About Butler:

Butler enters the match 12-2-1 overall and with a strong 5-1-1 conference record. The Bulldogs make the short trip down from Indianapolis for the 7 p.m. matchup at Corcoran Field and look to scratch their way to the conference title. Butler has a stingy defense and has only given up 12 goals this season. Butler’s offense leads the Big East in goals with 31.

History between the teams:

History says this match belongs to Butler. In their last matchup, the Bulldogs put four goals on the board against the Musketeers. Xavier was unable to break through in the match this past March. Butler also has a 12-8-4 record against Xavier all-time. Xavier is 1-6-3 against Butler in the last 10 matches.

The good news for Xavier is that they are riding a six match winning streak.  A Musketeers Victory clinches the Big East Title for coach Nate Lie’s group. Xavier looks to spread out the Butler defense and create some chances. The Musketeers have scored 28 goals this season and look to add to that total. Xavier averages just over 16 shots per match this season, leading the conference.

Xavier’s Defense is Solid:

Defensively, Xavier has had an incredible season, only giving up eight goals. They have also had a number of players earn defensive player of the week honors this season including Carrie Lewis, a midfielder from the other Queen City, Charlotte, North Carolina. Lewis was named Big East Defensive Player of the week last week. In addition to her solid defensive performance last week, she had a pair of assists.

Xavier has also limited their opponents to 136 shots on the season compared to their 261 shots.

Big East Championship History:

In 2019 Xavier won the Big East Regular Season Title and captured the Big East Tournament Championship. They look to do the same again this season.  Winning the Big East Title twice would even them up with UConn and Marquette who also have two Big East Women’s Soccer Championships.  They still have a long way to go to catch Notre Dame who has the record with 11 conference titles. 

While their regular season record has been very good over the last two full seasons (2019 & 2021) the question remains: Is this the Xavier team that has what it takes to make a run at an NCAA tournament championship?

Players to watch:

Xavier:

Chloe Netzel:  Freshman- Forward (St. Louis, MO-Liberty) – Leads the team in points with 5 goals and 2 assists.  Netzel also has three game-winning goals so far this season.

Olivia Jenkins: Senior- Goalkeeper (Plainfield, IL- Plainfield East)– Has played all but two minutes and fifteen seconds of the 2021 season.  Jenkins has an incredible 41 saves on the season and a 0.49 Goals Against Average. Jenkins has nine clean sheets in 2021.

Butler:

Katie Soderstrom: Redshirt Junior- Midfielder (Carmel, IN-Carmel HS) – Leads the team in points with 24.  Soderstrom has nine goals and six assists.  She has two game-winners on the season.

Emma Martin: Freshman- Goalkeeper (Ortonville, MI- Brandon) – Has seven clean sheets on the season.  Her goals against average is near the best in the country at 0.55 goals against. Martin earned Big East Goalkeeper of the Week honors last week

Tickets:

Tickets are still available to join me Thursday at Corcoran Field. Come help root the Musketeers on to victory on Victory Parkway!  CLICK HERE to order your tickets now. 

The post No 17 Xavier Women’s Soccer Closing In on Big East Crown appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

The University released a statement Tuesday morning crediting their decision to ‘profound challenges and widespread uncertainty’. Cunningham did not clarify this point, but one can assume that UC will be looking to tighten their “financial belts” as budgets will be affected in the aftermath of COVID-19.

All men’s soccer players currently receiving athletics scholarships will have those honored if they wish to remain and continue their undergraduate studies at UC. Players will also be granted their immediate release and can transfer without penalty.

The program has been leaderless since March 13, when longtime coach Hylton Dayes stepped down from his post. While not a perennial title contender in the American Athletic Conference, the program was not without success. The Bearcats made the 2003 and 2006 NCAA tournaments while members of Conference USA and then the Big East Conference. UC had a 5-11-1 record in 2019 and hs not had a winning season since 2016 (9-7-1).

Part of the uncertainty may also be related to the upcoming NCAA schedule change and new issues surrounding it. The NCAA was to vote April 22 on a measure that would move its calendar from the traditional three-month fall season to a full academic year schedule with matches in the fall and spring.

The discontinuation of men’s soccer at UC will leave the NCAA with 203 Division I men’s programs. The further loss of the University of Connecticut to the Big East will leave only six sponsored teams in the AAC for 2020. Further changes to the conference’s men’s soccer offering could be imminent.

