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FCC bests Nashville SC in overtime for first playoff win

Drowning in a tidal wave of blue, No. 1 FC Cincinnati (FCC) shot its way past No. 8 Nashville SC on a sixth penalty kick for an opening victory in the United Soccer League (USL) playoffs at Nippert Stadium.

History seemed to repeat itself for a fourth time during Saturday’s quarterfinal game, leaving the teams tied 0-0 at 90 minutes and 1-1 at 120 minutes. FCC played for the second week in a row after tying three times earlier in the season, and it was no surprise that the two teams needed penalty kicks to decide a winner.

“[Nashville] changed the way they played a little bit, and we changed the way we played a little bit, too,” said head coach Alan Koch. “I think every time you play teams, it is a bit of a chess match.”

Despite a low attendance of 20,217 (roughly 5,000 fewer than the season average), spirits never quelled as the teams battled back and forth. With every corner kick, fans began to hoot and holler.

FCC kept possession for 67.3 percent of the match and took 22 shots on goal. Nashville was held to 16.

“We’re a team,” Koch said. “People speak about original players. People speak about potential MVPs and individual awards, and all that kind of jazz. But it doesn’t mean a single thing. We’re a team. We win as a team.”

Each team made the first five penalty kicks effortlessly. Tides turned when Justin Davis, Nashville’s sixth kicker, overshot the net in his attempt.

FCC goalkeeper Spencer Richey stopped his team from rushing the field in celebration before the final shot, which was taken by midfielder Kenney Walker.

Walker hadn’t taken a penalty kick since the U.S. Open Cup in June, which he missed against Minnesota United FC. But Saturday was a different story.

“There’s a little added pressure,” Walker said. “At the same time, you just have to go out there and score. Either pick your spot and put it there and he saves it, or you beat him there. That’s as simple as I can put it.”

Takeaways:

The Orange and Blue came close succumbing to the dreaded Cincinnati curse of being knocked out in the first playoff game.

Both teams are formidable opponents to one another. Looking at game stats alone, it’s a wonder how FCC didn’t defeat Nashville in regulation. Their combination plays were spot-on, with 79.3 percent accuracy on passing both with crossing the ball and tight plays.

Many plays led FCC the corners, causing most of the team’s shots to miss the target.

Predictable plays weren’t the only thing to hinder FCC’s play, as wind was also a major factor. Napkins and confetti snowed, stopped balls rolled and kicks never seemed to go where they were intended. Nonetheless, both teams pushed through.

FCC stayed on Nashville’s side of the field for much of the first half. Midfielder Corben Bone scored in the first five minutes of overtime, growing the fans’ momentum.

But Nashville came back in the 113th minute. While it led to penalty kicks, it also led to FCC’s win.

FCC will host No. 5 seed New York Red Bulls II in Saturday’s USL Eastern Conference Semifinal at Nippert Stadium.

http://www.newsrecord.org/sports/fcc-bests-nashville-sc-in-overtime-for-first-playoff-win/article_5e69f3bc-d6c6-11e8-bd26-d3171f751640.html

 

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Bearcats sweep the Tigers

The University of Cincinnati Bearcats baseball team took down the Memphis Tigers for the third consecutive game, closing out the series 8-7.

When the Bearcats matched up against the Tigers for the seventh and final time in the 2017, they were defeated 15-14 in a ten-inning game during American Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament play.

The last time the Bearcats won a three-game series sweep was against Northwestern in March 2016. However, nearly seven years have passed since the Bearcats swept a team in conference play.

“Obviously, it feels really good,” head coach Scott Googins said. “It puts ourselves in a good position for our conference. That’s ultimately what we want to do. It’s tough to sweep teams, so it felt really good. We made a lot of mistakes and, fortunately, we were able to overcome some of them.”

For the first four innings, the Bearcats shut out the Tigers with a 6-0 lead. In the top of the fifth, there were a few mistakes — such as a foot being inches shy of the base or dropping easy fly balls — that awarded the Bearcats three errors and the Tigers three runs, giving them hope for a possible comeback.

