TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati soccer team will head up I-75 to close out their season-opening road trip against Dayton on Sunday. The match will kick off at 6 p.m. inside Baujan Field in Dayton, Ohio.
The match will be streamed on ESPN+, a subscription to the streaming service is required to watch the game. Fans can also follow along with live stats found here.
Sunday's match will be the last road game before the team begins a three-game homestand. Cincinnati will welcome Bowling Green to Gettler Stadium on Thursday for its season home opener.
// THE MATCH UP
The match will be the 21st meeting between the two programs and the 10th time the game will be played in Dayton, Ohio. The Bearcats currently lead the series 5-3-1 when played at Dayton and in the overall series, 13-6-1. The last time the two teams matched up was in a double overtime thriller in 2016 at Getter Stadium, as Cincinnati walked away with a 2-1 victory. The last time Dayton hosted the match was in 2013, when the Flyers won 3-1. UC has not won a match in Dayton since 1995.
Fun Fact: UC and Dayton were conference opponents for one season (1994) during Cincinnati's lone year in the GMC before UC joined the C-USA in 1995. The teams matched up twice during the 1994 season, including a match in the GMC tournament where the Bearcats won 2-0.
// LAST TIME OUT
The Bearcats fell short against No. 17 Michigan State, 1-0, on Aug. 17, in its season-opening match at DeMartin Stadium. In the closely contested defensive battle, senior goalkeeper Anna Rexford had a strong performance between the frame despite not getting the win. She finished the match with five saves on 19 shots, six of which were on goal.
// SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Dayton took home the victory in its season-opening match against Loyola Maryland by a score of 4-1. The Flyers had four different goal scorers in the game and recorded 18 shots, placing 10 on goal. Dayton's head coach Eric Goiz earned his 80th career win as he began his seventh season leading the Flyers.
// ENTERING THE DEMERS ERA
In December, head coach Erica Demers became the sixth coach of the Cincinnati women's soccer team. Her first year at UC will be her seventh career season as a head coach after spending the last six leading the UAB women's team. Joining Demers in Cincinnati will be her assistant coaches from UAB: Rachael Collins and John Robertson. Robertson has been a part of her staff since 2018, while Collins joined her staff in 2019.
// A FIFTH YEAR FOR 22
Three-time American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and four-time AAC First Team All-Conference Honoree Ashley Barron is back for her fifth season as a Bearcat. She is the first Bearcat to earn four First Team All-Conference honors in a career. The anchor on the Cincinnati back line started all 17 games last season. She recorded over 1,400 minutes played for the third time in her career (1,486 minutes). She scored a career-high two goals on 24 shots (7 on goal).
// CONFERENCE REALIGNMENT
Cincinnati officially joined the Big 12 Conference on July 1, 2023, after spending the last nine years in the AAC. The season opener will begin the Bearcats inaugural season in the Big 12 and will be the first UC program to compete in a game or match as part of the new conference.
// A CONFERENCE CHANGE IS NOTHING NEW
With UC joining the Big 12, it will mark the fifth new conference the Bearcats have joined since the program's formation in 1980 (note team was independent from 1984-93.) The Bearcats have reached double-digit wins in their previous conference inaugural seasons, including going 15-5-2 as part of the GMC in 1994.
// LEADING SCORERS READY FOR ANOTHER YEAR
Last season, the Bearcats had three players tied for the most goals on the team with four. Two of the three players, junior Paige Miller and sophomore Megan Smith, will return for Cincinnati and lead the goal-scoring efforts.
// RELIABILITY REUNITES
The Bearcats return three players that started all 17 games last season: graduate students Ashley Barron and Kendall Battle and senior Anna Rexford. Both Battle and Rexford have started and played every game over the last two seasons. Barron has started every game over the past three seasons.
