This Weekend
The Omaha men's soccer team hits the road to close the regular season this weekend, visiting Oral Roberts on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. Links to live stats and video will be available on OMavs.com.
Maverick Quick Kicks
• The Mavericks (8-4-4, 4-0-1 Summit League) enter Saturday's matchup on a five-match unbeaten streak.
• Omaha is one of two teams to have clinched a spot in the Summit League Championship, set for Nov. 10-12 in Denver, Colo.
• Senior midfielder Mark Moulton's 45 career points have him tied with Vance Rookwood (2011-14) for UNO's all-time points record.
• Senior midfielder Fazlo Alihodzic's 22 points this season are tied with Rookwood for the most in a single season.
• Junior forward Emmanuel Hamzat is second on the team with 13 points on six goals and an assist.
• Omaha was picked to finish second in the 2016 Summit League Preseason Poll.
• The Mavericks welcomed 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.
• Omaha's defense has allowed one goal or less 12 times this season.
• Freshman defender Seth Rinderknecht has two goals and two assists. Freshman forward Elvir Ibisevic has two goals and three assists.
• Rinderknecht and senior midfielder Lalo Gamboa each have started all 16 games.
• Redshirt junior goalkeeper Joseph Ghitis leads the Summit League with a .779 save percentage and is in the top five in saves (53), goals-against (15) and goals-against average (1.01).
• Alihodzic, Ghitis, Hamzat and redshirt junior defender Jacob Weiler each have earned Summit League Player of the Week honors this season with Alihodzic and Ghitis winning three awards and Hamzat and Weiler garnering the award once.
• Jason Mims is in his sixth season as head coach.
Scouting the Golden Eagles
Oral Roberts enters the weekend with a record of 6-9-2 (2-3 Summit League) after dropping a 2-1 (2OT) match to Missouri State and a 1-0 decision to Buffalo last week. Head coach Ryan Bush is in his fourth season leading Oral Roberts with a record of 27-32-12.
Santiago Riveros leads the conference with eight assists and is second in total points with 20. Goalkeeper Thibaut Giquel has allowed only 13 goals this season, second lowest in the conference.
Series History
Saturday's match marks the seventh all-time meeting between the Omaha and Oral Roberts. ORU leads the series 3-2-1 with the Golden Eagles upsetting the No. 2 seed Mavericks 2-1 (2OT) in the Summit League Tournament last season.
Last Time Out: Omaha, No. 3/4 Denver Play to 0-0 Draw on Senior Day
The Omaha men's soccer team and No. 3/4 Denver tied 0-0 in front of 1,025 fans at Caniglia Field last Saturday.
In a matchup that was short on scoring chances over the first 45 minutes, Omaha's Joel Kazhila nearly broke through for a goal with a great run up the right side in the 45th minute. Kazhila cut in on his defender, but his shot was saved by Denver goalkeeper James Bannon-Schneebeck.
Elvir Ibisevic tested the Pioneer defense a minute into the second half, but his header was denied by Bannon-Schneebeck. Lalo Gamboa had a chance to put Omaha on the board in the 53rd minute when he blasted a shot towards goal, but the goalkeeper was there for the save.
In the first overtime period, Denver's Andre Shinyashiki was able to turn and get off a shot from 10 yards out, but Joseph Ghitis was able to smother the shot.
Mark Moulton looked to have the game-winner in the 103rd minute, but his header floated just over the crossbar.
The Mavericks outshot the Pioneers, 14-9, and had a 4-3 edge in shots on goal. Ibisevic and Moulton led the Maverick offense with four shots apiece. Ibisevic had a team-high two shots on goal. Gamboa had three shots, one of which was on goal. Kazhila, Fazlo Alihodzic and Denzel Woods also registered shots.
Joseph Ghitis made three saves for Omaha and posted his sixth shutout of the season. Bannon-Schneebeck finished with four saves for the Pioneers.
Streaking Mavericks
Omaha is currently on a five-match unbeaten streak and has allowed only one goal in that stretch. During the streak, the Mavericks have won three straight on the road.
Tournament Ready
Omaha has already clinched a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the Summit League Championship to be held in Denver next week. With a win on Saturday, the Mavericks will claim a share of the regular-season title and its second in three seasons. Denver has completed its conference schedule and is assured of at least a share of the regular-season title.
Summit League Scenarios
Omaha still has much to play for as several seeding positions in next week's Summit League Championship are still yet to be determined. Denver, which has completed its conference schedule, holds a three-point edge over Omaha for first place. A Maverick win over Oral Roberts on Saturday would clinch UNO a share of the regular-season title.
The Mavericks have a chance to earn the top seed in the conference tournament and host next year's tournament with a win. The tie-breaking scenario to determine the seeding is as follows:
1. Head to head results between tied teams (UNO and DU drew on Oct. 29 in Omaha).
2. Goal differential from all six conference games using goals scored minus goals scored against. GS-GA=Goal Differential. (Denver has +7 conference goal differential, while Omaha has a +6 conference goal differential.)
