Saturday, August 11
Omaha, Neb.
2:30 PM
Omaha
vs
Iowa Western CC (Exh.)
Mavs Host Iowa Western in Exhibition
Aug 10, 2012 | Men's Soccer
Game Notes
Live Stats
The UNO men's soccer team begins preseason play with a 2:30 p.m. exhibition match on Saturday against Iowa Western Community College at the UNO Soccer Field. Admission to the match is free. The UNO women's soccer team plays immediately before, hosting South Dakota at Noon. Admission to that exhibition is also free. Live stats for both matches will be available on OMavs.com.
Series History
Although the teams have yet to play an official match against each other, UNO and Iowa Western met during the spring season, with UNO earning a 4-1 win over the Reivers. Logan Mendez scored two goals for the Mavericks, while Devin Diego and Cody Thayer each added one.
Welcome to The Summit League
The 2012 season marks UNO's first with a full Summit League schedule. UNO will play all seven Summit League foes once, starting with a Sept. 22 game at defending Summit League champion Western Illinois. Although the Mavericks will appear in the Summit League standings, UNO cannot qualify for the Summit League Championship or the NCAA Tournament until 2015-16.
Experienced But Young
Eight starters return for the Mavericks, including redshirt freshman Logan Mendez, who started the first three games and missed the rest of the season due to injury. Mendez scored the first goal in school history in a 2-1 win over UMKC and despite missing the final 10 games, still finished third on the team with five shots on goal. Although the number of returning starters is high, the Mavs' nine returning players consist of one redshirt freshman, five sophomores and three juniors.
A Whole New Batch
While nine Mavericks return from last year's inaugural team, 13 fresh faces are new to the program this fall. Five newcomers got a head start and enrolled at UNO for the 2012 spring semester and trained with the Mavs throughout the spring - junior goalkeeper Matt Grosey, junior forward Thomas Torres, sophomore defender Nick Miller, sophomore defender Felipe da Silva and freshman midfielder Devin Diego. The Mavs added two Division I transfers as well. Creighton Prep alum Jake Linden will be a freshman for the Mavs after redshirting one year at Xavier. Houston Hoffman will be a junior after playing two years at Northern Illinois. The rest of the Mavs' incoming class comprises six true freshmen - Emir Alihodzic, Chava Garcia, Giovanni Giattino, Danny Gustafson, Lucas Hake and Jesus Perez.
Next Up for the Mavs
The Mavs play their second of three exhibition matches when they travel to Drake on Aug. 15 for a 7 p.m. game. The final exhibition match is a 4 p.m. game at Creighton on Aug. 19. That match will be played at Morrison Stadium in downtown Omaha.
Last Time Out
The Mavericks last took the pitch on Nov. 5, 2011, when Stetson earned a 2-1 win over the Mavs in DeLand, Fla. The Mavs held the lead in the second half, but a Hatter goal with four minutes left handed the Mavericks a 2-1 defeat in their final game of the 2011 season. UNO finished the season 1-11-1. For the second straight night, the Mavericks went into halftime on even terms. But this time, it was the Mavericks who broke the deadlock just after the hour mark. Forward Craig Buettner put the ball into the net at the 60:41 mark on a rebound off his own shot to give UNO the lead. It was the first career goal for Buettner, who joined the Maverick squad as a walk-on in October after an open tryout. But the Hatters responded quickly with Jonathan Mendoza evening the score at 1-1 at the 62:34 mark. It was the team-leading 11th goal for Mendoza. It looked as if the Mavs might earn a draw with the Atlantic Sun runners-up, but Stetson's Gonzalo De Mujica scored his fifth goal of the season in the 86th minute to give the Hatters the 2-1 lead. The Mavs applied pressure late, though, with Buettner shooting wide in the 87th minute. Then at 87:35, Mo Salama took the final shot of the game for UNO, but it was saved by Dan Billman. UNO outshot Stetson 16-15 overall. The Hatters put seven on frame, while the Mavs had five shots on goal. Josh Christensen made five saves for the Mavericks. Buettner finished with a season-high seven shots. Vance Rookwood had three shots, two of which forced saves from Billman.
