TicketsKickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET and live coverage will be air on ESPN+. Admission is free and open to the public.
THE SERIES
This is the 16th-ever meeting between the two programs. Cincinnati leads the all-time series, 8-5-3. The Bearcats are 3-1-2 at home, 3-4-0 on the road and 2-0-0 in neutral site matches against the Cougars. The two programs last played on Oct. 24, 2021, where the Bearcats fell 1-2 in Houston. Cincinnati secured a 1-0 (OT) off a goal from Kendall Battle in the 95th minute in the last match at Gettler Stadium. One team has been shutout in nine of 15 meetings, including five of the last seven matches.
LAST TIME OUT
Cincinnati battled to a 2-2 draw with SMU at Washburne Soccer and Track Stadium last Sunday. With the tie, the Bearcats now have a conference-lead six draws on the season. The Bearcats are one of three teams in the nation with at least six draws (South Alabama, 6; VCU, 7). Cincinnati struck first early in the match when Lauren Bastian drove a corner kick into the box that found the head of Emma Schmelzer for her second goal of the season in the 14th minute. The assist was the third of the season for Bastian. The Bearcats' attack advanced to the ball into the attacking third in the 32nd minute where Bastian was clipped inside the 18-yard frame to draw the foul. Maddie Thiss converted the penalty kick attempt for her first goal as a Bearcat, slotting the ball inside the left post to double the lead. Cincinnati possessed the 6-4 shot advantage to head into the locker room with the lead, their sixth match leading after the first 45 minutes. The Mustangs scored their two goals in the 36th minute and 87th minute, both off penalty kicks. Three of the four goals scored in the match were off penalty kicks.
COMPARED TO THE CONFERENCE
At .615, Cincinnati has the second best win percentage in the conference. Cincinnati has the fourth best margin of victory in the AAC (+0.54). The Bearcats are second in the conference in total home attendance (3,996) and average (571/Game), trailing only SMU. At 5-0-2, the Bearcats are one of two AAC teams (Memphis, 4-0-2) that remain unbeaten at home. Vanessa DiNardo and Paige Miller are one of nine AAC players with four goals this season. Miller is ranked fifth with 0.36 goals per game. DiNardo and Miller are one of 13 AAC players with nine points this season. Bastian is ranked third in the conference with 0.3 assists per game, totaling three over 10 matches. Cincinnati is tied for second in goals (23), second in goals per game (1.77), third in shots per game (13.38), third in points (62), third in assists per game (1.23), and fourth in assists (16). Anna Rexford has recorded four clean sheets this season, which is tied for third in the conference.
EMMA SCHMELZER NAMED TO AAC HONOR ROLL ON OCT. 10
Sophomore midfielder Emma Schmelzer was named to the American Athletic Conference Honor Roll on Monday. This is the first time in her career that she has earned a spot on the weekly honor roll. The Bearcats have garnered a conference honor (Offensive, Defensive, Goalkeeper, Rookie) in five weeks this season, the most since the Bearcats secured nine in 2017. Schmelzer notched the Bearcats' opening goal, her second of the season, off a set piece from Bastian in the 14th minute of a 2-2 draw with SMU last Sunday. She played 81 of the 90 minutes against the Mustangs, totaling 135 minutes over the last two contests.
BUSY OCTOBER
With the postponement of the UCF match from Sept. 29 to Oct. 13, the Bearcats will play seven games in October, four on the road and three at Gettler Stadium. The four road matches in the final month of the regular season are the most since 2016.
CONTRIBUTIONS ACROSS THE PITCH - OFFENSE MOVING FAST, DEFENSE HOLDING STRONG
This season, 12 different players have scored a goal through 13 matches this season compared to 12 all of last season, while 10 different players have recorded an assist. Brandi Thomsen and Bastian is one of 15 AAC players who have tallied at least three assists. Five players have recorded their first collegiate goal this season - Maddie Swingle, Megan Smith, Sarah Kate Rath, Ellie Flower and Emma Schmelzer. Eight newcomers (five freshman, three transfers) have recorded at least one start. Rexford has recorded four clean sheets this season, which is tied for third in the conference. Every goal in the Stony Brook match was scored by a player in their first or second collegiate season. The five goals scored against Stony Brook ties the second-most under Stafford. The Bearcats also scored five against Eastern Illinois (5-0 win on Sept. 5, 2021) and Saint Francis (PA) (5-0 win on Sept. 7, 2014). The most was a 9-0 win against Eastern Kentucky on Sept. 5, 2014.
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