Senior catcher Joey Thomas ran to the mound to settle down junior left-handed pitcher Cam Alldred when the bases were loaded.

“Cam [Alldred] is a guy where, if he starts to get hit around or [the game] starts to get tough, he blames himself,” Thomas said. “We made three errors in just that inning, and he was making good pitches. We just weren’t playing good defense behind him. So, if he throws the ball into play or the ball moves enough, and he can hit spots, then he’s going to get people out.”

The Bearcats managed to score twice more — once on a home run by sophomore first baseman Eric Santiago in the sixth. The Bearcats did it again in the eighth as the Tigers fought to catch up, with a bases-loaded walk from senior second basemen Kyle Mottice.

By the end, Thomas helped bring in five of the eight runs while recording his second collegiate big fly.

“It feels awesome,” Thomas said. “Second career — that’s my second this year, too. Trusting the swing and seeing the ball well and putting a good swing on it.”

The Bearcats are now second in the AAC with an overall record of 15-14 and conference record of 6-3.

Next up is a rematch with the Wright State University Raiders in the Joe Nuxhall Classic in Oxford, Ohio, at 3 p.m. Tuesday.

http://www.newsrecord.org/sports/bearcats-sweep-the-tigers/article_e53e9a88-3cbf-11e8-9ce3-1f0f569d0de8.html

 

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Women’s basketball preps for AAC tournament

After an excruciating fourth quarter, the University of Cincinnati Bearcats women’s basketball team took down the University of Houston Cougars, sliding them into fourth place going into the American Athletic Conference tournament.

The Bearcats will depart for Storrs, Connecticut, this Friday and will have a bye in the first round, sending them to the quarterfinals where they will play the winner of game four.

Game four features the No. 12 seed Tulsa (9-20, 3-13) competing against No. 5 five seed Houston (20-10, 9-7).

Should probabilities play out, they will play their most recent opponent again — a Cougars squad whom the Bearcats have defeated twice this season.

“We stay humble, we stay hungry,” head coach Jamelle Elliott said. “We need to keep relying on our defense wanting to guard guys because that fuels our offense. If we get unemotional on the offensive end and give everything we got on the defensive end, we’ll give ourselves a chance to win.”

After beating Houston for the second time on senior night, Elliott is not the only one who is excited in this team’s abilities going into the tournament.

“[This is] a confidence booster,” senior guard Ana Owens said. “Going into conference play, knowing that you got that bye, it feels good.”

With the bye, Elliott rewarded the women a much-needed two days off before hitting the court again in preparation for their next contest.

Despite under a week remaining before the Bearcats tipoff again in a tournament that will decide if they make the Big Dance, nerves have yet to set in.

“No reason to be nervous,” Owens said. “This game is fun. We just go out there and play free. You may get butterflies in your stomach, but once you get out on the court, it’s just different. It’s a stress reliever. You go out there and you play. Nothing else matters.”

Senior forward Shanice Johnson agreed wholeheartedly with her teammate.

“We don’t have anything else to lose,” she said. “Whoever we come up against, we make sure we give our best effort before we head on out of here after our last couple of games.”

The Bearcats are prepared to take the stress of the tournament and leave it on the court by tackling one game at a time.

“We grind it out every day,” Elliott said. “We missed the chance of going into postseason play [last year], and this year we don’t want any questions. We want to make sure that the committee doesn’t ask any questions. We want our play, our record and everything to speak for itself. We want to be a part of this selection committee, but first … we have to win a game. And win a game and win a game. Go 1-0 for as long as we can to extend Shanice’s and Ana’s careers as long as possible.”

The first round of the AAC tournament will begin Friday. The Bearcats will tipoff in the quarterfinals at 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

http://www.newsrecord.org/sports/women-s-basketball-preps-for-aac-tournament/article_6be1970a-1c88-11e8-a23b-2b616732d189.html