This Weekend
The Omaha men's soccer team completes its three-game road trip this week, visiting Western Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 22. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at John MacKenzie Alumni Field in Macomb, Ill. Links to live video, audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com.
Maverick Quick Kicks
• Omaha was picked to finish second in the 2016 Summit League Preseason Poll.
• The Mavericks welcome 11 new players into the fold in 2016 including seven freshmen, two transfers and two redshirt players.
• Omaha returns 13 letterwinners, including eight starters from last season.
• The Mavericks are 7-4-3 overall and 3-0 in league play entering this weekend after a 4-0 shutout of Bradley in non-conference action on Tuesday evening.
• Omaha's defense has allowed one goal or less 10 times this season.
• Senior midfielder Fazlo Alihodzic leads the team with 21 points on eight goals and five assists. He is the Summit League leader in goals and points, and is tied for third in assists.
• Junior forward Emmanuel Hamzat has five goals while freshman defender Seth Rinderknecht has two goals and two assists. Freshman forward Elvir Ibisevic has a goal and three assists.
• Rinderknecht and senior midfielder Lalo Gamboa each have started all 14 games.
• Redshirt junior goalkeeper Joseph Ghitis is in the Summit League's top five in saves (46), save percentage (.767), goals-against (14) and goals-against average (1.10).
• Alihodzic, Ghitis and senior defender Jacob Weiler each have earned Summit League Player of the Week honors this season with Alihodzic earning accolades three times, Ghitis twice and Weiler once.
• Jason Mims is in his sixth season as head coach.
Scouting the Leathernecks
Western Illinois enters the weekend with a record of 6-6-1 (2-1 Summit League) after dropping a 2-0 decision at No. 5 Denver on Saturday, Oct. 15.
Jacob Bevan leads the Leathernecks is second in the Summit League with seven goals and third in total 16 points. Fernando Pacheco has 11 points this season on four goals and three assists.
Goalkeeper Tim Hansen leads the conference with a .773 save percentage. Hansen is 6-4 with a 1.02 goals-against average. Teammate Tim Trilk is 0-2-1 with a 2.58 goals-against average and a .579 save percentage.
Head coach Dr. Eric Johnson is in his 20th season at Western Illinois with a 163-185-36 record. The Leathernecks return to action on Tuesday, Oct. 25, visiting Wisconsin at 7 p.m.
Series History
Saturday's meeting marks the fifth all-time meeting between the two programs. Western Illinois leads the series 2-1-1 with the Leathernecks winning 2-1 last year in Omaha.
Last Time Out: Mavericks Earn Third Straight Shutout in 4-0 Win
Emmanuel Hamzat had a pair of goals as the Omaha men's soccer team clinched its third straight shutout and defeated Bradley on the road, 4-0.
Hamzat opened the scoring in the 29th minute, getting around a defender and placing a shot inside the near post for a 1-0 lead.
In the second half, Omaha needed just under four minutes to double its lead. Jake McCain picked up an assist on a perfectly placed pass to Fazlo Alihodzic for a one-time shot to the far post.
Hamzat made it 3-0 with his second goal of the game in the 63rd minute. Alihodzic sent a corner kick into the penalty area that found the head of Seth Rinderknecht. Rinderknecht flicked the ball to Hamzat, who knocked in the shot from eight yards out. Alihodzic and Rinderknecht each were credited with an assist on the play.
The Mavericks added their fourth and final goal thanks to Noor Hamadi in the 79th minute. Denzel Woods played a ball to the feet of Hamadi, splitting a pair of defenders on the edge of the 18-yard box and curling it in from 15 yards to put the score at 4-0.
Joseph Ghitis kept Bradley off the board in the 82nd minute with a one-handed save. Ghitis made six saves and picked up his fifth shutout of the season.
Oh, What a Season
Fazlo Alihodzic is having a career season in 2016 with eight goals and five assists for 21 points. He is on the verge of breaking Vance Rookwood's single-season points and goals totals. In 2014, Rookwood set the team record with 22 points and eight goals
Going for Goal
Emmanuel Hamzat scored twice on Tuesday night against Bradley. Hamzat opened the scoring for Omaha with a great individual effort in the 29th minute. Midway through the second half, he knocked home a shot from eight yards out off a corner kick from Fazlo Alihodzic and a header from Seth Rinderknecht.
Fantastic Freshman
On the year, freshman defender Seth Rinderknecht has tallied six points on two goals and two assists. He has started every game this season and leads the team in minutes played (1,262).
Defensive Dominance
Heading into the Western Illinois match, Omaha has posted a 5-1 record over the past six games. Over that span, the Maverick defense has allowed one goal or less in each game, which includes four shutouts.
Pacing the Pack
In 2016, Fazlo Alihodzic leads the team in points (21), goals (eight) and assists (five). He is second on the team with 30 shots. Defensively, Joseph Ghitis is 6-3-3 this season with five shutouts and a .767 save percentage.
Moulton Named Candidate for 2016 Senior CLASS Award
Omaha senior men's soccer standout Mark Moulton has been named out of 30 national finalists for the 2016 senior CLASS Award.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as a NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
Moulton is the first Omaha men's soccer player to be considered for the award. The Omaha native has maintained a 3.96-grade point average while majoring in business administration.