Many will debate the rationale of cutting the program with the success and popularity of FC Cincinnati in the region. The program can boast the likes of former FCC players Omar Cummings, Matt Bahner and Michael Millay. Unfortunately, the immense popularity of FCC did not translate to large attendance numbers at UC. With the economic struggles ahead, it is possible that the UC men’s program is the first of many college athletic programs to be discontinued.

Please see the statement from Cunningham below or at GoBearcats.com.

“Bearcats,

During this time of profound challenges and widespread uncertainty, I have intensified my effort to study and consider the broad spectrum of the UC Athletics Department. This has included a comprehensive and thorough review of our sport offerings and the long-term budget implications of supporting the number of student-athletes currently at UC.

Based on this review, and in consultation with the President and other University leaders, UC Athletics will no longer sponsor a men’s soccer program. This decision is effective immediately. All men’s soccer student-athletes currently receiving athletics scholarships will continue to receive the scholarships for the remainder of their respective undergraduate academic careers at UC. Alternatively, we will assist in finding new schools for those who desire to continue their collegiate soccer careers.

This difficult decision involved a tremendous amount of thought regarding the young men who chose UC to pursue their degrees and their dreams of playing NCAA Division I soccer. They have worked extremely hard on the field of play and in the classroom and have represented UC the right way. While they might not fully understand this decision, I want them to know that they were truly and conscientiously considered during my deliberations about the future of UC Athletics. We are making this decision now to enable our men’s soccer student-athletes to have an opportunity to play at another institution if they choose to do so.

I am most sincerely grateful to everyone who has supported the men’s soccer program at the University of Cincinnati. This includes former coaches, former student-athletes, donors and fans. Your legacy at UC will not be forgotten and your accomplishments will continue to be recognized.

Thank you,

John Cunningham”

@BryanWeigel for @CincySoccerTalk

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With the announcement of Cincinnati Swerve joining the Ohio Valley Premier League, the league sits at seven members for its inaugural season. The new U23 league is set to give players another opportunity to play the game after they leave high school.

There are now four clubs from the Greater Cincinnati area in the league. Cincinnati Dutch Lions FC, Cincinnati Soccer Club, Valhalla FC and Cincinnati Swerve have all committed to the OVPL season. Those four, along with the Indy Saints, Lexington Landsharks and FC Pride from Indiana bring the current team total to seven. Several of the Cincinnati teams are well-established and boost the resume of a league heading into their first year.

Possible future clubs joining the fun for the 2020 season

There are additional discussions with possible clubs in Columbus and Cleveland joining the mix as reported by Cincinnati Soccer Talk. There is also a good amount of chatter of a possible rebirth of the Derby City Rovers (former rival to CDLFC in the PDL) out of Louisville, Kentucky. Another option for youth players in Louisville would be a welcomed opponent from Lexington, Kentucky.

With seven clubs, and possibly more, from the region looking for players, there will be a lot of opportunities for local players to continue playing the game at the adult level. With four clubs from the Cincinnati area playing in the OVPL, local sides will need to work hard and compete for talented players to form competitive sides for the 2020 season.

Is a women’s league a possibility?

OVPL leadership hasn’t ruled out the possibility of youth and women’s leagues in the future. With the main goal of #GrowTheGame and trying to get even more people to #SupportLocalSoccer, seeing more U23 men’s sides join the OVPL has to be an encouraging start to the fledgling league. While its current focus is providing a solid experience for all of their clubs this coming season, further future expansion is not that far outside of the realm of possibility. Our sources indicate the OVPL has sanctioning for a women’s division, and any interested clubs should reach out to league officials. Several of the clubs that have already joined OVPL also have ties to an already existing women’s club. Locally, the Sirens are operated by the same group as the Swerve.

Info@ovplsoccer.com

Be sure to follow CST on twitter @cincysoccertalk as we continue to bring you more news from the OVPL in the new year.

******* Club Twitter Accounts *******

Cincinnati Dutch Lions F.C.
https://twitter.com/CincinnatiDLFC

Cincinnati Soccer Club
https://twitter.com/CincySC

Cincinnati Swerve
https://twitter.com/CincySwerve

FC PRIDE
https://twitter.com/FCPRIDESOCCER

Indy Saints
https://twitter.com/INDYSaintsFC

Lexington Landsharks
https://twitter.com/lexlandsharks

Valhalla FC
https://twitter.com/ValhallaFC1

The post Ohio Valley Premier League prepares for inaugural season appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Cincinnati Dutch Lions FC (PDL) continue to make splashes in the local soccer fray, naming former FC Cincinnati player Paul Nicholson as the club’s Head Coach for the 2018 season. Nicholson, who retired from professional soccer on November 6th, had made mention of his desire to enter the coaching ranks. The appointment of Nicholson allows him to immediately begin his new career and will bring local name recognition to the premier amateur club in the region.

