No. 15 Women’s Soccer Travels to Cincinnati, Home Vs. Coastal Carolina – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 8, 2003
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Columbus, Ohio – Following its first victory over a Top 10 team since the 2001 season with its 1-0 triumph over No. 6 Virginia at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium last Friday, the 15th-ranked Ohio State women’s soccer team (3-0, 0-0) heads to Cincinnati in hopes of avenging its 1-0 loss to the Bearcats at home in 2002 and score the Buckeyes’ first 4-0 start since the 1998 season. Ohio State will return home Sunday for a first-ever meeting with the Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina. Kickoff times for the two this weekend are 7 p.m. Friday at Cincinnati and 2 p.m. Sunday.
BUCKEYES EARN HIGHEST RANKING IN 10-YEAR HISTORY
With its 3-0 start, including an upset of then-No. 6 Virginia Friday, the Buckeyes have jumped into the NSCAA.com/adidas Top 25, as OSU has staked claim to the No. 15 slot. The ranking is Ohio State’s highest in program history and marks OSU’s first mention in the Top 25 since claiming the 24th spot the week of Aug. 9, 1999.
REGIONAL RECOGNITION
The Buckeyes also find themselves in the regional rankings as OSU shares the No. 2 slot with Kentucky in the NSCAA/adidas Great Lakes poll, while they sit along side conference foe Purdue in the sixth position of the Soccer Buzz ranks.
BUCKEYES LOOK FOR FIRST 4-0 START SINCE 1998
The 1-0 decision over Virginia marked the fourth time Ohio State has started a season 3-0 in its 10-season history and is the first since the 2001 campaign when the Buckeyes recorded their third win in as many matches with an upset at then-No. 9 Connecticut.
The Buckeyes will look to start a season 4-0 for the first time since 1998 when OSU started the season with wins at Evansville, at Louisville, at Dayton, over Purdue and over Xavier to begin with five wins in as many contests.
LAST WEEK: BUCKEYES TOP No. 6 UVA
Despite a 22-9 disadvantage in shots, Ohio State bested 6th-ranked Virginia 1-0 Friday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. The win marks OSU’s first over a Top 10 opponent since a 2-1 triumph over then-No. 4 Penn State on Oct. 26, 2001.
The Buckeyes used a first half tally by sophomore forward Colleen Hoban to register its first win over an Atlantic Coast Conference foe since topping Florida State in the 2000 season.
Hoban connected on her only shot of the contest at the 26:35 mark of the first half after accepting a pass from fellow sophomore Danielle Dietrich on the left side. Hoban fired a shot across the 6-yard box and into the left side of the goal past outstretched Virginia keeper Anne Abernathy for her second goal of 2003.
The Buckeyes recorded their second shutout in as many games as junior keeper Emily Haynam and freshman Staci Sinkway combined to deny the Cavaliers on 10 shots fired at the OSU goal. Haynam, who started the first half and recorded the win, tallied five saves, while Sinkway also claimed five saves as she minded the net in the second stanza. Sinkway notched three critical saves in the second half, coming at the 42:08, 32:55 and 12:41 marks, as she thwarted a trio of threatening UVA attacks.
SCOUTING CINCINNATI
The Bearcats come into the match against Ohio State with a 2-1-1 record. Cincinnati kicked off 2003 with wins against Toledo and Xavier in the first two matches of the season before falling to Central Michigan and tying Miami of Ohio.
For Cincinnati, senior captain Tasha Wagner leads the way. Wagner has three goals and two assists this season giving her 12 goals and 21 assists for her career. Last season, Wagner led the Bearcats with 18 points and was named Conference USA tournament MVP after scoring the game-winning goal against Marquette in the C-USA championship match.
Minding the net for the Bearcats is sophomore Sherry Slye. Slye has posted a 2-0 record along with a 1.15 goals against average in four games.
Cincinnati is led by head coach Meridy Glenn, who has tallied a 232-128-28 record over 21 years with the Bearcats. Glenn is the second-winningest coach in NCAA history.
In 2002, Glenn’s squad posted a 17-4-3 record as the Bearcats claimed their second straight Conference USA title as well as a second-consecutive trip to the NCAA College Cup. Glenn has garnered five conference championships and six trips to the NCAA tournament in her career.
