Omaha Athletics

OMAHA, Neb. - The Omaha men's soccer team concludes a four-game home stand to begin the season this week when its hosts Cincinnati on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Belmont on Sunday at 2 p.m. Live webcasts for both matches will be available for purchase at OMavs.com. Free live stats are available as well.

The Teams
The Mavericks are 0-2-0 on the new season after a pair of overtime losses last week to Santa Clara and then No. 20 Stanford.  Four players are tied for the scoring lead with two points each:  Vance Rookwood, Nick Miller and Logan Mendez each scored a goal last week while Mark Moulton had two assists.  Rookwood is back after scoring four goals in his junior season. The Kingston, Jamaica native is UNO's career record holder in points (25), goals (11), game-winning goals (4) and shots on goal (25).

Cincinnati (0-0-2) opened its season last weekend with matching 1-1 ties vs. Northern Kentucky and Wright State. The Bearcats got goals last week from John Manga and Ashani Walker.  Last year, Cincinnati was 6-12-1 overall, but the Bearcats return 10 starters this season. Walker leads the returners after posting five goals and two assists for a team-high 12 points in 2013.

Belmont, which will play a match at Evansville on Friday before coming to Omaha, is 0-2-0 this season. The Bruins opened with a 1-0 double overtime loss at South Carolina on Aug. 29.  They followed with a 2-0 loss at Kentucky two days later. Belmont went 6-10-2 overall last season and has eight starters back including sophomore goalkeeper Grayson Rector who started all 18 matches as a freshman.

Last Time Out
The Mavericks lost two overtime games last weekend at home to open the season.  On Friday, Vance Rookwood and Nick Miller scored goals 1:35 apart off assists from Mark Moulton to put the Mavs up in the first half.  But Santa Clara got a goal in the last minute of each half, tying the game with 51 seconds to go.  The Broncos then got the game winner on a penalty kick from Edson Cardona in the waning minutes of the second overtime.  Joseph Ghitis took the loss in goal for Omaha.

On Sunday, No. 20 Stanford took the first lead of the game at the 41st minute, but Logan Mendez tied the game for the Mavs in the second half when he converted a pass from Jake McCain in the 63rd minute.  But 4:50 into the overtime, Eric Verso converted a deflection for the game winner for the Cardinal.  Josh Christensen suffered the loss in goal with six saves as the Mavericks were outshot 9-2 in shots on goal.

Up Next
Following this weekend's action, the Mavericks will be on the road for three straight games.  They'll visit Kansas City for a game on Saturday, Sept. 13 and then head out west for games at Cal State Northridge (Sept. 19) and Cal State Fullerton (Sept. 21).