Bearcats Open AAC Play Thursday at Temple

// THE OPENING WHISTLE
The University of Cincinnati women's soccer team, currently unbeaten in its last three matches, is set to open conference play this week as the Bearcats will venture to Philadelphia, Pa., Thursday night for a 7 p.m. match with Temple in the American Athletic Conference opener for both sides. The Bearcats enter the match with a 2-5-2 mark in non-conference play while the Owls sport a record of 2-4-3.

// GOING LIVE
Thursday's match at Temple will be streamed live and free on its website, OwlSports.com. Live stats will also be available on the same website. (Fans can access each by clicking on the links in the red box as well)

// QUICK SHOTS
• Cincinnati enters the conference portion of its schedule with a 2-5-2 record
• The Bearcats are on a current three-match unbeaten streaks (1-0-2) after dropping five in a row
• UC is 11-12-2 all-time in its first conference game of the season all-time and 12-12-1 in its first conference road match of the year
• The Bearcats are playing in their 40th varsity campaign this year, holding a 389-291-66 all-time record starting in 1980 and including last week's scoreless tie with Austin Peay
• All-time, UC has played 746 matches with just 24 ending in a 0-0 draw
• Speaking of 0-0 score lines, UC has played back-to-back 0-0 matches for just the second time in program history and the first since the 1983 season
• UC has not allowed a goal in 277:50 of play, the 24th-longest streak in program history
• Madison Less is now #7 all-time at UC with 11.0 career shutouts and was named to the AAC Honor Roll last week for her second-consecutive 110-minute clean sheet
• Under Stafford (since 2013 season), UC has posted a 37-10-14 home record

// KNOW THE FOE: TEMPLE
• The Owls enter the match Thursday with a 2-4-3 overall record and are coming off a 2-1 loss at Penn after going 1-0-2 in their previous three matches
• Gabriela Johnson and Hailey Gutowski lead the way offensively as both have collected six points on two goals and two assists, tying for the team lead in both categories
• Six different players have scored at least one goal on the year
• Morgan Basileo has played every minute in goal for the Owls and has saved 68 shots while allowing 15 goals for a 1.55 goals against average

// NOTING THE SERIES: BEARCATS-OWLS
• Cincinnati holds a slight 3-2-1 advantage in the all-time series with Temple
• When the series is played in Philadelphia, the Bearcats lead, 2-1-0, after winning the last meeting, a 3-0 victory at Temple October 1, 2017, the only shutout so far in the series
• The last time the two teams met was October 11, 2018, in Cincinnati with the Bearcats coming from behind to split the points in a 2-2 draw

// IN LEAGUE OPENERS
In the history of the program, the Bearcats hold an 11-12-2 all-time record in their first conference contest of the season and are 1-3-2 in their opening match of the AAC season. Additionally, the Bearcats hold a 12-12-1 all-time record in their first conference road match of the season, including a 4-1-1 record as members of the AAC.

// QUICK CAP • CLEAN SHEET
• Cincinnati had one match last, playing visiting Austin Peay to a 0-0 draw
• Madison Less recorded four saves in the shutout, third of the year and 11th of her career
• The Bearcats extended their streak of not allowing one goal to 267:50 of playing time with the draw

// AND THE AWARD GOES TO...
Following the week's action, the AAC recognized nine individuals with awards, including Less, who was selected to the Honor Roll. A two-time goalkeeper of the week selection previously this year, Less made four saves to keep her third clean sheet of the year and second in a row as the Bearcats remained unbeaten in their last three.

// RUNNING TOTALS
So far this year, three Bearcats have combined to collect five awards from the AAC. Less has twice been named the AAC Goalkeeper of the Week as she first earned the accolade the opening week of the season following a career-high 10 saves at #25 Virginia Tech and then once again last week before earning a spot on the Honor Roll this week. Scoring a brace also has helped two Bearcats earn spots on the weekly Honor Roll with Tang joining Vanessa DiNardo, who was honored the opening week as well after scoring both goals in a 2-0 win over St. John's in the season opener.

// SCORELESS DRAWS
The Bearcats are in the midst of their 40th varsity season after opening their program's history in 1980. Including last Saturday's 0-0 draw with visiting APSU, UC has played 746 matches all-time. Of those 746 contests, only 24 have ended in a scoreless draw with eight coming since 2015. In fact, UC has played at least one scoreless draw in each of the last five years (2015-19) with the first two in that span coming at home to Lipscomb and then at Xavier in 2015.

// EVEN MORE RARE
Additionally, in regards to scoreless draws, the Bearcats' current two-match streak ties for the longest in program history with the 1983 squad (Year 3 of the program). That season, UC traveled to the Tournament of Champions in Courtland, N.Y., and drew with both Springfield and UConn on successive days for the only other back-to-back 0-0 score lines in program history.

// HOME OVERTIME
When playing in home overtime matches, the Bearcats have been tough to beat recently as they are undefeated in their last 13, holding a 2-0-11 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 18-19-30 all-time in home overtime contests.

// SORRY, GOAL'S CLOSED!
On September 12, the Bearcats conceded a second goal to host Lipscomb at the 32:10 mark in the first half to fall behind, 2-1. Since then, however, UC's opponents have not scored. The Bearcats kept the Bisons off the board for the final 57:50 of the match in Nashville before playing both Xavier and Austin Peay to scoreless draws. Added together, UC has not permitted a goal in 277:50 of playing time, which ranks a the 24th-longest streak in program history.

