39 off a long pass from Sydney Goins. Then, 21 seconds later, at 52:00, DiNardo hit the back of the net again, this time after UC stole the ball and saw Pittman fire a shot that hit the post and deflected to DiNardo, who made it 2-0. Not only did that spark UC to a 2-0 win, it also gave DiNardo her first career game-winning goal and saw her double her college goal scoring output after she scored once last year.

// BEEN A WHILE
The last time the Bearcats saw one of its players score twice in a match came in 2017 when Julie Gavorski bagged a brace against Northwestern. Gavorski scored twice against the host #21 Wildcats on September 3, snapping NU's 16-match home winning streak in the 2-1 defeat.

// HISTORICAL HITS
Sifting through the archives dating back to the start of the 2001 season, the quick brace for DiNardo is the fastest found. As it stands, the next closest brace scored came from Danielle Rotheram in 2014 against St. Francis when she scored her brace 2:11 apart with goals at 66:18 and 68:29. In fact, prior to DiNardo's double, the quickest back-to-back goals scored by the Bearcats (since 2001) came in 2001 against USF when Ann Thomas (59:28) and Tasha Wagner (59:51) scored 37 seconds apart. Overall, since 2001, DiNardo's brace is the 10th time the Bearcats have scored back-to-back goals in under two minutes.

// QUICK ON THE DRAW
Three other instances since 2001 have seen both teams score quickly in a UC match, twice with the Bearcats pulling one back right away. Those instances include Mackenzie Grause scoring 8 seconds after Nebraska tallied in 2012 and Katy Couperus finding the back of the net 17 seconds after DePaul scored in 2014. UC has been on the other side of that once as well with Jae Atkinson scoring against UMass-Lowell in 2013 before the visitors struck 9 seconds later.

// HAPPY TO HELP!
Both of DiNardo's goal were assisted with both helpers being the first for each Bearcats player. Sydney Goins' pass led to the first goal of the night and the first career assist for the senior while Maddy Pittman collected her first collegiate point by being credited with the assist on the second goal.

// DOING LAUNDRY
Madison Less anchored the defense to a clean sheet, marking the eighth shutout of her career. Less, who stopped both shots she faced Thursday, now has 9.0 shutouts in her UC career, placing her 10th on the program's all-time Top 10 ledger.

// LESS WITH MORE
The junior keeper wasn't done there, however, as she stood on her head at #25 Virginia Tech to make six saves in the first half and another four in the second. Those 10 stops tied her career-high and gave her six games with seven or more saves to her credit in her 2+ years with the Bearcats.

// YOUTHFUL LINEUP
So far this year, the Bearcats have called upon the same Starting XI in both matches. That group features six players that are freshmen and sophomores five that earned their first collegiate starts. For the rookies, Kendall Battle and Ashley Barron have started on defense with China international Han Tang has started up top on the attack. In the sophomore class, Ying Zahn and transfer Morgan Jackson (more on her in the next note) have earned their first starts while Vanessa DiNardo started 10 times as a rookie last year.

// MANY MORE MINUTES
So far in her UC career, Jackson has started both matches and played the full 90 in both, totaling 180 minutes. Prior to her arrival, she spent her freshman season playing at Louisville and totaled nine appearances totaling 139 minutes with no starts.

// MAKING DEBUTS
Additionally to the starters mentioned above, freshman Maddy Pittman also secured 24 minutes of work and posted an assist in her debut. Through the opening two matches, five different players have made their debuts with the Bearcats, four of those being true freshmen.

// GOING DEEP
Depth has not been an issue for the Bearcats in recent years and the opening weekend showed that once again. Thursday night against St. John's, 21 different players featured for the Bearcats, 12 of which were freshmen (4) and sophomores (8). One match later, at Virginia Tech, 22 Bearcats saw the pitch with 11 youngsters playing, including four freshmen and seven sophomores.

