TicketsCINCINNATI – Three-seed University of Cincinnati women's soccer team will host six-seed SMU in the American Athletic Conference Championship Quarterfinals at Gettler Stadium on Sunday.
Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET and live coverage will air on ESPN+. Admission is free and open to the public.
THE SERIES
This is the 15th-ever meeting between the two programs. Cincinnati trails in the all-time series, 4-6-4. The Bearcats are 2-2-2 at home, 1-4-2 on the road and 1-1-0 in neutral site matches against the Mustangs. The two programs battled to a 2-2 draw this season on Oct. 16 at Washburne Soccer and Track Stadium, where Emma Schmelzer scored the opening goal of the match in the 14th minute and Maddie Thiss added her first goal as a Bearcat on a penalty kick in the 32nd minute. Three of the four goals in the first meeting were scored on penalty kicks. These two programs recently faced off in the Quarterfinals on Nov. 3, 2019, where the four-seed Bearcats fell 0-1 in Gettler Stadium. Known for their defensive battles, one team has been shutout in nine of 14 meetings, including six of the last eight matches.
LAST TIME OUT
Cincinnati secured the three seed in the 2022 American Athletic Conference Championship with a 0-0 draw at East Carolina on Thursday. Anna Rexford finished with a pair of saves to record her third straight shutout and seventh clean sheet of the season. The junior goalkeeper erased the Pirates' best look of the match with a punch out in the middle of the box off a corner attempt in the 83rd minute. It marks the first time since September 2019 that Cincinnati has posted three consecutive shutouts. With the 12-7 overall shot advantage, Cincinnati has outshot their opponent in 11 matches this season.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
Cincinnati has earned the three seed three times under Stafford (2017; 2020-21). The Bearcats are 4-6 in American Athletic Conference Championship matches since the Bearcats joined the conference in 2013. Cincinnati won the conference in the 2015, securing three wins as the four-seed and defeating USF in the Championship match 4-2 on penalty kicks on Nov. 8, 2015. (1-1 (2OT); 4-2 penalties)
GETTLER IS A TOUGH PLACE TO PLAY
Cincinnati's win over South Florida last Sunday clinched an undefeated regular season home record (7-0-2) for the first time since 2017 (8-0-3). It marks the second undefeated home season under Stafford and the sixth perfect home slate in program history. Seven wins at home ties the second most in a single season in program history. It is the fourth time under Stafford, (2014, 2015, 2017) that the Bearcats have won at least seven matches at home in a single season. The Bearcats are second in the conference in total home attendance (4,997) and average (555/Game), trailing only SMU. At 6-0-2, Cincinnati is one of two AAC teams (Memphis, 5-0-2) who finished the regular season unbeaten at home.
CINCINNATI COLLECTS THREE AAC WEEKLY HONORS ON OCT. 24; HONOR ROLL ON OCT. 28
Junior goalkeeper Anna Rexford, freshman forward/midfielder Megan Smith and graduate midfielder Brandi Thomsen secured American Athletic Conference weekly honors on Monday. Rexford was named AAC Goalkeeper of the Week for the second time this season, while Smith picked up her third Rookie of the Week honors and Thomsen earned a spot on the honor roll. Rexford was also named to the weekly honor roll on Friday. It is the sixth week this season that the Bearcats have claimed one of the four main honors, the most since 2017.
FEELS LIKE '19
Cincinnati last hosted the Quarterfinals on Nov. 3, 2019 in Gettler Stadium, falling 0-1 to SMU. Anna Rexford posted her third straight clean sheet, seventh shutout of the season, against East Carolina on Thursday. It marks the first time since September 2019 that Cincinnati has posted three consecutive shutouts.
COMPARED TO THE CONFERENCE
Cincinnati is tied for the second-best win percentage in the conference (.656) and margin of victory (+0.63) The Bearcats are tied for second in the conference with seven shutouts. Cincinnati is second in goals (26), second in shots per game (13.44), tied for third in points (70), third in shots (215), tied for fourth in assists (18). Anna Rexford ranks second in the conference with 0.44 shutouts per game and third with a 0.95 goals against average. Vanessa DiNardo is tied for second (42), Brandi Thomsen is tied for eighth (33) in the conference in shots. Lauren Bastian and Brandi Thomsen are one of 19 AAC players with at least three assists.
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
Five of the sixth points against Houston were recorded by freshman. Megan Smith and Paige Miller are tied with Vanessa DiNardo with a team-high four goals, tied for second with nine points. Six players in their first or second season, including three freshman, have recorded a goal, four have recorded an assist. Five players have recorded their first collegiate goal this season - Maddie Swingle, Megan Smith, Sarah Kate Rath, Ellie Flower and Emma Schmelzer. Six players in their first or second season have logged over 500 minutes - Schmelzer, Spaulding Swingle, Smith, Miller, Rath. Three players in their first or second season have earned either weekly AAC honor roll or conference honors this season - Megan Smith- Rookie of the Week three times, Paige Miller - Offensive Player of the Week and Emma Schmelzer - Honor Roll.
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