Brandon Ponchak, General Manager and Assistant Coach of CDLFC commented, “the Cincinnati Dutch Lions have created a highly professional environment for players to develop, compete, and excel. Prospective professional players can achieve their dreams of professional soccer through CDLFC as five players have already moved into the professional ranks and with more signings coming soon. Landing a coach like Paul is an incredible grab for our club. Paul has the PDL and professional experience that can help our players continue to the next levels.”

The club announced the move on their website on Wednesday. Nicholson had this to say on his appointment, “I’m very excited to take the next step in my career and extremely grateful to be given the opportunity by the Cincinnati Dutch Lions. From my short time with the Club, it seems like a fantastic place to coach and a top destination for aspiring professional soccer players. I want to thank Hans Philippo, Mike Mossel, and Bob Rack for giving me this opportunity. I know first-hand the importance of the PDL experience and CDLFC has all the resources to become a top club.”

Nicholson, a native of England, has played his entire professional soccer career in the states. After college, he played in the PDL with the West Virginia Chaos. He then went to Phoenix for a year before earning a USL spot with the Wilmington Hammerheads. Playing as a utility player, Nicholson scored six goals and made 119 appearances in Wilmington. In 2016 he signed with the newly formed FC Cincinnati as a founding squad member.

WATCH: Tonight's halftime feature on trusty veteran @paulnicholson8. Debuted moments ago on @Star64WSTR. pic.twitter.com/I8KRLJ0vac

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) July 30, 2017

Image from the Cincinnati Enquirer

Nicholson quickly became a fan favorite in year one. Starting most games in midfield, he helped FC Cincinnati solidify a 3rd place finish on the table. He was also credited with helping bring Crystal Palace to town in 2016. Paul has been very active in the community, helping with a number of charitable causes. He has coached youth soccer locally and even hosted a camp with Kings Hammer after his retirement. It is fair to say that the Cincinnati Dutch Lions have picked a winner. Not only does Paul bring a full career of experience, he brings the love of Cincinnati fans.

The Dutch Lions have taken the soccer boom in Cincinnati seriously. In just a couple years the club has invested heavily in the future by hiring more personal while playing in a soccer-specific stadium at NKU. CDLFC also co-branded with the new bar/restaurant, House of Orange, in Covington, KY which is known for busing fans to soccer matches in town. Dutch Lions games were a joy to watch last year and expect big things for the 2018 season.

Stay tuned as Cincinnati Soccer Talk will have more exciting news regarding Cincinnati Dutch Lions FC soon.

@BostonKeith for @CincySoccerTalk

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The soccer boom in Cincinnati continues to grow and swell. In 2016 a great movement started but the success in 2017 is already eclipsing the former season. The three Cincinnati teams in the area are all at different points in their seasons. While all three teams have seen some early season struggles, a couple have started to turnaround. See all that below in the second edition of the State of Cincinnati Soccer.

Cincinnati Sirens FC

The Cincinnati Sirens are five games into the season and are struggling early. They currently sit last in the table with 4 losses and 1 win. Most recently, they lost to the Columbus Eagles on Saturday and the Cleveland Ambassadors on Sunday. Their lone win came against the Dayton Dutch Lions. Unfortunately, Sirens FC plays in a highly competitive region with few breaks and their 2 games outside the region are against a talented Cleveland team.

With the season half over, the team will need to win most of the remaining games to have a playoff shot. The chances of this happening are slim but winning the region isn’t the only goal the Sirens have. Starting today, the ladies are hosting a three-day camp training the youth in the area. The youth are taught by women that are currently in college, recently played for a college team or former professional players. Hoping to continue growing their brand, look for the Sirens to improve.

FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati also started the season on the wrong foot, dancing around the playoff line. Recently, FC Cincy has changed formations, tactics and rotated the lineup. The change has paid big dividends with a win over the MLS’ Columbus Crew, a 2-2 draw vs the Charleston Battery and a win vs. Saint Louis FC.

Coach Alan Koch’s side currently sits sixth in the Eastern Conference but the two teams below them also have three games in hand. FC Cincinnati is not out of the woods yet and needs to continue earning three points. Before the formation change, Cincy had lost away to the Rochester Rhinos and drew the Charlotte Independence at home. The team quite frankly looked a bit stale and even struggled to close out a good amateur side in AFC Cleveland in their 1st US Open Cup match. The revitalization has come at the perfect time.

