TicketsCINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati women's soccer team celebrated Senior Day Sunday ahead of its American Athletic Conference match with visiting Tulsa. And then, the Bearcats continued to celebrate as they netted four goals to take a 4-2 victory in the league contest played at Gettler Stadium. Han Tang scored twice to lead the Bearcats with Camryn Hartman and senior Libby Greenwell each netting goals to help the Bearcats move to 5-6-2 overall and 3-1-0 in the AAC. Tulsa fell to 8-8-0 on the year and 2-4-0 in the AAC.
// NOTING THE MATCH
• Cincinnati improved to 5-6-2 overall and 3-1-0 in the AAC while Tulsa fell to 8-8-0 overall and 2-4-0 in the AAC
• The Bearcats extended their lead in the all-time series to 7-2-0 against the Golden Hurricane and have now won three in a row in the series, including staying undefeated at home at 5-0-0
• The win is the first for the Bearcats at home this season (1-3-2)
• UC improved to 24-2-4 on Sunday Fun Day (home Sunday matches under Neil Stafford) and have now outscored its foes, 58-20
• The four goals scored tie for the most in a match in the series after UC won, 4-3, in overtime in 1990
• Tang scored her second brace of the season as she tallied in the 14' and 19' to stake UC to a 2-0 lead
• The brace also is the first scored against an AAC foe since the 2016 season when Julie Gavorski bagged both goals in a 2-0 home win over SMU (10/16/16)
• Tang's first goal was also the first of the season at home for the Bearcats, snapping a five-match streak without a score and a run of 303:59 of playing time without a goal
• After snapping the scoreless streak, Tang added her second just 4:16 later with UC scoring three times in a 15 minutes span
• Not only did Hartman score her second goal of the year, she also scored her second game-winner after doing the same in a 2-0 win at Temple earlier this season
• Greenwell, a senior, made her season debut count as she not only scored her first collegiate goal, but did so on her first collegiate shot
• Morgan Jackson recorded her career assist and first career points as she set up Tang's second goal
• Senior Julia Abbott assisted on Hartman's goal, marking the first career helper for Abbott
• Senior Bri Costigan assisted on two goals to tie her career high for points in a match and also record her first two-assist match
• Costigan's two assists were the first for a UC player in a league match since 2015 when Danielle Rotheram assisted on both goals in a 2-2 draw at SMU
• Prior to the match, the program honored all eight seniors, including Abbott, Holyn Alf, Costigan, Sydney Goins, Greenwell, Sydney Kilgore, Dee Picou and Michelle Travassos
// SCORING RECAP
#Bearcats GOAL!
— Cincinnati W-Soccer (@GoBearcatsWSOC) October 13, 2019
Han Tang gets UC on the board with Costigan and Zhan creating the opportunity and the pink-clad Bearcats have a 1-0 lean in the 14'!#AmericanWSOC pic.twitter.com/aAV0qb0HkL
14' • UC opened the scoring with Tang tipping home a bouncing ball in the box. The play opened on a free-kick that Ying Zhan took, passing to Costigan, who returned the ball. Zhan one-timed a looping pass into the area that bounced between Tang and the keeper with the Bearcats freshman tipping the ball past her and into the net for a 1-0 lead.
#Bearcats GOAL!
— Cincinnati W-Soccer (@GoBearcatsWSOC) October 13, 2019
Tang bags the brace in the 19' on a sweet pass from Jackson and UC is on top, 2-0!#AmericanWSOC pic.twitter.com/WyUe0KSi4m
19' • Just over four minutes later, Tang bagged her brace on a great pass from Jackson. Madison Less got things going on a deep pass from her own end with Jackson collecting the pass and moving down the left flank. She cut in toward the goal and slipped a pass across the face of goal where Tang was waiting and hit home for a 2-0 lead. The brace for Tang is the first for a UC player against a conference foe since 2016 when Julia Gavorski scored both goals in a 2-0 home win against SMU. The assist for Jackson is the first of her career and first points of collegiate career as well.
#Bearcats GOAL!
— Cincinnati W-Soccer (@GoBearcatsWSOC) October 13, 2019
Hartman gets in on the scoring as she fires home a rebound off an Abbott blocked shot and UC is up, 3-0, in the 29'!#AmericanWSOC pic.twitter.com/6H4SDbKhYG
29' • Jackson got things going on the third goal once again as she pushed the ball down the left side after receiving a pass from Hartman. Jackson fed the ball into the box near the spot where Abbott ripped a shot that was blocked by a defender. The ball came right to Hartman who fired the rebound into the net for a 3-0 lead. The assist for Abbott is the first of her career while the goal for Hartman was her second and also would stand later as her second career game-winner.
55' • Following the halftime break, the Golden Hurricane got on the board as Valiree Morris scored, making it 3-1.
60' • #Bearcats 4:2 Tulsa
— Cincinnati W-Soccer (@GoBearcatsWSOC) October 13, 2019
Senior Libby Greenwell gets the goal to make it 4-1 before Tulsa pulls one back on a free-kick and it is 4-2 UC with 30 minutes to play.#AmericanWSOC pic.twitter.com/5fb6jgZ6qP
58' • The Bearcats got that goal back quickly, however, as Greenwell scored her first collegiate goal on her first collegiate shot... on Senior Day. The play started on a corner kick with Costigan sending a low ball toward the front post. There, Delaney Riester ran over the ball and tipped it back to Greenwell, who fired home from just inside the six-yard box to bring a large contingent of family and friends to their feet. The assist for Riester was the second of her career (the first came last year at Tulsa) while Costigan's assist gave her two for the day, marking the first time a UC player had two assists since 2015.
60' • The final goal of the game also was scored by Morris, who took a free-kick from distance and put the shot into the net to make it 4-2.
// SUNDAY FUN DAY
The win today was the first of the year at home for the Bearcats and improved their Sunday Fun Day (home Sunday matches under Stafford) record to 24-2-4. In those matches, the Bearcats have outscored their foes, 58-20.
// GOAL FEST
The Bearcats scored four goals today, their most this year and the most since a 4-0 win over Morehead State in 2017. Combined, the six goals tallied today are the most since UC defeated visiting Eastern Kentucky, 9-0, in 2014. Additionally, the goals scored were the first of the year at home for UC with Tang's first goal snapping a streak of 303:59 of playing time UC had not scored (0-3-2 before today).
// SENIORS SHINE
Several seniors had themselves a day to remember on Senior Day with one scoring a goal and two adding assists. Greenwell scored her first collegiate goal on her first collegiate start in her season debut while Costigan chipped in two assists and Abbott one.
// AROUND THE LEAGUE
Four matches were played on Match Day #6 with the Bearcats, Temple (2-0 over Houston) and UConn (1-0 over SMU) all winning at home while ECU hosted #8 Memphis and played the Tigers to a 1-1 draw. The updated table sees Memphis on top with 16 points while UC, UCF and USF are all tied for second on nine points. ECU sits fifth with seven points while the trio of Tulsa, UConn and Temple all are tied for the sixth with six points.
// NEXT MATCH
The Bearcats will hit the road for the final time in the regular season next week as they will venture to the Lone Star State to take on both SMU and Houston. Cincinnati will first meet up with the Mustangs at 7 p.m. CT (8 p.m. ET) on Thursday, October 17, before closing the road trip at the home of the Cougars Sunday at 1 p.m. CT (2 p.m. ET).