LAST SEASON: UC 1, OSU 0
The Buckeyes suffered a 1-0 loss in last season’s meeting between Ohio State and Cincinnati. Despite a relentless attack in the second half, where the Buckeyes outshot the Bearcats 11-0, they could not manage a goal as the Bearcats tabbed their 10th shutout of the year.
Tianna Oliver netted the only goal at the 17:16 mark of play. Amy Simonson dumped a pass off to the right side where Oliver blasted a shot just over the reach of OSU keeper Emily Haynam.
Ohio State made a run in the waning moments of the game combing three corner kicks into two scoring chances, including a shot by Emily Gilbert that Bearcat goalkeeper Tracey Hale was able to get one hand on and deflect out of play.
BUCKEYES – BEARCATS: THE SERIES
The Buckeyes and Bearcats have met five times with Cincinnati holding a four games to one advantage. In the most recent meeting, Cincinnati escaped with a 1-0 win November 2, 2002 at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
The Buckeyes first met the Bearcats in 1993 in Cincinnati with the Bearcats claiming a 1-0 victory.
In Columbus, the Bearcats hold a 2-1 record, with Ohio State’s only victory in the series coming in a 5-1 decision in 2001. Cincinnati is 2-0 against the Buckeyes playing on their home turf of Myers Field.
CINCINNATI CONNECTION
Five Buckeyes hail from the Cincinnati area, including junior keeper Jen Heaney and midfielder Emily Gilbert, sophomore midfielder Danielle Dietrich and freshman defender Mellissa Miller all are products of the Queen City.
In addition, fellow junior defender Erica Nollen is a native of nearby West Chester, Ohio and Lakota East High School.
INTRODUCING THE CHANTICLEERS
Ohio State will meet Coastal Carolina for the first time Sunday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. The Chanticleers sport a 4-1 record with victories coming against South Carolina State, Anderson University, Elon College and Louisiana Lafayette. The only loss of the season came at the hands of Louisiana State University.
The Chanticleers are led by freshman forward Laura Weiler. Weiler, in just her first season of play, has netted four goals and two assists. She also has racked up 10 points for the Chanticleers.
Minding the net for Coastal Carolina is senior Candice Doten. Doten, who was named the Defensive MVP at the LSU classic, has made 22 saves and posts a 91 percent save percentage.
The head coach for the Chanticleers is Karrie Miller. Miller, now in her third year as head coach at Coastal Carolina, garners a career record of 41-37-13. Her ledger at Coastal Carolina is 17-24-5. Prior to being head coach for the Chanticleers, Miller was the head coach at Charleston Southern where she scored a 24-13-1 record. Miller has twice been named Big South Coach of the Year (1993 and 2000) and has coached 12 All-Conference selections.
MEETING FOR THE FIRST TIME
The meeting between the Chanticleers and the Buckeyes will mark the first game between the two teams. OSU has never played a Big South squad.
ONE-SIDED SCOREBOARD
With its two shutout wins and a 4-1 decision over Indiana State, the Buckeyes hold a 9-1 advantage in goals. The 8-goal margin is OSU’s largest through three games in a season since starting the 1998 campaign with an 8-1 edge.
Included in the offensive dominance is a 14-1 advantage in assists and a 25-9 ledger in corner kicks.
ROAD WARRIORS
Ohio State boasts a 6-2 mark in its last eight games played outside the friendly confines of Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, dating back to a 1-0 win at Wisconsin on Oct. 18 of 2002. The streak includes four neutral matches, including the three wins at the Big Ten tournament and the first-round loss in the NCAA tournament.
KEEPER BY COMMITTEE
The Ohio State goal box has been occupied by a quartet of Buckeyes so far in 2003, as junior Emily Haynam and Jen Heaney and freshman Shannon Neely and Staci Sinkway all have seen action in at least one of the three matches thus far. Heaney leads the club in minutes with just over 115, while Sinkway follows as she has minded the net in two full halves, toting 90 minutes, which includes five second half saves in the Buckeye’s 1-0 upset of No. 6 Virginia last Friday.