Scouting Iowa Western CC
As a junior college, the Reivers' 43-player roster comprises only freshmen and sophomores. Sophomore Marcelo Norton is the top returning goal scorer, having notched 10 last season. Iowa Western went 18-3-1 last season and finished third in the NJCAA rankings after reaching the final eight. Jordan Carver is in his fourth season as the head coach at Iowa Western Community College. Carver has a 49-14-3 all-time record at the school. He is assisted by Caleb Hinson, Brandon Haug, Michael Brown, Ethan Bartels, Eric Hayes and Mark Richwine.
Saves Galore
UNO goalkeeper Josh Christensen was a busy man last year, playing all but one minute in goal for the Mavs. Christensen posted 75 saves for a 5.77 saves per game average, which ranked eighth among all Division I keepers.
Home Sweet Home
The UNO men's soccer team received outstanding fan support in its three home games in its inaugural season, and the result was a 21st ranking nationally in attendance among NCAA Division I men's soccer programs. The Mavs averaged 1,130 fans in two games played at the UNO Soccer Field and one at Werner Park. Although the Mavs do not count toward the official NCAA attendance figures because of their transitional status, they were just one of 27 schools in the nation to finish with an average of more than 1,000 fans per game. The Mavs' mark also would have ranked first in The Summit League in 2011, more than double that of the next closest competitor, IUPUI at 555. UC Santa Barbara led the nation with 4,782 per game, followed by Maryland with 3,781.
Mavs Begin Full Summit League Schedule in 2012
The Omaha men's soccer team will play 16 games, including five at home, as part of its 2012 schedule. The Mavericks will play their first full Summit League schedule this year with seven games against league foes. In all, UNO will have six home dates counting an exhibition, all of which will be played at the UNO Soccer Field at 68th and Spring Streets. In the Mavs' inaugural season last year, UNO hosted just three games. The Mavs open exhibition play at home on Saturday, Aug. 11 against Iowa Western CC at 2:30 p.m. After traveling to Drake for an exhibition match on Aug. 15, the Mavs will cap preseason play with a 4 p.m. match at Creighton on Sunday, Aug. 19 at Morrison Stadium.
UNO begins the regular season on Sunday, Aug. 26 at home against Bellevue at 5 p.m. The Mavs will then play at the Hotels at Grand Prairie Classic in Peoria, Ill. On Friday, Aug. 31, UNO opens against Mercer. On Sept. 2, the Mavs face host Bradley, who reached the 2011 NCAA Tournament Second Round. UNO returns for their second home game against Seattle on Sunday, Sept. 9 at 5 p.m., before heading to the West Coast for games against San Diego State (Sept. 14) and UC Riverside (Sept. 16) at the UC Riverside Tournament.
The Mavs' first-ever Summit League conference game will be at defending Summit League champion and NCAA Tournament qualifier Western Illinois on Sept. 22. The following week, UNO hosts IUPUI on Saturday, Sept. 29 at 1 p.m. On Oct. 2, UNO steps out of the conference slate to visit SIU Edwardsville for the second straight year. The Mavs then host Summit League foe Eastern Illinois on Oct. 6 at 1 p.m. Two days later on Oct. 8, UNO travels to face non-conference opponent Tulsa.
On Oct. 13, UNO is at Summit League member IPFW. Following that, the Mavs head to Milwaukee for a non-conference match on Oct. 16. UNO returns to Summit League action at the site of its first win in program history, UMKC, on Oct. 20. UNO concludes its home schedule with a 12 p.m. game against Oakland on Sunday, Oct. 28. The Mavs close the season on Nov. 3 at Oral Roberts in Tulsa, Okla. UNO is not eligible for the Summit League tournament or postseason play until 2015-16.
Lessons Learned
After a 1-11-1 record in their inaugural season as a program, the Mavericks will use the adversity they faced last year to continue to build the program from the ground up. The Mavs started to click toward the end of the 2011 season with three goals in the final three games after scoring three times through the first 10 games. UNO picked up a 1-1 draw at Missouri Valley foe SIU Edwardsville in late October, its only result of the season after the 2-1 season-opening win at UMKC. The Mavs played 10 of 13 games on the road, including road trips to Florida, California and Tennessee. The Mavs have a slightly more balanced schedule in 2012 with five home games, nine road games and two neutral-site games. UNO will play six teams from its 2011 schedule in 2012, and five of those will be at the same road venue as in 2011.
