The Omaha men's soccer team steps out of conference play on Monday, October 20 to play Bradley University at 7:00 p.m. in Peoria, Ill.
The Teams
Omaha (4-4-2, 1-1-1 Summit League) lost their conference road opener to Summit League leaders Western Illinois 1-0. Omaha outshot the WIU by a 13-11 margin, but was unable to score. The game featured 37 fouls and two yellow cards.
Bradley University (5-7 overall, 0-3 Missouri Valley) is coming off a 3-0 win over Summit League member Eastern Illinois. The Braves scored two first half goals and held a 5-2 lead in shots on goal.
Scouting the Mavericks
Omaha currently is sitting in fourth place in the Summit League Standings with a 1-1-1 conference mark. The Mavericks are 1-1-1 in their last three games. They are 3-2 at Caniglia Field in Omaha, 1-2-1 on the road, and 0-0-1 on neutral sites. Overall, UNO is 4-4-2 and has posted a 1-1-1 conference record.
Vance Rookwood leads the team in goals and points. Rookwood has five goals for ten points on the season. Mark Moulton is second on the team in points (7) and leads UNO in assists (5). Logan Mendez has a goal and three assists on the season. Nick Miller has added two goals from his central defender position. Emir Alihodzic and Jake McCain each have two assists.
Josh Christensen and Joseph Ghitis split time in goal this season for Omaha. Christensen has started four games and has a 2-1-1 record. Christensen has a .824 save percentage with 14 saves. He has allowed three goals and has a 0.70 goals against average. Ghitis has started six games this year and owns a 2-3-1 record. Ghitis has made 15 saves and has a .652 save percentage. He has allowed seven goals and has a 1.25 goals against average. Each goal keeper has two shut-outs on the season.
The Mavericks boast five individual players who have earned all-league awards this season. Mark Moulton was named Summit League Player-of-the-Week earlier this season. Josh Christensen, Felipe da Silva, Joseph Ghitis, and Nick Miller each have been named conference Defensive-Players-of-the-Week
As a team, Omaha has outscored their opponents by a 12-11 margin. They also have a 46-45 advantage in corner kicks. The Mavericks have posted four shut-outs on the season.
Scouting the Braves
Bradley University is 5-7 overall and 0-3 in Missouri Valley Conference play. The Braves are 2-1 in their last three games with both wins coming over Summit League opponents. BU will play Central Arkansas on Saturday, October 18 in Missouri Valley Conference action.
Cody Lofgren leads Bradley with six goals and four assists for 16 points. Christian Okeke leads the team with six assists and has two goals for ten points. Grant Bell, Jason Lesch, Andrew Brown, and Jacob Taylor all have three goals on the season for the Braves.
Logan Ketterer and Shay Niemeyer have split time in net this season. Ketterer has a 3-4-0 record with one shut-out. He owns a .750 save percentage and a 1.22 goals against average. Niemeyer is 2-3-0 on the season with a 2.87 goals against average.
Series History
This is the second all-time meeting between the two programs. Bradley defeated Omaha 3-2 in Peoria on September 2, 2013. Omaha held a 2-1 halftime lead before conceding two second half goals. Nick Miller and Chava Garcia scored for the Mavs who were outshot 28-13 on the day.
Up Next
Omaha returns to Caniglia Field for a pair of crucial Summit League matches. On Saturday, October 25, Omaha hosts defending Summit League champions Denver at 7:00 p.m. Three days later, the Mavs host Drake University at 7:00 p.m.