Scoring in the Summit
The Maverick offense has been solid this season, especially in Summit League play. In its five league contests, UNO averaged 1.6 goals per game. Omaha has been an unselfish team, featuring six players boasting a goal or an assist. Fazlo Alihodzic leads the team with his nine points on three goals and three assists during conference action. Additionally, Emmanuel Hamzat has five points on two goals and an assist.
Defensive Dominance
The Omaha defense has allowed 16 goals in 2016, second-fewest in the conference this season. The Mavericks have held their opponents to an average of just 11.6 shots per game, but UNO foes have managed to put only 39.5 percent of those tries on frame. The Omaha defense has allowed one opponent goal or fewer in 12 games this season.
Oh, What a Season
Fazlo Alihodzic is having a career season with eight goals and six assists for 22 points. He tied Vance Rookwood's single-season points and goals totals. Alihodzic is the only player to win three Summit League Offensive Player of the Week honors this season.
Hamzat Warning
Emmanuel Hamzat is making the most of his first season with Omaha. The junior transfer is second on the team with 13 points on six goals and an assist. He picked up Summit League Offensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 24 after scoring three goals and adding an assist for seven total points the previous week.
Fantastic Freshmen
On the year, 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 (1,455).
First-year forward Elvir Ibisevic is third on the team with seven points on two goals and three assists. Ibisevic's second goal of the season came in the 36th minute against Western Illinois and proved to be the game-winner.
So Long Seniors
Last Saturday's match marked the final regular-season home game for Maverick seniors Fazlo Alihodzic, Lalo Gamboa, Jake McCain and Mark Moulton. The foursome has been part of 22 UNO victories and has helped the team to its first top-25 national ranking, a Summit League regular-season championship and its first conference tournament berth. Combined, they accumulated 215 games and have played over 15,000 minutes. The senior class has also combined for 24 goals and 40 assists.
Spreading the Wealth
The Omaha offense has shown to be a tough assignment for opposing defenses this year after a host of Mavericks have made their presence known on the stat sheet. Thirteen different Mavericks have had their hand in at least one of the team's goals thus far in 2016, either scoring a goal or assisting. A total of nine players have managed to tally five or more shots, and while Fazlo Alihodzic and Emmanuel Hamzat have notched nearly 40 percent of the team's total shots (71), five of their teammates have added double-digit attempts to the team's total of 183.
This trend is an improvement from last year's squad which was also an unselfish bunch, as eight different players managed to post double-figure shots and 12 Mavericks tallied at least one goal or assist in 2015.
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. 64 position, as announced by the NCAA. The Mavericks have already played Cal (55th), Creighton (36th), UConn (41st), Stanford (5th) and Denver (16th).
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 (0.99) and save percentage (.764). Ghitis extended his school record to 16 victories and 11 shutouts.
On the Mark Nationally
As a team, Omaha ranks nationally in seven categories: save percentage (50th), scoring offense (78th), shutout percentage (50th), team goals-against average (49th) and total assists (77th).
Fazlo Alihodzic ranks among the top 50 in six categories: assists per game (48th), game-winning goals (28th), points per game (25th), total assists (31st), total goals (38th) and total points (21st).
League Leaders
As a team, the Mavericks are leading the Summit League in attendance and are second in corner kicks (87) and shutouts (six).
Fazlo Alihodzic leads the league in points (22) and goals (eight) and is third in assists with six. Joseph Ghitis leads the league with a .779 save percentage and is second with six shutouts, seven wins, 53 saves and a 1.01 goals-against average.
Home Sweet Home
Since opening Caniglia Field in 2013, the Mavericks have dominated the opposition, going a combined 20-5-4 and outscoring opponents 59-27. The Mavs have a record of 8-2-1 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 16 games this season has six points on two goals and two assists. Rinderknecht leads the team with 1,455 minutes played.
Elvir Ibisevic has seven points from two goals and three assists while starting 14 and has logged 1,181 minutes.
Defender Joel Kazhila made 15 appearances eight seven starts, while defender Joey McCain has eight appearances and six starts. Midfielder Fred Frimpong has made two starts and appeared in 14 games, and midfielder Ethan Bowman has appeared in seven 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 64 appearances. Moulton already owns the school career mark of 19 assists and 132 shots.
Mavericks Remain in Regional Poll
The top seven spots in the NSCAA-NCAA West Region Poll remain the same as last week. Omaha sits in fifth place in the weekly rankings after playing Denver to a scoreless draw last weekend. Denver sits atop the regional poll and is ranked sixth nationally. The Pioneers are on a 34-match 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.
Three's a Charm
Fazlo Alihodzic and Joseph Ghitis each have earned three Summit League Player of the Week awards this season. Alihodzic won league honors earlier this season on Sept. 6, Oct. 3 and Oct. 10. Ghitis earned his third weekly award on Oct. 24 after picking up wins over Bradley and Western Illinois. He previously won the award on Sept. 6 and Oct. 10.
Hamzat Earns Player of the Week Honors
Emmanuel Hamzat notched his first career award after scoring three goals and adding an assist for seven total points over two games Oct. 17-23.
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.
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 Nov. 10-12 at the Summit League Tournament in Denver, Colo. A full tournament bracket will be released at the conclusion of all regular-season games on Saturday, Nov. 5.
