Oct. 15, 2014

The University of Cincinnati women’s soccer team looks to right the ship Thursday night against SMU after a pair of road losses this last weekend. The match is slated to kickoff at Gettler Stadium at 7 p.m.

The Bearcats (8-5-2, 2-3-0 American) currently sit in a four-way tie for sixth in the American Athletic Conference standings with six points.

// THE SERIES
The Mustangs hold a 1-2-1 advantage in the all-time series, which includes a 2-1 win last season. Prior to the 2013 season, the two foes had not played one another since 1991.

// SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS
SMU (6-9-0, 2-3-0 American) currently sits in a four-way tie for sixth in the league standings. The Mustangs have lost four of their last five matches with their lone winning coming at home against Temple. Claire Oates is the star on an offense that has tallied just 15 goals this season with 11 points (five goals, one assist) on the year. Lissi Lonsberry is SMU’s top netminder with a 1.78 goals against average and a .659 save percentage.

// HAVING A SCORING MENTALITY
The Bearcats have been a force offensively this season and currently have the 15th highest scoring offense in the nation and first in the conference averaging 2.47 goals per match. Stafford’s team has tallied 37 goals, which ranks 11th in the country, and 36 assists, which is 10th nationally. Both totals are the highest for the program since the 2001 season (38 goals, 37 assists).

// LIKE A GOOD TEAMMATE, ATKINSON IS ALWAYS THERE
Senior Jae Atkinson has been an integral part of the Bearcats’ offense this season with being the team’s facilitator on most set pieces. She has racked up a total of 10 assists, which is tied for seventh nationally and moves her into a four-way tie for third in the UC single season records book. The school record of 17 assists held by Vicki Niemann (1982) may be a long shot, but Tina Matlock sits in second just one assist ahead of the Mason, Ohio native (1996). Atkinson is also moving up the career assist list and currently sits tied for eighth with Amy Simonson with 16.

// THREE IS COMPANY
Sophomore Katy Couperus, freshman Julie Gavorski, and junior Danielle Rotheram form a three-head scoring machine for the Bearcats with each having five goals on the season. UC has not had three players in the same season have five or more goals since 2000.

// THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
This season the Bearcats have been a force at home with posting a record of 5-1-1 and outscoring visitors 25-5, including four shutouts. Part of that success can be equated to the program’s average attendance of 648, which is the second highest in program history. Since Stafford took over the program last season, UC has an overall home record of 9-3-2 at Gettler Stadium.

// HAPPY 35TH BIRTHDAY
The 2014 season marks the 35th year of UC women’s soccer as a varsity sport. The program began in 1980 and is the second-oldest in Ohio to Denison University. Cincinnati has an overall win-loss-tie record of 342-259-49 (56.4%).