// BRING YOUR GREEN HAT!
With the shutout streak, the Bearcats streak not only stands as the #24 entry on the program's all-time list, is also is the sixth streak the defense has posted of 275 minutes or more since Neil Stafford took over in 2013. Currently, the Bearcats will need just 22:10 of scoreless soccer at Temple to reach the 300-minute mark for the 20th time in program history. The best streak under Stafford came in 2017 when UC amassed a total of 588:19 of scoreless playing time the #4 streak in program history.

// LESS GAINING MORE
Less has used those back-to-back scoreless draws to move further up the all-time Top 10 ledger at UC as she now ranks tied for seventh all-time with 11.0 career clean sheets. She is now tied with both Julie Williams (1982-84) and Julie McCaffrey (1994-95) on the list. Oddly enough, the last time the team posted its only other back-to-back scoreless draws came in the 1983 season with Williams patrolling the goal for the Bearcats.

// PROTECT THIS HOUSE
Since the start of the 2013 season, the Bearcats have played 61 home matches, posting a 37-10-14 record in that time. Through last season, 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, 94-42 (+52).

// 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 won 37 (37-9-12) thanks to a 5-2-3 home record in 2018.

// SUNDAY FUN DAY!
Since Stafford took over the program in time for the 2013 season, the Bearcats have played at home on Sunday 29 times and hold an impressive 23-2-4 record in those matches. In that span, the Bearcats have not only posted an impressive record, but also have outscored their foes, 54-18, while the defense has recorded 16 clean sheets.

// MANY MINUTES
Through their first nine matches, the Bearcats have averaged 20 players seeing minutes each match, including 12 freshmen (four) and sophomores (eight). In fact, if you include all underclassmen (non-seniors), the Bearcats have featured an average of 15 players seeing playing time that are not seniors.

// YOUTHFUL LOOK
Not only are the younger players logging minutes, they also are earning starts. So far in 2019, six different players have earned their first collegiate starts. That list includes a trio of freshmen in Kendall Battle (3 starts), Ashley Barron (4) and Han Tang (4), and a trio of sophomores, including Morgan Jackson (4), Taylor Nuncio (1) and Ying Zhan (4). Jackson and Nuncio played at Louisville last year and did not record a start while Zhan appeared in 16 matches for UC as a freshman with no starts.

PREVIOUSLY NOTED
// BACK IN THE DAY...
• Han Tang's brace (at Lipscomb) was the second recorded this year after Vanessa DiNardo accomplished the feat in the season-opening win over St. John's. Prior to that, UC had not seen a player score more than one goal in a match since Sept. 3, 2017, when Julie Gavorski scored two at Northwestern
• The last time UC converted a spot kick came October 4, 2018, when Bri Costigan scored a PK at USF
• The last time the Bearcats scored more than two goals in a match was October 16, 2017, in a 4-0 defeat of visiting Morehead State

// LONG-RANGE SCORING
Ying Zhan not only scored her first collegiate goal (at #20 Tennessee), but she did so in stunning fashion. After Camryn Hartman carried the ball through traffic, she sent a pass to Julia Abbott, who dropped it a cutting Zhan. From there, the sophomore ripped a shot from 25-yards out and blasted the ball toward the upper 90 with the keeper's dive not coming in time.

// ON THE LIST
Since Neil Stafford took over the program in 2013, the Bearcats have had a habit of scoring late in matches. Zhan's goal is the 29th scored in the final 10 minutes of regulation and overtime under Stafford and the 23rd in just the final 10 minutes of regulation. To put in perspective, UC has scored a goal in the final 10 minutes and overtime in 23 percent of the 127 matches played under Stafford through the match at Tennessee.

// HAPPY HELPERS
Setting up Zhan's goal was the work of two of her teammates, Julia Abbott and Camryn Hartman. With their assists, the duo each picked up their first points of the season with Abbott securing the first assist of her collegiate career. Hartman recorded the second assist of her career.

// RANKED TEAMS
The Tennessee match marked the sixth of the 2019 season for the Bearcats and also the third in which UC's foe has been included in the latest rankings released by the United Soccer Coaches. So far this year, the Bearcats have faced #20 Tennessee, #25 Virginia Tech and Missouri, who was receiving votes, all on the road. According to the latest rankings release, the Bearcats could face four teams in the AAC with rankings, including Memphis in the home AAC opener October 10.

// FIRST MULTIPLE
With the loss to Northwestern, the Bearcats dropped back-to-back home contests for the first time since Neil Stafford took over coaching duties in 2013. Previously, the last time UC feel twice in a row came in 2012 when UC fell to #11 Georgetown and Villanova, both by 1-0 scores.

// WAIT RIGHT THERE!
Five matches into the season, the Bearcats have played a total of 360 minutes. Four matches into the season, the Bearcats also have endured 265 minutes of lightning delays. On opening day, UC played 16:09 against St. John's before a 95 minute delay hit the books. After no delays at Virginia Tech, the Bearcats had to wait 124 minutes to start their match at Missouri. Then, Sunday, a pop-up storm pushed back the start of UC's home match with Western Michigan by 46 minutes.

// ACCOUNTS OPENED
In the match at Missouri, both of UC's Chinese players found their ways on to the scoresheet as Han Tang and Ying Zhan combined for the Bearcats' lone goal of the night. In the 34', UC was awarded a free kick with Zhan set to take it from the right flank. Zhan slid a pass toward the top of the box where an unmarked Tang met the pass and fired a shot by the keeper for the 1-0 lead. The goal and two points for Tang and the assist and one point for Zhan are all the first of their collegiate careers.

// 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.

// 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 UC has 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 they struck 9 seconds later.

// 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

// 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.

// 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
The Bearcats' next match some Sunday as they will venture to Hartford, Conn., to take on UConn in a 1 p.m. AAC match.