Live Stats
The UNO men's soccer team begins preseason play with a 2:30 p.m. exhibition match on Saturday against Iowa Western Community College at the UNO Soccer Field. Admission to the match is free. The UNO women's soccer team plays immediately before, hosting South Dakota at Noon. Admission to that exhibition is also free. Live stats for both matches will be available on OMavs.com.
Series History
Although the teams have yet to play an official match against each other, UNO and Iowa Western met during the spring season, with UNO earning a 4-1 win over the Reivers. Logan Mendez scored two goals for the Mavericks, while Devin Diego and Cody Thayer each added one.
Welcome to The Summit League
The 2012 season marks UNO's first with a full Summit League schedule. UNO will play all seven Summit League foes once, starting with a Sept. 22 game at defending Summit League champion Western Illinois. Although the Mavericks will appear in the Summit League standings, UNO cannot qualify for the Summit League Championship or the NCAA Tournament until 2015-16.
Experienced But Young
Eight starters return for the Mavericks, including redshirt freshman Logan Mendez, who started the first three games and missed the rest of the season due to injury. Mendez scored the first goal in school history in a 2-1 win over UMKC and despite missing the final 10 games, still finished third on the team with five shots on goal. Although the number of returning starters is high, the Mavs' nine returning players consist of one redshirt freshman, five sophomores and three juniors.
A Whole New Batch
While nine Mavericks return from last year's inaugural team, 13 fresh faces are new to the program this fall. Five newcomers got a head start and enrolled at UNO for the 2012 spring semester and trained with the Mavs throughout the spring - junior goalkeeper Matt Grosey, junior forward Thomas Torres, sophomore defender Nick Miller, sophomore defender Felipe da Silva and freshman midfielder Devin Diego. The Mavs added two Division I transfers as well. Creighton Prep alum Jake Linden will be a freshman for the Mavs after redshirting one year at Xavier. Houston Hoffman will be a junior after playing two years at Northern Illinois. The rest of the Mavs' incoming class comprises six true freshmen - Emir Alihodzic, Chava Garcia, Giovanni Giattino, Danny Gustafson, Lucas Hake and Jesus Perez.
Next Up for the Mavs
The Mavs play their second of three exhibition matches when they travel to Drake on Aug. 15 for a 7 p.m. game. The final exhibition match is a 4 p.m. game at Creighton on Aug. 19. That match will be played at Morrison Stadium in downtown Omaha.
Last Time Out
The Mavericks last took the pitch on Nov. 5, 2011, when Stetson earned a 2-1 win over the Mavs in DeLand, Fla. The Mavs held the lead in the second half, but a Hatter goal with four minutes left handed the Mavericks a 2-1 defeat in their final game of the 2011 season. UNO finished the season 1-11-1. For the second straight night, the Mavericks went into halftime on even terms. But this time, it was the Mavericks who broke the deadlock just after the hour mark. Forward Craig Buettner put the ball into the net at the 60:41 mark on a rebound off his own shot to give UNO the lead. It was the first career goal for Buettner, who joined the Maverick squad as a walk-on in October after an open tryout. But the Hatters responded quickly with Jonathan Mendoza evening the score at 1-1 at the 62:34 mark. It was the team-leading 11th goal for Mendoza. It looked as if the Mavs might earn a draw with the Atlantic Sun runners-up, but Stetson's Gonzalo De Mujica scored his fifth goal of the season in the 86th minute to give the Hatters the 2-1 lead. The Mavs applied pressure late, though, with Buettner shooting wide in the 87th minute. Then at 87:35, Mo Salama took the final shot of the game for UNO, but it was saved by Dan Billman. UNO outshot Stetson 16-15 overall. The Hatters put seven on frame, while the Mavs had five shots on goal. Josh Christensen made five saves for the Mavericks. Buettner finished with a season-high seven shots. Vance Rookwood had three shots, two of which forced saves from Billman.
