Omaha
Nebraska (Club) - South Omaha Classic (Exh.)
Mavs Host UNL Club & Alumni in South Omaha Classic
Aug 15, 2014 | Men's Soccer
The Omaha men's soccer team kicks off the 2014 season on Saturday with the second annual South Omaha Classic. The Mavericks will host the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Club and Alumni team at Omaha South's Collin Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 youth, while UNO students get in free with their MavCard. Maverick fans who purchased a season-ticket scarf will gain entrance by wearing it to the game. For those who haven't purchased a scarf and would like to, they will be on sale outside the stadium before the game for just $30 each. A scarf is your ticket to every home men's and women's soccer game this season.
The South Omaha Classic Returns
The Mavericks played the first South Omaha Classic at Collin Stadium last year, suffering a 1-0 defeat to Penn State in front of a school-record 2,581 fans. This season, the Mavericks have two players on the squad from Omaha South High School: Michael Jaime and Noor Hamadi, both incoming freshmen. Jaime and Hamadi were part of the undefeated 2013 Omaha South state championship team.
The Teams
Christian Garcia is the Mavs' top returning scorer with four goals and two assists in his freshman season, earning him Summit League Newcomer of the Year. On Thursday, Garcia was named the College Sports Madness Summit League Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Center back Felipe da Silva was an All-Summit League first-team selection, the first in UNO men's soccer history, and will lead the Maverick back line. Mark Moulton was an All-Newcomer selection with two goals and two assists last season. Senior Vance Rookwood is back after scoring four goals in his junior season. The Kingston, Jamaica native is UNO's career record holder in points (23), goals (10), game-winning goals (4) and shots on goal (24).
Although playing under the title of UNL Club and Alumni, many of the players featuring in Saturday's contest played college soccer elsewhere. Jordan Green (Lincoln Southeast) was a first-team NAIA All-American as a senior in 2012 at Hastings, finishing third in NAIA in goals with 28; Aaron Polak (Lincoln Pius X) was an NAIA All-American at Hastings in 2005 and 2006; Kyle Nowka (Lincoln East) spent one season at Creighton after a standout prep career; Jake Linden (Creighton Prep) started his collegiate career at Xavier before playing 14 games with UNO in 2012.
Up Next
The Mavericks face their biggest challenge of the season when they visit Los Angeles for an exhibition match at No. 4 UCLA on Tuesday at 6 p.m. (CT). The Bruins were the No. 1 overall seed in the 2013 NCAA Tournament and have the nation's top-ranked recruiting class according to College Soccer News.
Change in Net
The Mavericks will have a different, but not necessarily new face in goal in 2014. After redshirting last season, junior goalie Josh Christensen is in line to guard the net again for the Mavericks. Christensen played all but one minute of the Mavs' inaugural 2011 season, posting 75 saves. He made one start as a sophomore in 2012 as transfer Matt Grosey took over the starting role in 2012 and 2013. The 6-3 Omaha native is one of three goalies on the roster, joining redshirt freshman Joseph Ghitis and freshman Quinn Nelson. As opposed to the 2011 season, whoever is in net for the Mavs will have an experienced back line in front of him. Felipe da Silva, Nick Miller and Jake McCain combined for 42 starts on the back line last season.
Steady Climb
The Mavericks have showed improvement on the field each season of their existence and the numbers don't lie. In 2013, the Mavs dropped their goals against average to 1.31 after allowing 1.75 per game in 2012. In three seasons, UNO has increased its record from 1-11-1 (2011) to 5-10-1 (2012) to 6-9-1 (2013). More impressively, the schedule has increased in difficulty each season and 2014 will be no exception with the Mavs scheduled to play two preseason top 25 teams (Stanford and Cal State Northridge) and one receiving votes (Denver) in the regular season.
Three Returners Lead Mavs After Garnering League Honors in 2013
Three returning Mavericks were honored in last season's Summit League postseason awards. Center back Felipe da Silva was named to the All-Summit League First Team, becoming the first Maverick men's soccer player to achieve all-conference first-team honors. Forward Christian Garcia was named Newcomer of the Year and an All-Summit League second-team selection after scoring four goals and two assists. Garcia and fellow classmate Mark Moulton were named to the All-Newcomer Team as well. Moulton, a Creighton Prep product, had two goals and two assists for six points in his first season at UNO.
First Four-Year Players In Program History
The 2014 season will see three Mavericks become the first four-year class to complete their eligibility. Joe Marinkovich, Vance Rookwood and Jordan Gealy were all freshmen on the inaugural 2011 squad and will be the first senior class to have played all four years at UNO. Josh Christensen and Logan Mendez are also in their fourth years in the program, but both redshirted a season and are juniors. Nick Miller and Felipe da Silva are also seniors after transfering into the program, bringing the Mavs' senior class to five, most in program history.
Last Season of Transition
The 2014 season marks the final one that the Mavs will be unable to compete in the Summit League Championship and NCAA Tournament. As part of its transition to Division I, the Mavs had to sit out postseason play from 2011-12 to 2014-15. The top four teams in the league standings qualify for the Summit League Championship. The Mavs would have qualified as the third seed in 2013 with a 3-3 league record.
Grab Your Season-Ticket Scarves
The UNO men's and women's soccer teams are doing a joint season-long promotion for 2014 where if you buy an official “Omaha Soccer” scarf for $30, you get into every home game as long as you have your scarf with you. Scarves are on sale at the Sapp Fieldhouse ticket office and at each home game. For just $30, you can see $82 worth of Maverick men's and women's soccer games this fall.
Mavs Welcome Five Newcomers
Omaha high school standouts Michael Jaime, Quinn Nelson and Noor Hamadi join Iowa Western transfer Andres Irvin and Gonzaga transfer Parker Victor as the Mavs' five new players this season. Jaime was the 2014 Gatorade Nebraska Boys Soccer Player of the Year and a two-time Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska captain and Lincoln Journal Star Super State captain. His teammate, Hamadi - a native of Degahaley, Kenya - scored 18 goals over his final two seasons at Omaha South. Nelson was a standout goalie at Westside, helping the Warriors to two state runner-up appearances in his four-year career. He posted eight shutouts in his senior season and was an Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska selection and Lincoln Journal Star Super State selection. Irvin, a Salt Lake City, Utah native, was a versatile player for the 2013 NJCAA National Champion Iowa Western Reivers. Irvin helped IWCC to a perfect 25-0 record by posting seven goals and three assists, playing as a forward, central midfielder and wide midfielder. Finally, Victor brings valuable Division I experience, having started 15 games in two seasons at Gonzaga after playing with Shattuck-St. Mary's in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
FIFA Awards UNO Soccer Pitch Prestigious Rating
The new University of Nebraska Omaha soccer pitch at Caniglia Field, installed by Hellas Construction, has received the prestigious FIFA Recommended 2-Star certification, the highest synthetic turf rating from FIFA, the international governing body of soccer. The Maverick soccer programs are now the only NCAA Division I teams that can call a FIFA 2-Star field their home, distinguishing Caniglia Field as the elite synthetic turf in Division I soccer. Only four synthetic turf fields in the U.S. currently hold the FIFA Recommended 2-Star certification, which lasts for one year but is eligible for a new test each year. Joining Al F. Caniglia Field among that elite group are CenturyLink Field (Seattle Sounders), Gillette Stadium (New England Revolution) and North Shore United soccer club in Cedarburg, Wis. The rating was issued after a series of tests performed by a FIFA approved testing agent to examine the quality, comfort, safety and performance of the playing surface. Caniglia Field features an infill that enhances stability, reduces the field temperature and creates more natural playing characteristics to help decrease the risk of injuries.