Heaney has recorded two of the three victories, while Haynam notched the triumph over the Cavaliers. In all, the OSU netminders have accounted for two shutouts – both of the combined variety – as Heaney, Haynam and Sinkway all boast a 0.00 goals against average.
STIFLING DEFENSE
The Buckeyes have recorded two shutouts in their three victories in 2003. The Ohio State backline featuring juniors Erica Nollen and Paige Harrison, sophomore Kristin Sawchak, and freshman Melissa Miller and Emily Francis allowed just 16 opponent shots, including just eight at the OSU goal in the two matches. In all three contests, the Buckeye backline has allowed OSU to take a 63-38 advantage in total shots and a 36-18 edge in shots on goal.
Overall, the Ohio State defense has allowed just 0.33 goals per game, as opponents have connected on just one of their 38 strikes.
BUCKEYES PLAY FULL 90
Ohio State has posted near-identical first and second half combined figures in its three contests, as the Buckeyes have scored five of their nine goals in the first half of matches, while four have come in the second stanza. In addition, of Ohio State’s 63 total shots, 32 have come in the first half of matches, while 31 strikes have come in the three second periods this season.
GRUBB SCORES BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ohio State junior forward Lisa Grubb was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Sept. 1, as she recorded two goals and one assist in Ohio State’s 4-1 season opening win over Indiana State Friday night at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
Grubb, the 2002 Big Ten Tournament Offensive MVP, tallied her 18th and 19th career goals and ninth career assist in the victory, as she moved into sixth place in the program’s career points list with 45.
“A CELEBRATION OF 10”
The Ohio State women’s soccer program held its “A Celebration of 10” reunion Aug. 29 and 30 to recognize the 10-year anniversary of the sport. Festivities kicked off Friday, Aug. 29 as the Buckeyes played host to Indiana State in the 2003 home opener.
The game commenced a two-day celebration of the tradition and excellence exhibited by the program over the past decade. Former players in attendance were recognized at halftime, while notable players from each of the 10 seasons were honored at a brunch-style banquet the following Saturday morning at the Longaberger Alumni Center.
Former players also attended the season opening football game between Washington and Ohio State, as the Buckeyes topped the Huskies 28-9.
Since it’s first game September 5, 1993 – a 1-0 triumph over Dayton – Ohio State women’s soccer has competed in the top levels of the Big Ten Conference and the national scene. In nine seasons Ohio State has posted 14, 13 and 12-win campaigns and has culminated its rise to the top of the Big Ten with appearances in the conference tournament championship match in 1998 and 2002, winning the 2002 tournament title to earn the program’s first NCAA tournament bid.
Notable Buckeyes from those squads who have helped build the Ohio State tradition will be honored at both halftime of the Indiana State match and at the ensuing banquet Saturday. Amongst the group are 1994 All-Big Ten performers Jody Stranges (1994-1997), a 2003 Ohio State Varsity “O” Hall of Fame Inductee and four-time all-conference honoree, Lisa Suttmiller (1994-97), OSU’s career points leader, and Bree Blakely (1993-96), the first Buckeye to earn First Team All-Big Ten status. 1995 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jennifer Plante (1995-1998) also will be honored, while 1998 All-Big Ten and Great Lakes Region selection Becky Borchers (1995-1998) will be on hand as well.
MUMLEY, GILBERT RECORD CAREER MATCHES AT WRIGHT STATE
Ohio State juniors Liz Mumley and Emily Gilbert registered career performances in the 4-0 win at Wright State Sunday, as Mumley tallied two goals, while Gilbert assisted on three scores, including two assists on Mumley strikes.
Entering the contest, Mumley had two career goals, while Gilbert tripled her previous career output with the three assists Sunday.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Ohio State’s noted academic success reaches deep into head coach Lori Walker’s tenure, as she has mentored 36 student-athletes to Academic All-Big Ten selections, including a program-best 11 honorees in 2002. The program also boasts 62 OSU Scholar-Athlete selections and the collegiate academic award in 2002.
UP NEXT
Sunday’s match against Coastal Carolina marks the first of a three-game homestand, where the Buckeyes will play host to Iowa at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 19 and will close out the weekend with a noon contest vs. Youngstown State Sunday, Sept. 21. All matches will be held at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