Fifteen games have been played so far into the FCC season with seventeen remaining to play. If all the eastern conference teams were equal in games played, FC Cincinnati would most likely fall just shy of the playoff line. With half their games still ahead of them the Orange and Blue have time to pull themselves out of the danger zone. The team will need to log a better 2nd half of the season compared to the first half and they looked poised to do just that.

Cincinnati Dutch Lions FC

Cincinnati’s PDL team is following a similar trajectory of the other clubs in town. Early season struggles followed by midseason success. The Cincinnati Dutch Lions are further along in their season than the other local teams. CDLFC started the year with very yo-yo results (W-L-W-L). The Cincinnati Dutch Lions have the talent but could not seem to find that consistent success they desired.

The last couple games have changed that for the Dutch Lions. June 17th they put up three goals and a clean sheet on the last place Derby City Rovers. CDLFC three days later took out the conference leaders K-W United FC 2-1 with a glorious stoppage time goal from Samuel Sergi. That goal showcases the talent that currently sits on the Dutch Lions roster.

Now that's how you hit a game-winner! @XavierMSOC talent Samson Sergi nets the decider for @CincinnatiDLFC on Wednesday! #Path2Pro pic.twitter.com/wV4pGqVGqm

— USL League Two (@USLLeagueTwo) June 22, 2017

It is unlikely they can catch up to the leader this season but 2017 has been a year of massive investment for the Cincinnati Dutch Lions. I expect great things to come from this club as they take the next steps.

@bostonkeith for @CincySoccerTalk

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The post June 26th – State of Cincinnati Soccer appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Cincinnati Sirens FC

The Sirens held tryouts at the beginning of May and started training shortly afterward. The roster boasts several returning players as well as new recruits just out of high school. The Sirens play in a tough conference that includes Saint Louis, Columbus, Dayton, and Indy. It is hard to tell how the ladies will do this early in 2017, but they finished fourth just above the Columbus Eagles in 2016.

The Sirens only had one away game logged before Saturday, in which they fell to the Dayton Dutch Lions by two. They had a tough task on Saturday with Fire & Ice FC visiting from Saint Louis. The St. Louis squad brought in a potent attack and Kailey Utley landed a hat trick against Cincinnati. The game finished 0-4 with Cincinnati falling, but there were several bright spots.

The Sirens defense held up well considering most of the game was played on their side. The Cincinnati forwards also showed promise on the counter attack. The pieces look to be in place for Cincinnati, and if they can build confidence as a unit and strengthen the midfield play, these ladies could make a run. This women’s team is great for the city, and soccer fans in the area will enjoy watching them play.

FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati looked to be putting all the pieces together after a four-game winning streak in May. Saturday’s game in Rochester made quite a few heads turn. The Orange and Blue came out with a very surprising starting roster leaving off many of the regulars. The move was most likely made due to the added games from the US Open Cup.

FC Cincinnati decided to play their preferred Starting XI on Wednesday against Louisville in the US Open Cup and offered mainly backups or players returning from injury in the league game vs. Rochester. Roster turnover is needed at this point, but Koch’s gamble to rest most of the starting eleven will be questioned as the team lost 0-1.

Overall, Cincinnati still looks poised to make the USL playoffs for the second year, and the team goal leader, Djiby, returns from suspension next week. The team is also getting healthy as Kenny Walker and Justin Hoyte have returned to the lineup. The boo birds may be out again if FC Cincinnati waiver in this weeks matchup vs. the Charlotte Independence.

Cincinnati Dutch Lions

The Dutch Lions (PDL) have played about 1/3 of their season thus far. The season started off with a telling friendly victory against a very good NPSL Dayton Dynamo team. The home opener at NKU’s soccer stadium was spoiled however with a 0-1 loss against the West Virginia Chaos. The Dutch Lions dominated most of the game but were unable to find the net.

They rebounded just six days later scoring four goals against the Dayton Dutch Lions. Cincinnati won their game 2-1 Saturday vs. the St. Louis Lions with 2 late goals. They find themselves in third place in the PDL’s Great Lakes Division. The Cincinnati Dutch Lion’s owners have also shown real commitment to the team. The team travels in a newly purchased charter bus and has a new bar sporting the team’s logo is opening in Covington. House of Orange opens on Thursday, June 8th.
@bostonkeith for @CincySoccerTalk

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On a gorgeous night in Nippert Stadium, the women’s soccer programs of The University of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky University battled in the Inaugural Riverboat Rivalry. The city of Cincinnati showed their support of soccer by showing up in large numbers on Monday night. A huge crowd of 4,722 packed Nippert Stadium to set a new record for the highest attended women’s soccer match in the state of Ohio.