// REVIEWING OPENERS
• Following Thursday's victory over St. John's, Cincinnati is now 27-12-1 all-time in its first match of the season and has won four in a row
• The match with St. John's also marked just the second time in 40 years the season opener was at a neutral site with the first coming in 2004, a 0-2 setback to New Mexico at Purdue
• With the win over the SJU, UC is now 15-11-6 all-time in its first neutral-site contest of the year
• Following the loss at Virginia Tech, the Bearcats no hold an all-time record of 21-16-3 in their first road match of the season and have dropped two in a row - both to ranked foes - after a 3-0 setback last year at #8 Virginia

PREVIOUSLY NOTED...
// PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS
Ahead of the season, the coaches of the American Athletic Conference voted on several things, including how they think each team will finish in the regular-season standings. In that poll, the Bearcats were voted to place sixth and earn the final spot in the 2019 AAC Tournament. USF (76 points) and Memphis (74) both received four first-place votes in what the coaches feel will be a tight race for the top of the table. UCF, SMU and ECU were picked third, fourth and fifth, respectively, with UConn, Houston, Temple and Tulsa all placed behind UC.

// FEELING HONORED
As part of their voting, the coaches also selected preseason all-conference players with UC's Vanessa DiNardo, a unanimous selection to last year's AAC All-Rookie Team, earning a spot on the 2019 list. With her selection, DiNardo gave UC a preseason honoree for the fourth year in a row after not having a representative on the lists in the first three years of the league.

// LORDY, LORDY... LOOK WHO'S 40!
The 2019 season will mark the 40th season of play for the Bearcats as a varsity program. Begun in 1980, the Bearcats have compiled an overall record of 387-286-64 in the first 39 years on campus and have captured seven conference tournament crowns and two regular season titles to go along with seven NCAA appearances.

// ANOTHER BIRTHDAY
With an overall record of 197-102-31 in home matches in the history of the program, this year's team is three home wins away from 200. Reaching 200 home wins would be very fitting for this year as 2019 marks the University's bicentennial after being founded in 1819.

// LOOKING BACK: PROGRAM HISTORY
• UC's first varsity season came in 1980 with Janet Lines' first-year program posting a 12-2-0 record
• The Bearcats also won the inaugural Midwest Intercollegiate Women's Soccer League (MIWSL) tournament that was in Oxford, Ohio
• In 1981, the team competed in the AIAW National Tournament, posting a 1-2-0 record
• 1983 saw Meridy Glenn take the reigns and lead the team for the next 25 years, starting things off with the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1983 (L at California)
• In 1994, the Bearcats captured the Great Midwest Conference crown for the first time - and the first of four years in a row - and advanced to the NCAA Tournament where they fell at Vanderbilt, 2-3 (3ot)
• In 1997, the Bearcats not only won Conference USA and qualified for the NCAA Tournament, they earned the right to host the first round and defeated Georgia State, 2-1, in Cincinnati
• 2001 saw UC's best season as the Bearcats went 20-4-0, won 13 in a row and won two NCAA matches, including 3-2 over Oakland and 3-2 over #6 Notre Dame, to reach the Sweet 16, the deepest tournament run in program history
• 2008 saw Michelle Salmon take over the program after Glenn's retirement, a five-year span that saw the Bearcats complete their time in the Big East before moving to the American
• In 2013, Neil Stafford took over at UC and, in his third year (2015), helped the Bearcats to the AAC Tournament title and a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002

// QUEEN CITY DERBY
Crosstown rival Xavier is back on the schedule for the first time since 2015 with former UC assistant coach Nate Lie set to bring his Musketeers to Nippert Stadium on Sunday, September 15. The match was moved to the historic stadium and current home park of MLS side FC Cincinnati as both schools will look to not only renew their rivalry, but do so in front of a record crowd. In 2016, the Bearcats played host to neighbor Northern Kentucky in what was dubbed the Riverboat Rivalry. That Sunday night, 4,722 fans flocked to Nippert Stadium to set the all-time attendance record for a UC match as well as a collegiate women's soccer match in the state of Ohio. This year, both teams are hoping the Queen City Derby will bring out strong fan bases from both sides of town and add to the growing soccer legacy building inside Nippert Stadium that not has seen MLS matches this year, but visits from both the US Women's National Team (2018) and US Men's National Team (2019).

// SUNDAY FUN DAY!
Since Stafford took over the program in time for the 2013 season, the Bearcats have played at home on Sunday 28 times and hold an impressive 23-1-4 record in those matches. In that span, the Bearcats have not only posted an impressive record, but also have outscored their foes, 54-17, while the defense has recorded 16 clean sheets. The Bearcats will have four home Sunday matches this year, including the home opener against Western Michigan on Sunday, September 1.

// PROTECT THIS HOUSE
Since the start of the 2013 season, the Bearcats have played 56 home matches, posting a 36-8-12 record in that time (.750 win percentage). Including 2018, UC has won at least five 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, 94-39 (+55). In 2018, the Bearcats went 5-2-3 at home, but were out scored by their opponents, 12-13 (-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 won 36 (36-8-12) thanks to a 5-2-3 home record in 2018.

