Cincinnati Travels to Western Michigan on Thursday

CINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati women’s soccer team looks to get back in the win column when they travel to take on Western Michigan on Thursday in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Kickoff from WMU Soccer Complex is set for 4:00 p.m. ET and live coverage will air on ESPN+.

MEGAN SMITH NAMED AAC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK FOR SEPT. 5

Freshman forward/midfielder Megan Smith was named AAC Rookie of the Week, announced Monday. This is the first time in her career that she has received the honor.

The Bearcats have earned a weekly conference award all three weeks this season. Smith joins Anna Rexfordwho was named AAC Goalkeeper of the Week on Aug. 29 and Ashley Barronwho was honored as AAC Defensive Player of the Week on Aug. 22. The last time that the Bearcats have received conference honors in three straight weeks was 2017, when the program earned honors in four straight weeks to open the season.



Smith recorded a brace with her first two collegiate goals in a 5-1 win over Stony Brook last Thursday. The five goals ties the second-most under head coach Neil Stafford. The Bearcats also tallied five goals in victories over Eastern Illinois last season and Saint Francis (PA) in 2014. The freshman forward/midfielder followed up the performance with a team-high three shots at Pittsburgh on Sunday. Smith is tied with Brandi Thomsen and Ellie Flower for the team lead with four points and is second on the team with 10 shots, trailing only DiNardo’s 12. She has either held or tied the team-high in shots in the last two matches.



THE SERIES

This is the third-ever meeting between the two programs. This is the first time that the Bearcats will travel to Kalamazoo to take on the Broncos. The all-time series is tied 1-1-0, with all matchups played at Gettler Stadium. The two teams last played on September 1, 2019, where the Bearcats suffered a 1-0 defeat. The Bearcats won the first meeting with a 1-0 win behind a goal from Julie Morrisey in the 81st minute on September 5, 2010.



LAST TIME OUT

Cincinnati dropped its first match of the season to Pittsburgh 2-0 in a battle of unbeaten teams last Sunday afternoon at Ambrose Urbanic Field. Pittsburgh held the advantage in shots and corner kicks at the break, but Anna Rexford recorded four first half saves as the two teams went into the locker room scoreless. Cincinnati has still not allowed a goal in the first half through six matches. The first goal of the match came in the 61st minute when Panthers’ Samiah Phiri found Leah Pais from near the goal area and Pais lifted one over the outstretched arms of Rexford for her first goal of the season to take the 1-0 lead. Pittsburgh added insurance three minutes later when Keera Melenhorst played a ball that found Pais once again, who placed a shot in the back of the net to record the brace and extend the lead to 2-0. Despite surrendering two goals to Pittsburgh, the Bearcats are outscoring opponents 10 to four through the opening portion of the season. The four goals allowed through the first six matches are the lowest since 2017 (3).



COMPARED TO THE CONFERENCE

Cincinnati ranks second with three shutouts and third in the AAC with four goals allowed through the first six matches. Cincinnati is one of three remaining AAC teams that is either unbeaten or has only suffered one loss, joined by SMU and UCF. The Bearcats also rank second in goals (10), third in shots (75) and fourth in assists (6).



OFFENSE MOVING FAST AND SPREADING THE WEALTH

Eight players have scored a goal through the first six matches this season, compared to 12 all of last season. The Bearcats’ final two goals, scored within 1:19 of each other, last Thursday (Paige Miller – 86:59; Megan Smith – 88:18) were the seventh fastest consecutive goals in program history. 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 head coach Neil 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. The 22 shots are the most in a game for Cincinnati since the Bearcats recorded 26 against Temple on Sept. 23, 2021.



NEWCOMERS MAKING AN EARLY IMPACT IN 2022

Freshman Megan Smith and Sarah Kate Rath recorded their first collegiate goals against Stony Brook last Thursday. Smith found the back of the net for her first two collegiate goals in the 73rd and 89th minute, while Rath headed in her first collegiate goal in the 18th minute. Smith is tied with Brandi Thomsen and Ellie Flower for the team lead with four points and is second on the team with 10 shots, trailing only DiNardo’s 12. Mackenzie Tucker recorded her first two assists as a Bearcat, assisting on the first two goals of the afternoon to Flower and Rath. Eight newcomers (five freshman, three transfers) have recorded at least one start and two have notched a goal.

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