OMAHA, Neb. - The Omaha men's soccer team opens its eighth season on Friday, Aug. 24, when it hosts UC Davis in the 2018 opener for both squads. Kickoff at Caniglia Field is set for 6 p.m.
The Mavericks continue their opening weekend on Sunday, Aug. 26, hosting No. 11 Clemson. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
Promotions
- Friday: P4K night (Partnership 4 Kids)
- Sunday: Pooches at the Pitch – First 150 dogs in attendance receive a free bandana.
Follow the Mavericks
Links to live stats, audio and video are available on OMavs.com.
From the Touch Line
-
Bob Warming enters his first season leading the Omaha men's soccer program.
- Warming is the third-winningest active NCAA Division I coach with 461 wins.
- The 2017 Mavericks qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
- Omaha, which has been a member of the Summit League since 2012, has two Summit League regular-season titles and one tournament crown in seven years.
- The Mavericks return 17 letterwinners, including five starters from last season's squad.
- This year's new-look team has 13 newcomers, including four transfer athletes.
- Junior
Seth Rinderknecht and sophomore
Stevie Siy were both on the Summit League Players to Watch list.
- Rinderknecht earned his second-straight First Team All-Summit League honor in 2017, while senior
Cole Nelson nabbed Second Team All-League accolades.
- Junior
Fred Frimpong and sophomore
Diego Gutierrez each recorded two goals last season to lead all returners.
- Sophomore
Miguel Gomez dished out four assists in 2017 while Nelson and Siy added three each.
Scouting Omaha (0-0)
The Mavericks return 17 lettermen and five starters from last year's team that finished 10-6-3 and came third in the Summit League with a 2-1-2 league record.
Omaha reached the Summit League Tournament final for the second-straight season and defeated Denver 9-8 in an 11-round shootout to claim its first postseason title. UNO advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
The 2018 roster features senior captain
Cole Nelson and two-time First Team All-Summit League selection
Seth Rinderknecht. Sophomores
Miguel Gomez,
Diego Gutierrez and
Stevie Siy all return for their sophomore campaign. The trio combined for three goals and eight assists in 2017.
Omaha also returns five key reserves with plenty of experience on the pitch. Senior
Denzel Woods has made 30 career starts for the Mavericks, while junior goalkeeper
Ugo Tritz went 2-0-0 last season with a pair of shutouts. Juniors
Fred Frimpong (2g) and
Ethan Bowman (2a) and sophomore
Ed Gordon (1a) also return for the Mavericks.
Scouting UC Davis (0-0)
UC Davis returns two of its top four scorers from last year's team that finished 11-7-3 overall and 7-2-1 in Big West action. The Aggies fell to Cal State Fullerton in the Big West Conference Tournament championship last season in a shootout.
Returning for UC Davis are junior Adam Mickelson (4g, 7a, 15pts) and senior Matt Baringer (5g, 2a, 10pts). Senior Roy Boatengand, the reigning Big West Defensive Player of the Year, and sophomore Nabi Kibunguchy also return for the 2018 campaign.
The Aggies were picked to finish fourth in the Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll. Cal State Fullerton was picked to win the conference followed by UC Santa Barbara and CSUN. Boatent, Kibunguchy and Mickelson each earned a spot on the Preseason All-Big West Team.
The Series with the Aggies
Omaha and UC Davis have never met.
Scouting Clemson
The Tigers are ranked No. 11 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll after finishing the 2017 season with a 12-6-1 overall record and a 4-4 mark in ACC play after making their fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Clemson opens the 2018 season this Friday at Creighton.
Clemson's 2018 roster is an even mix of 14 returners and 14 newcomers. The Tigers' 2018 recruiting class was ranked No. 3 in the country in TopDrawerSoccer's final recruiting rankings.
Goalkeeper Jonny Sutherland, a graduate transfer from ETSU, was named to the 2018 MAC Hermann
Trophy Watch List. In 2017, Sutherland posted a 9-2-7 mark with a 0.71 goals-against average and .821 save percentage.
The Tigers lost their top three scorers from last season but return sophomore Robbie Robinson (4g, 1a, 9pts) and sophomore Kimarni Smith (3g, 2a, 8pts). Robinson earned ACC All-Freshman Team honors a year ago.
Clemson was picked to finish second in the ACC Atlantic Division in 2018 according to a preseason vote of the conference's 12 head coaches. The Tigers received four first-place votes in the division, placing it behind reigning ACC Champion Wake Forest, which was picked as the Atlantic Division favorite with eight first-place votes.
The Series with the Tigers
Omaha and Clemson have never met.
Up Next
Omaha continues its four-match homestand to open the 2018 slate, hosting Missouri State on Friday, Aug. 31. The match is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start at Canlgia Field.