// RECORD BOOK REXFORD
Not only did Anna Rexford start all 17 matches for the Bearcats in 2022, but she had a dominant year doing so. She finished the year with seven shutouts, the 10th most in a single season in program history. The goalkeeper from Wilmore, Ky., also finished the year with a goals allowed average of 0.96, the eighth best in program history.
// CAREER HISTORY
Both Anna Rexford and Ashley Barron are chasing down Cincinnati program history. Rexford currently sits in seventh for most career wins with 19 and has the eighth-most career shutouts in program history with 11. Barron is fast approaching the most career minutes-played mark, as she is 263 minutes away from cracking into the top 10. Barron has played over 1,400 minutes in three of her previous four seasons.
// HOLDING DOWN THE MIDDLE
The midfield combo of Emma Schmelzer and Lauren Bastian will look to once again push the pace for the Bearcats. Bastain led the team in assists (3) last season, playing in 14 games. Schmelzer finished the year with the fourth most minutes played (1,235) and scored two goals.
// PROTECTING GETTLER STADIUM
Gettler Stadium has proved to be a formidable place to play in recent years, as the team has only lost on its home turf 18 times since 2013. Last season the Bearcats went 7-0-2, allowing only five goals and recording six shutouts of the nine games during the regular season.
// INTERNATIONAL APPEAL
This year's roster features five international athletes, as well as Demers (Welland, Ontario), across three different countries. All five are also new additions to the roster highlighting the group are UAB transfers junior Laura Zemberyova and sophomore Claire Rea. UC also added graduate transfer Teni Akindoju, who played the last four years at Texas.
// UP NEXT
After a two game road trip to begin the season, the Bearcats will be back in Gettler Stadium for the first time this season, Cincinnati will welcome Bowling Green to Gettler Stadium for their home opener. The match will kickoff at 7 p.m. Thursday.
// ANTHEM BUDDIES AND GROUP EXPERIENCES.
Looking to experience Cincinnati soccer like never before? Click here to learn more about the Cincinnati Anthem Buddies and Group Experience programs.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati women's soccer, please visit GoBEARCATS.com and follow @GoBearcatsWSOC on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
The match will be streamed on ESPN+, a subscription to the streaming service is required to watch the game. Fans can also follow along with live stats found here.
Sunday's match will be the last road game before the team begins a three-game homestand. Cincinnati will welcome Bowling Green to Gettler Stadium on Thursday for its season home opener.
// THE MATCH UP
The match will be the 21st meeting between the two programs and the 10th time the game will be played in Dayton, Ohio. The Bearcats currently lead the series 5-3-1 when played at Dayton and in the overall series, 13-6-1. The last time the two teams matched up was in a double overtime thriller in 2016 at Getter Stadium, as Cincinnati walked away with a 2-1 victory. The last time Dayton hosted the match was in 2013, when the Flyers won 3-1. UC has not won a match in Dayton since 1995.
Fun Fact: UC and Dayton were conference opponents for one season (1994) during Cincinnati's lone year in the GMC before UC joined the C-USA in 1995. The teams matched up twice during the 1994 season, including a match in the GMC tournament where the Bearcats won 2-0.
// LAST TIME OUT
The Bearcats fell short against No. 17 Michigan State, 1-0, on Aug. 17, in its season-opening match at DeMartin Stadium. In the closely contested defensive battle, senior goalkeeper Anna Rexford had a strong performance between the frame despite not getting the win. She finished the match with five saves on 19 shots, six of which were on goal.
// SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Dayton took home the victory in its season-opening match against Loyola Maryland by a score of 4-1. The Flyers had four different goal scorers in the game and recorded 18 shots, placing 10 on goal. Dayton's head coach Eric Goiz earned his 80th career win as he began his seventh season leading the Flyers.
// ENTERING THE DEMERS ERA
In December, head coach Erica Demers became the sixth coach of the Cincinnati women's soccer team. Her first year at UC will be her seventh career season as a head coach after spending the last six leading the UAB women's team. Joining Demers in Cincinnati will be her assistant coaches from UAB: Rachael Collins and John Robertson. Robertson has been a part of her staff since 2018, while Collins joined her staff in 2019.