Moulton has served as a team captain for three-straight seasons for head coach Jason Mims. His community service includes leading the team in an assortment of soccer clinics in the Omaha area and participating in the Mavericks' Team IMPACT program.
On the field, Moulton is a four-year starter, having appeared in 62 matches, making 51 starts. He is the program's all-time leader in assists and tied the record for career points this season.
The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists later in the season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.
The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2016 NCAA Men's College Cup® championships in December.
RPI Power
In the latest edition of the 2016 Men's Soccer RPI, Omaha finds itself slated in the No. 58 position, as announced by the NCAA. The Mavericks have already played Cal (44th), Creighton (17th), UConn (26th), Stanford (11st) and Air Force (52nd). Still on the UNO schedule is a meeting with Denver (19th).
Rewriting the Record Book
Joseph Ghitis has rewritten the Omaha career record book this fall. Coming into the season, he held the career marks for goals-against average (1.03) and save percentage (.757).
After picking up wins against Fort Wayne and Bradley, Ghitis extended his school record mark to 15 victories. Ghitis also owns the program's record for shutouts in a career with 10.
On the Mark Nationally
Fazlo Alihodzic ranks among the top 50 in six categories: game-winning goals (20th), total points (31st), points per game (33rd), total goals (35th) and goals per game (48th).
League Leaders
As a team, the Mavericks are leading the Summit League in attendance and are second in assists (19), corner kicks (74) and shutouts (five).
Fazlo Alihodzic leads the league in points (21) and goals (eight). He is tied for third in assists with five.
Joseph Ghitis is second in the league with 46 saves and is tied for second with a .767 save percentage. He is third in goals allowed (14) and goals-against average (1.10).
Home Sweet Home
Since opening Caniglia Field in 2013, the Mavericks have dominated the opposition, going a combined 20-5-3 and outscoring opponents 59-27. The Mavs have a record of 8-2 in Summit League action (2013-16) at Caniglia Field. Since the inception of the program, UNO has a 26-13-5 home mark and has outscored opponents 80-52.
Young Bulls
So far this season, seven of Omaha's eight freshmen have seen playing time. Seth Rinderknecht has started 14 games this season has six points on two goals and two assists. Rinderknecht leads the team with 1,262 minutes played.
Elvir Ibisevic has a goal and is tied for second on the team with three assists this season while starting 12 of 13 games. Ibisevic has logged 1,006 minutes.
Defender Joel Kazhila made 13 appearances with seven starts, while defender Joey McCain has six appearances and five starts. Midfielder Fred Frimpong has made two starts and appeared in 13 games, and midfielder Ethan Bowman has appeared in six games. Goalkeeper Ugo Tritz has three games and one start under his belt.
Moulton on the Edge of Etching His Name in the Records
Mark Moulton finds himself among the UNO elite when comparing career stats. He currently sits second on the all-time goal-scoring chart with 13, behind Vance Rookwood, the school's all-time leader, who has 19. Moulton tied Rookwood for the all-time lead in career points with 45 points in 63 appearances. Moulton already owns the school career mark of 19 assists and 128 shots.
Mavericks Remain in Regional Poll
The top six in the NSCAA-NCAA West Region Poll remains unchanged this week with Omaha in the sixth spot. The Mavericks earned a 1-0 road win at Fort Wayne last week.
Denver sits atop the regional poll and is ranked fifth nationally. The Pioneers are on a 32-game regular season unbeaten streak.
On the Big Stage
This season Omaha has played in two of the top five attended games in NCAA Division I Men's Soccer. UNO played in front of 5,100 fans at UConn on Aug. 28 and 4,766 people at Creighton on Sept. 5.
Omaha leads the Summit League in total attendance and second in average attendance. This season over 4,306 people have attended games at Caniglia Field, and the Mavericks average 615 fans per game.
Ghitis Tabbed as Defensive Player of the Week
Joseph Ghitis picked up his second league award of the season on Monday; it was the fourth of his career. Ghitis recorded a shutout victory in Omaha's 2-0 win over Eastern Illinois. He had a perfect save percentage and goals against average while collecting four saves. The shutout was the eighth of his career, setting a new school record while the win extended his school record mark to 13.
Three's a Charm
Fazlo Alihodzic became the first Omaha player to earn three Summit League Player of the Week honors in the same season. Alihodzic garnered his third league award on Monday for his game-winning goal against Eastern Illinois last Saturday.
He won league honors earlier this season on Sept. 6 and Oct. 3.
Weiler Earns Player of the Week Honors
Jacob Weiler was named Summit League Defensive Player of the week for his performance, Sept. 19-25. Weiler earned his first career Defensive Player of the Week award and was part of an Omaha backline that registered a 1-0 shutout over a 5-2 Air Force squad to snap its four-match winning streak. He tallied his first career point with an assist on the game-winning goal.
Alihodzic, Ghitis Earn Player of the Week Honors
Fazlo Alihodzic was named Summit League Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week while Maverick teammate and Joseph Ghitis was named league Defensive Player of the Week for their performances Aug. 29 - Sept. 5.