Scouting Iowa Western CC
As a junior college, the Reivers' 43-player roster comprises only freshmen and sophomores. Sophomore Marcelo Norton is the top returning goal scorer, having notched 10 last season. Iowa Western went 18-3-1 last season and finished third in the NJCAA rankings after reaching the final eight. Jordan Carver is in his fourth season as the head coach at Iowa Western Community College. Carver has a 49-14-3 all-time record at the school. He is assisted by Caleb Hinson, Brandon Haug, Michael Brown, Ethan Bartels, Eric Hayes and Mark Richwine.
Saves Galore
UNO goalkeeper Josh Christensen was a busy man last year, playing all but one minute in goal for the Mavs. Christensen posted 75 saves for a 5.77 saves per game average, which ranked eighth among all Division I keepers.
Home Sweet Home
The UNO men's soccer team received outstanding fan support in its three home games in its inaugural season, and the result was a 21st ranking nationally in attendance among NCAA Division I men's soccer programs. The Mavs averaged 1,130 fans in two games played at the UNO Soccer Field and one at Werner Park. Although the Mavs do not count toward the official NCAA attendance figures because of their transitional status, they were just one of 27 schools in the nation to finish with an average of more than 1,000 fans per game. The Mavs' mark also would have ranked first in The Summit League in 2011, more than double that of the next closest competitor, IUPUI at 555. UC Santa Barbara led the nation with 4,782 per game, followed by Maryland with 3,781.
Mavs Begin Full Summit League Schedule in 2012
The Omaha men's soccer team will play 16 games, including five at home, as part of its 2012 schedule. The Mavericks will play their first full Summit League schedule this year with seven games against league foes. In all, UNO will have six home dates counting an exhibition, all of which will be played at the UNO Soccer Field at 68th and Spring Streets. In the Mavs' inaugural season last year, UNO hosted just three games. The Mavs open exhibition play at home on Saturday, Aug. 11 against Iowa Western CC at 2:30 p.m. After traveling to Drake for an exhibition match on Aug. 15, the Mavs will cap preseason play with a 4 p.m. match at Creighton on Sunday, Aug. 19 at Morrison Stadium.
UNO begins the regular season on Sunday, Aug. 26 at home against Bellevue at 5 p.m. The Mavs will then play at the Hotels at Grand Prairie Classic in Peoria, Ill. On Friday, Aug. 31, UNO opens against Mercer. On Sept. 2, the Mavs face host Bradley, who reached the 2011 NCAA Tournament Second Round. UNO returns for their second home game against Seattle on Sunday, Sept. 9 at 5 p.m., before heading to the West Coast for games against San Diego State (Sept. 14) and UC Riverside (Sept. 16) at the UC Riverside Tournament.
The Mavs' first-ever Summit League conference game will be at defending Summit League champion and NCAA Tournament qualifier Western Illinois on Sept. 22. The following week, UNO hosts IUPUI on Saturday, Sept. 29 at 1 p.m. On Oct. 2, UNO steps out of the conference slate to visit SIU Edwardsville for the second straight year. The Mavs then host Summit League foe Eastern Illinois on Oct. 6 at 1 p.m. Two days later on Oct. 8, UNO travels to face non-conference opponent Tulsa.
On Oct. 13, UNO is at Summit League member IPFW. Following that, the Mavs head to Milwaukee for a non-conference match on Oct. 16. UNO returns to Summit League action at the site of its first win in program history, UMKC, on Oct. 20. UNO concludes its home schedule with a 12 p.m. game against Oakland on Sunday, Oct. 28. The Mavs close the season on Nov. 3 at Oral Roberts in Tulsa, Okla. UNO is not eligible for the Summit League tournament or postseason play until 2015-16.
Lessons Learned
After a 1-11-1 record in their inaugural season as a program, the Mavericks will use the adversity they faced last year to continue to build the program from the ground up. The Mavs started to click toward the end of the 2011 season with three goals in the final three games after scoring three times through the first 10 games. UNO picked up a 1-1 draw at Missouri Valley foe SIU Edwardsville in late October, its only result of the season after the 2-1 season-opening win at UMKC. The Mavs played 10 of 13 games on the road, including road trips to Florida, California and Tennessee. The Mavs have a slightly more balanced schedule in 2012 with five home games, nine road games and two neutral-site games. UNO will play six teams from its 2011 schedule in 2012, and five of those will be at the same road venue as in 2011.
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/ Men's SoccerTuesday, September 01
Wednesday, August 26
Friday, August 21
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