// A FIFTH YEAR FOR 22
Three-time American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and four-time AAC First Team All-Conference Honoree Ashley Barron is back for her fifth season as a Bearcat. She is the first Bearcat to earn four First Team All-Conference honors in a career. The anchor on the Cincinnati back line started all 17 games last season. She recorded over 1,400 minutes played for the third time in her career (1,486 minutes). She scored a career-high two goals on 24 shots (7 on goal).
// CONFERENCE REALIGNMENT
Cincinnati officially joined the Big 12 Conference on July 1, 2023, after spending the last nine years in the AAC. The season opener will begin the Bearcats inaugural season in the Big 12 and will be the first UC program to compete in a game or match as part of the new conference.
// A CONFERENCE CHANGE IS NOTHING NEW
With UC joining the Big 12, it will mark the fifth new conference the Bearcats have joined since the program's formation in 1980 (note team was independent from 1984-93.) The Bearcats have reached double-digit wins in their previous conference inaugural seasons, including going 15-5-2 as part of the GMC in 1994.
// LEADING SCORERS READY FOR ANOTHER YEAR
Last season, the Bearcats had three players tied for the most goals on the team with four. Two of the three players, junior Paige Miller and sophomore Megan Smith, will return for Cincinnati and lead the goal-scoring efforts.
// RELIABILITY REUNITES
The Bearcats return three players that started all 17 games last season: graduate students Ashley Barron and Kendall Battle and senior Anna Rexford. Both Battle and Rexford have started and played every game over the last two seasons. Barron has started every game over the past three seasons.
// RECORD BOOK REXFORD
Not only did Anna Rexford start all 17 matches for the Bearcats in 2022, but she had a dominant year doing so. She finished the year with seven shutouts, the 10th most in a single season in program history. The goalkeeper from Wilmore, Ky., also finished the year with a goals allowed average of 0.96, the eighth best in program history.
// CAREER HISTORY
Both Anna Rexford and Ashley Barron are chasing down Cincinnati program history. Rexford currently sits in seventh for most career wins with 19 and has the eighth-most career shutouts in program history with 11. Barron is fast approaching the most career minutes-played mark, as she is 263 minutes away from cracking into the top 10. Barron has played over 1,400 minutes in three of her previous four seasons.
// HOLDING DOWN THE MIDDLE
The midfield combo of Emma Schmelzer and Lauren Bastian will look to once again push the pace for the Bearcats. Bastain led the team in assists (3) last season, playing in 14 games. Schmelzer finished the year with the fourth most minutes played (1,235) and scored two goals.
// PROTECTING GETTLER STADIUM
Gettler Stadium has proved to be a formidable place to play in recent years, as the team has only lost on its home turf 18 times since 2013. Last season the Bearcats went 7-0-2, allowing only five goals and recording six shutouts of the nine games during the regular season.
// INTERNATIONAL APPEAL
This year's roster features five international athletes, as well as Demers (Welland, Ontario), across three different countries. All five are also new additions to the roster highlighting the group are UAB transfers junior Laura Zemberyova and sophomore Claire Rea. UC also added graduate transfer Teni Akindoju, who played the last four years at Texas.
// UP NEXT
After a two game road trip to begin the season, the Bearcats will be back in Gettler Stadium for the first time this season, Cincinnati will welcome Bowling Green to Gettler Stadium for their home opener. The match will kickoff at 7 p.m. Thursday.
// ANTHEM BUDDIES AND GROUP EXPERIENCES.
Looking to experience Cincinnati soccer like never before? Click here to learn more about the Cincinnati Anthem Buddies and Group Experience programs.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati women's soccer, please visit GoBEARCATS.com and follow @GoBearcatsWSOC on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.