@FCCTheBailey is rocking @fccincinnati @GoBearcatsWSOC pic.twitter.com/e91lcE93in

— Cincy Soccer Talk (@cincysoccertalk) August 22, 2016

The Inaugural Riverboat rivalry had some great moments on and off the pitch. Members of FC Cincinnati supporters groups joined UC’s Rally Cats and the Ruckus to make an awesome atmosphere coming out of the Bailey. The experienced supporters quickly got UC students on board with cheers and began to support both teams to a noticeable level. The rest of the crowd fed off the Bailey and made for yet another great experience in Nippert.

UC began their season on Friday night with a thrilling 2-1 2OT win over Dayton in front of a program record 1,467 fans in Gettler Stadium. Junior Forward Julie Gavorski sent Dayton packing with a long strike with 11 seconds to go in the second overtime period.

NKU began on the road in Boone, N.C. vs. Appalachian State. The Norse were led by Freshman Ally Perkins, whose 35th minute goal put NKU up 1-0 at half, but the Norse couldn’t hold on as they dropped a 3-1 result.

On the field, things got going in a fury for UC. The UC offense out shot NKU 6-1 in the first minutes. UC scored off a beautiful flick on from Julie Gavorski. Gavorski took a laser and redirected it right past the NKU keeper Emily Lohmann. The NKU keeper was setting up for the initial shot and had little chance at stopping the redirect from Gavorski.

UC continued to dominate the middle of the field and made NKU switch to a 3-5-2 formation to gain any possession in the midfield. UC had a goal called back due to being off side and the Norse could only manage one more shot on goal before the half.

Coming out of halftime UC had two close opportunities in quick succession drawing more saves from Lohmann. NKU forward Macy Hamblin had the Norse best chance in the 61′ from a close shot from the left side of the box. UC Keeper Natalie Smith made a great save and notched her first clean sheet of the season.

Both squads showed immense talent and was an exciting game to witness. The city of Cincinnati is blessed to have several high quality college programs minutes away from most of the population. Look at our slide show and a video below.

Up Next:
UC – at Evansville – Friday, August 26th – 7 p.m. CST
NKU – at Eastern Kentucky – Thurs., August 25th – 5 p.m.

Thanks to @FCCTheBailey for bringing the noise tonight! pic.twitter.com/JyzSWFLRC5

— Cincinnati Bearcats (@GoBEARCATS) August 23, 2016

Up Next for FC Cincinnati:

Rochester Rhinos – The sixth place Rochester Rhinos (10-5-9) visit Nippert Stadium on Wednesday night for FC Cincinnati’s first home match in almost a month. Rochester is coming off a huge home win as they defeated the Pittsburgh Riverhounds 3-0. The Rhinos have gone W-T-W-L-T in their last 5 matches including a draw at Louisville. Coach Harkes’ squad looks to make up some points from some of their playoff competitors as they embark on a 8 game, 31 day stretch to close our their inaugural regular season. FCC will be without forward Sean “Ugo” Okoli on Wednesday night as he serves his suspension for yellow card accumulation.

@bryanjweigel for @cincysoccertalk

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The post Riverboat Rivalry Recap: UC 1, NKU 0 appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

The women’s soccer programs of The University of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky University will hope to set a new NCAA attendance record as they square off in the Inaugural Riverboat Rivalry in Nippert Stadium.

With the big crowds seen at FC Cincinnati matches this season, the city of Cincinnati has an opportunity to break the 2015 NCAA best attendance of 6,253 fans.

On Wednesday afternoon, members of the the UC and NKU women’s soccer programs and their head coaches met with media to discuss their upcoming match dubbed the Riverboat Rivalry.

Coaches Neil Stafford of UC and Bob Sheehan of NKU described how big of an event this was for their programs. “I think it’s a great opportunity for local kids especially,” said Stafford. “We both have local kids in our programs and this is a great way to highlight them and their careers and give them the limelight here in Nippert. With the buzz of FC Cincinnati, we think this is going to be a big occasion for both programs.”