// WELCOME BACK!
The 2019 roster will feature 33 players, 24 of which are returning from last year's team. That list included eight seniors, seven juniors, eight sophomores and one redshirt freshman.

// HELLO! MY NAME IS...
Nine players on the roster this year are newcomers, including seven freshmen and two sophomore transfers (see below). The rookies include Ashley Barron (Toledo, Ohio), Kendall Battle (St. Louis, Mo.), Abby Delprincipe (Avon, Ohio), Julia Flake (Sparta, N.J.), Rachael Lutter (Sugar Grove, Ill.), Maddy Pittman (Harrison, Ohio) and Han Tang (Chengdu, China).

// GOING GLOBAL
Tang is the second Chinese player to join the Bearcats in the past two seasons, following Ying Zahn, who played for UC last year. Tang brings a wealth of experience as she has played in the Chinese Youth National system for the past five years.

// WELCOME HOME!
Two of the newcomers are transfers with both Morgan Jackson and Taylor Nuncio returning home after one year at Louisville. Both players are from Cincinnati with Jackson, the younger sister of former Bearcats player Taylor Jackson, playing her high school soccer at Indian Hills while Nuncio played at Loveland. Both players will have three years of eligibility with the Bearcats.

// DOB ON THEM
The players are not the only newcomers to the program this year as Maddie Dobyns joined the coaching staff. Dobyns, a former goalkeeper for Kansas, played for the Jayhawks from 2013-17 and appeared in 60 matches during her time. A recipient of two degrees from KU, Dobyns served as the team's director of operations last year before coming to Cincinnati to continue her coaching career.

// BRANCHING OUT
Last year, Matt Cosinuke was on staff at UC before being named the new head coach for women's soccer at Eastern Kentucky in the offseason. With his hiring, Cosinuke is now the seventh different assistant coach under Neil Stafford to take over his/her own program and the fourth to currently manage a Division I program with the others including Nate Lie (Xavier), Ian Carry (Kentucky) and Matt Kagan (Oregon State).

// BACK FOR MORE
Neil Stafford is entering his seventh year as the gaffer at UC and his 17th overall in the collegiate ranks as well. In his first six years in Clifton, the Bearcats have compiled a 60-44-18 mark. For his career, Stafford holds a record of 162-115-37 overall. Stafford, just the fifth head coach in the program's 40-year history, ranks second all-time in wins at UC with Meridy Glenn having recorded 256 in her 25-year stay.

// PRO POWER
Three former players under Stafford are currently playing professionally overseas. Here is some of the latest on those three:
• Katy Couperus: Capalaba FC (Brisbane, Australia), Australian Second Division... season started in February and will finish with the playoffs in September... currently sits third on the table after being near the bottom of the league last year (12 teams)
• Julie Gavorski: Fjarðab/Höttur/Leiknir (East Coast Iceland), Icelandic Second Division... season started in May... currently leads the league in scoring and goals... team is in the Top 3 currently after finishing at the bottom of the table each of the last two years
• Vanessa Gilles: Girondins de Bordeaux (Bordeaux, France), French Top Division... season just started... team finished fourth last year behind powerhouse Lyon among others... was called into Canada's national team camp and rostered twice but did not see action... also played for the France B team, but still can play for her native Canada as well

// ACADEMICALLY SOUND
Annually, the program has a goal of reaching a cumulative team grade-point average of 3.51 or better. Last year, they blew that mark away as the team broke its program record with a 3.813 GPA for the year. Not only did the team have the best GPA in program history, it had the best of any women's soccer program in the American Athletic, which earned them the AAC's Team Excellence Award. In the Spring semester alone, 29 Bearcats posted a 3.0 or better GPA while 28 maintained a 3.4 or better GPA. Additionally, 10 players, the most of any team on campus (football had seven) posted perfect 4.0 GPAs for the semester to be named TopCats.

// 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.

// UP NEXT
Following three matches away from home to open the season, the Bearcats will play their first home match of 2019 when they welcome the Broncos of Western Michigan for a 6 p.m. match Sunday night at Gettler Stadium. The match with WMU will be the first of two in a row at home with Northwestern coming to town Thursday, September 5, for a 7 p.m. contest also at Gettler Stadium.