Alihodzic earned his second career Offensive Player of the Week award after totaling six points on two goals and two assists during the week. He factored into all three Omaha scores with a goal and a pair of assists in a 3-0 win over Drake. The senior midfielder also accounted for the Mavericks' lone goal in a 1-1 tie against No. 8 Creighton.
Ghitis earned his second career Defensive Player of the Week award by posting a 0.45 goals-against average and a .875 save percentage while recording a 1-0-1 record during the week. He made two saves for his first shutout of the season in the win over Drake. Ghitis totaled five saves including stopping a penalty kick to secure a 1-1 tie against No. 8 Creighton.
Home-aha
Seniors Jake McCain and Mark Moulton, junior Michael Jaime, sophomores Adam Gottschalk, Noor Hamadi and Quinn Nelson and freshman Joey McCain didn't have to travel a long distance as they made the transition from high school to college. All seven call the Omaha metro area home. Moulton attended Creighton Prep, the McCains attended Papillion-LaVista South, Jaime and Hamadi went to Omaha South, Gottschalk graduated from Skutt Catholic and Nelson came from Westside.
Summit League Preseason Poll
Omaha was picked to finish second in the 2016 Summit League Preseason Poll, and senior midfielder Mark Moulton was named to the Preseason Summit League Watch List, the league office announced in August.
Denver was picked as the favorite to win the league title with 36 points and six first-place votes. The Pioneers enter the 2016 season after sweeping the conference regular and postseason titles.
Oral Roberts was predicted to come in third, with 26 points and the one remaining first-place vote. Western Illinois polled in at fourth place, collecting 21 points. Fort Wayne came in fifth with 14 points, followed by Eastern Illinois (11 points) in sixth and IUPUI (eight points) in seventh.
Tough Road Ahead
Omaha's 2016 schedule includes 17 regular-season matches, and the team will play in five different states. Eight different conferences appear on the 2016 schedule including two teams each from the BIG EAST, Missouri Valley and Pac-12. Five teams that participated in the 2015 College Cup appear on this year's schedule. All five teams - Connecticut, Creighton, Denver, Drake and Stanford - advanced to the second round, highlighted by Creighton in the quarterfinals and Stanford winning the national championship.
UNO plays Air Force, Cal, Connecticut, Creighton, San Francisco and Penn in the regular-season for the first time.
A+ Accolades
Last season, the Mavericks were recognized as one of 205 collegiate men's soccer teams to surpass a 3.0 team grade-point average during 2014-15, ending the academic year with a team GPA of 3.16. UNO has earned four-straight team academic awards.
Senior Mark Moulton was selected to the CoSIDA Men's Soccer Division I Academic All-American Second Team in 2015. Moulton is a business administration major and owns a 3.98 GPA.
Four Omaha soccer players – Felipe da Silva, Logan Mendez, Mark Moulton and Joseph Ghitis – were named to the 2015 Summit League Men's Soccer Academic All-League Team last season.
Getting to Know Coach Mims
Jason Mims was appointed as the first head coach in program history in 2011 and has built a program that has received national recognition across the country.
Last season, UNO finished with a 9-6-3 overall mark and advanced to the Summit League Tournament for the first time. Mims' team achieved the program's first Top 25 ranking after starting the season 6-1-1. He was named the Summit League Coach of the Year following the 2014 season in which the Mavericks tied for the Summit League regular-season title.
Assisting Mims is Tim Walters, who is in his sixth season, and volunteer goalkeeper coach Daniel Galvis, who is in his third year on the Maverick staff.
Summit League Success
Omaha went 3-2-1 in Summit League play in 2015, tying for second in the regular-season league standings. It marked the Mavericks' first time qualifying for the Summit League Tournament.
Welcome the Newcomers
Omaha's roster features 11 new players (six freshmen, two redshirt freshmen, two transfers and a redshirt junior) to the squad this season. The breakdown includes four defenders, three forwards, two midfielders and two goalkeepers as Omaha reloads its roster under head coach Jason Mims.
Featuring a diverse class hailing from four countries and five different states, the Mavericks look to utilize their newcomers to help them return to the Summit League Tournament.
Newcomers (Year, Pos., Hometown)
Ray Barajas (Jr., D, Loyola Marymount/Mexico City, Mexico)
Ethan Bowman (RFr., MF, Drake/Shawnee, Kan.)
Jose Camberos (Fr., GK, Kansas City, Mo.)
Fred Frimpong (Jr., F, Ankeny, Iowa)
Xavier Gomez (Jr., MF, Chicago, Ill.)
Emmanuel Hamzat (Jr., F, West Valley College/Lagos, Nigeria)
Elvir Ibisevic (Fr., F, Urbandale, Iowa)
Joel Kazhila (Fr., D, Johannesburg, South Africa)
Joey McCain (Fr., D, Omaha, Neb.)
Seth Rinderknecht (Fr., D, Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
Ugo Tritz (Fr., GK, Metz, France)
Up Next
Omaha returns to action Saturday, Oct. 29, hosting No. 5 Denver. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Caniglia Field, and links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