Coach Sheehan enlightened us on how these this event came to be, “Neil called me in March and had this incredible idea and are thought was to build our programs and expose our players best competitive and intense environments. The opportunity to play and showcase our players and program and to align with Neil and FC Cincinnati is just an incredible opportunity.”

Stafford comes from an English background and loves what a new derby game with passionate fans bring. “Any time you can have a derby and get people and the fans involved it really brings some passion. I really think that you see this with FC Cincinnati” said Stafford. “I think it is going to be a great occasion.”

Over 35,000 in attendance for FCC vs. CPFC. – Alex Vehr

The players are equally excited. “I think it’s really cool to see the city of Cincinnati just fall in love with the sport soccer” said NKU midfielder Sami Rutowski (Sr., Mason HS). ” Just seeing the crowds that have been coming all summer, and that we get to be a part of this as well and play at the same place that FC Cincinnati plays.”

UC forward Taylor Jackson (Sr., Indian Hill HS) is excited to get on the field due to the great support shown at Nippert all summer. “Getting to play here (Nippert) people automatically want to come out. This is an amazing venue. It’s awesome that they’ve (FC Cincinnati) been here. It’s fun to watch and this benefits us.”

Another local product, UC’s goalkeeper Natalie Smith (RS Sr., St. Ursula Academy) hopes to see many supporters of FC Cincinnati in attendance. “As an FC Cincinnati fan, you should come out to the Riverboat Rivalry because we want to bring the atmosphere that is at FC Cincinnati to the collegiate level and we need to support that especially because players from Cincinnati are playing on both sides and we want to make this rivalry truly something special.

NKU midfielder Katelyn Newton (Sr., Anderson HS) also implored for fans of the Orange & Blue to attend. “FC Cincinnati fans should come out to this game because I think it’s a start to an incredible rivalry, there is great soccer to be played and we are really looking forward to this opportunity in this environment.”

The UC Women’s Soccer program is coming off a stellar 2015 campaign which saw them go 13-6-5 to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. NKU enters their first season of full Division I eligibility where they hope to improve upon a healthy 11-5-2 record.

Similar to FC Cincinnati, a pre-match fan zone will be set up on Sheakley Lawn where fans can interact with players from FC Cincinnati and the UC Men’s Soccer program. Inflatables and other games will also be available. Members of FC Cincinnati will also be available to sign autographs on the East Concourse before kickoff. The first 500 UC students will receive a free UC soccer scarf.

The kickoff for Monday is scheduled for 7 p.m. and admission is complimentary for all fans. If free admission wasn’t good enough, fans can enjoy $1 hot dogs and $1 beers (21 and older with proper identification).

This match sure seems to make for a fun evening. It is great to see women’s soccer be put on such a big stage. Let’s honor these athletes by showing up Monday night and to try ans set a new highest attendance for a NCAA women’s regular season match. The current record was set in 2014 at a record of 10,128 at UCLA. Let’s see if our city is up to the task!

See a video from UC Athletics, a recap of Wednesday night’s FC Cincinnati scrimmage and more information about the UC & NKU programs below:

Pre Season Awards/Rankings:
UC – Picked to finished tied for Third in the American Athletic Conference. Midfielder Jaycie Brown and Defender
Vanessa Gilles were named to the pre season All Conference Team with Gilles featured as the Defensive Player of the Year.

NKU – Picked to finish Third in the Horizon League, yet garnered two first place votes. NKU returns Junior Forward Macy Hamblin, who was the 2015 Horizon League Player of the Year.

FC Cincinnati Reserves Draw Cleveland State 1-1

The FC Cincinnati Reserves faced the Cleveland State Vikings Wednesday night in Gettler Stadium. The Orange & Blue dominated much of play, but had difficulty finishing in the final third. FC Cincinnati was paced by midfielder Ross Tomaselli who scored the USL sides lone goal. Several FCC mainstays did see limited action including right back Pat McMahon, Paul Nicholson, Kenney Walker and Antoine Hoppenot.

FCC did develop many opportunities especially in the first half coming off crosses towards forward Luke Spencer. Cleveland State did tie up the game in the second half and FC Cincinnati was not able to score another. Harkes left the Orange & Blue with 10 men as he pulled Narbon off after some physical play. There may be some disappointment that Harkes’ men could not pull out a win, but let’s not be discouraged as Cleveland came out with added intensity in the second and was able to sub more players due to full squad availability. FC Cincinnati will feature again next Wednesday as they face the Rochester Rhino’s next Wednesday back in Nippert.

@bryanjweigel for @cincysoccertalk

Photo Credit: FCCincinnati.com

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