OMAHA, Neb. – The Omaha men's soccer team welcomes Summit League for Oral Roberts to Caniglia Field on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 1 p.m. Following the game, the eight seniors on the roster will be recognized for their contributions to the program.
Earlier in the week, the Mavericks played to a 1-1 double overtime draw with Drake in non-conference action. Links to live stats and live streaming will be available at OMavs.com.
Omaha by the Numbers
4245 – Attendance so far this season through seven home games, tops in the Summit League.
606 – Average home attendance this season.
110 – Minutes played Tuesday night by Joseph Ghitis, Michael Jaime, Zac Marquess, Mark Moulton, and Denzel Woods.
13 – Number of starts for Moulton, the only player on the roster to start every game this year.
37 – Shots against Bradley on Sept. 19, 2015, which is a team record.
22 – Assists for Omaha this season, tops in the Summit League.
21 – Goals this season for Omaha, third in the Summit League.
14 – Points for Mark Moulton on five goals and four assists this season, tops on the team. He ranks second in the Summit League in points.
7 – Number of wins this season for Omaha, the second most in program history.
6 – Goals-against Josh Christensen, second lowest in the league.
0.88 – Goals-against average by Ghitis, which is second in the Summit League.
About Omaha
The Mavericks are coming off of a tough 1-1 draw against Drake on Tuesday evening in Des Moines. UNO scored in the games fifth minute, but conceded a late goal. The game was a physical matchup with five yellow cards and 24 fouls.
Omaha is in fifth place in the Summit League with four points and a 1-2-1 conference mark. Right now, UNO is on the outside looking in for a spot in the Summit League tournament. They are only three points (one win) out of second place. Omaha has two league games remaining and may need to win both to secure a spot in the tournament.
Logan Mendez and Mark Moulton lead the team in assists (4), goals (5) and points (14) this season. Lalo Gamboa is tied with Mendez and Moulton with four assists.
Josh Christensen and Joseph Ghitis each have spent time in goal for Omaha this season. Christensen, a redshirt senior, has five starts and a 3-1 overall record. He owns a 1.24 goals-against average and a .800 save percentage. Ghitis, a redshirt sophomore, is 4-3-2 overall with a 0.88 goals-against average and a.784 save percentage.
The Mavericks look to defend their share of the regular season Summit League title won last year. This season, UNO is eligible for Summit League and NCAA postseason competitions after completing the transition to NCAA Division I.
Glancing at the Golden Eagles
Oral Roberts Notes:
- Oral Roberts is 4-5-2 overall and hold a 2-1 Summit League record. ORU is tied with Western Illinois for second place in the league standings with six points.
- The Golden Eagles have conference matches with Omaha, Fort Wayne, and IUPUI remaining.
- Matthew Rogers leads the team with 11 points on five goals and an assist.
- Alexis Derennes is the only other player with more than goal. Derennes has found the back of the net three times this season.
- Hunter Harrison and Ben LaCourse have split time in goal this season.
- Last season, ORU was one of four teams what shared the Summit League regular season title. It was their first championship since 2004.
- The Golden Eagles are led by Ryan Bush. After five years leading the ORU women's soccer team, Bush took over the men's program prior to the 2013 season.
Players to watch:
Matthew Rogers earned Summit League Offensive Player of the Week honors earlier this month. Last season, he earned Summit League All-Academic honors.
- Has started 10 of 11 games, scoring five goals with an assist.
Series History against Oral Roberts
This is the fifth all-time meeting between the two programs. ORU leads the all-time series 1-2-1. Last season, the two sides played to a 0-0 (2 OT) draw in Tulsa.
End of an Era
Following the match on Saturday, UNO Athletics and the men's soccer program will honor eight seniors for their contributions to the program. The eight student-athletes being recognized are: Emir Alihodzic, Josh Christensen, Kevin Correa, Andres Irvin, Logan Mendez, Jesus Perez, Felipe da Silva, and Parker Victor.
Christensen and Mendez were part of the first UNO men's soccer team in 2011. Mendez played three games in 2011 and scored the first goal in program history, but was forced to take a redshirt following injury. Christensen took a redshirt season in 2013.
Up Next
The Mavericks host their final home game of the 2015 season on Wednesday, Oct. 28 against Missouri State. Kickoff from Caniglia Field is set for 7 p.m.
