The Omaha men's soccer team will play the first soccer game on the newly redesigned Caniglia Field on Saturday at 4 p.m. against Oral Roberts. The Mavericks, who have been playing their home games this season at the off-campus UNO Soccer Field, will officially move into their new home for the first time this Saturday, and the wait will have been worth it. The brand new soccer-specific turf features a lower grain that allows the ball to move faster and an infill of ground coconut husks and cork to keep the on-field temperature lower. Because of Internet access at the new home site, the UNO soccer teams will now be streaming live video for all home contests. The video stream can be purchased for a small fee at OMavs.com.
Maverick Soccer Gameday: What You Need to Know
Tickets to Saturday's game are $7 for adults and $5 for children and UNO students get in free. Fans can also purchase a special ticket package online at OmahasTeam.com to get a ticket to the final three UNO men's soccer games for just $15 total. Ticket booths will be located at both the northwest and southwest entrances to the field. Ticket booths and concession stands will open one hour before kickoff. Fans can park for free in the parking garage east of the field. While the entire renovation of the stadium is not yet complete, fans will notice new sod has been laid on the east and north sides of the field and will eventually serve as berm seating next year. The UNO marching band will perform on the field at halftime, followed by human hamster ball races presented by Maverick Productions. A student tailgate will take place in the Pep Bowl just north of the stadium before kickoff. A shuttle service will transport UNO students to the CenturyLink Center for Saturday night's hockey game as well.
The Teams
Omaha (3-8-1, 1-2-0 Summit League) is coming off a 1-0 loss at league-leading Denver last Saturday. UNO is in fifth place in the league standings with three conference games to play. Chava Garcia and Vance Rookwood lead the Mavs with six points. Garcia has one goal and four assists, while Rookwood has a team-best three goals. Omaha is tied for second in The Summit League with three goals allowed in conference play. Senior goalie Matt Grosey ranks third with a 0.99 goals against average in league play.
Oral Roberts (4-6-3, 2-1-0 Summit League) is 4-2-3 in its last nine games after starting the season 0-4. The Golden Eagles lost their last league contest, 2-1 in double overtime, at Eastern Illinois last Sunday. The Golden Eagles are led by Edgardo Mira's three goals and seven points. Alex White has two goals, and Marco Hernandez has two assists. Isaac Sandoval has started the last four matches in net and has a 0.39 goals against average and .900 save percentage.
Series History
Oral Roberts is one of the few teams that the Mavericks have a multi-game history with. The teams have met each of the past two seasons and have split the all-time series, 1-1. Last year, UNO defeated Oral Roberts 2-0 in the season finale in Tulsa, Okla.
Mavs Honor Joe Marinkovich's Cancer-Stricken Father, Introduce Scholarship
Before Saturday's game, the Mavericks will recognize junior midfielder Joe Marinkovich's father, John, who is battling cancer that has taken a turn for the worse recently. The Maverick players will wear T-shirts during warmups to show their support for the Marinkovich family, and T-shirts will be on sale to the public at the game to support John and raise funds for a newly created scholarship in his honor, the John Marinkovich Maverick Soccer Scholarship.
Up Next
Omaha hits the road for the final time this season when it travels to face Eastern Illinois next Sunday, Nov. 3.
