OMAHA, Neb. – The Omaha men's soccer team kicks off the 2019 season with a pair of matches in California. The Mavericks visit Cal on Friday, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. (CT) in Berkeley, Calif., before battling No. 11 Saint Mary's on Monday, Sept. 2 at 2 p.m. (CT) in Moraga, Calif.
Quick Kicks
- Omaha begins its ninth season in program history as the Mavericks officially begin the 2019 season with a pair of west coast matches at Cal and No. 11 Saint Mary's this weekend.
- The Mavericks return 15 letterwinners and nine starters from last year's team that went 7-8-1 and appeared in the Summit League Championship Final.
- The UNO offense returns 84.2 percent of tis scoring and 70.6 percent of its assists from last year.
- Junior Diego Gutierrez was one of seven players named to the Summit League's Players to Watch List after leading Omaha in points (21), goals (seven) and assists (seven) last season.
- Sophomore Martin Veys returns after netting five goals and an assist for the Mavericks last season.
- Junior Mitch Hammer scored twice last year while seniors Marcos Bautista and Billy Hoffmann found the back of the net one time in 2018.
- Senior goalkeeper Ugo Tritz finished last season with a 7-4-1 record with five shutouts while notching 48 saves, an .800 save percentage and a 0.93 goals-against average.
- Gutierrez earned All-Summit First Team honors while Veys, Bautista and Tritz landed on the All-Summit Second Team.
- Bautista, Veys and Hammer garnered Summit League All-Newcomer Team accolades.
- UNO placed second in the Summit League last season, earning the program's fourth consecutive berth in the Summit League Tournament and third straight trip to the Summit League Final.
- The Mavericks were picked to finish second in the Summit League's Preseason Poll as voted on by the league's coaches for the sixth straight season.
- Warming begins 2019 as the third-winningest active Division I coach with 468 career wins.
- With 468 career victories, Warming is tied for 20th all-time in wins in Division I men's soccer history.
Scouting the Cal Golden Bears
The Cal Golden Bears are coming off a 7-9-2 season and fifth-place finish in the Pac-12 with a 3-7 conference mark.
Last season, the Golden Bears scored 24 goals and were shut out in four of their 18 matches. Cal took 10.7 shots per game and put over 43 percent of those on target.
The Golden Bear defense allowed 23 opponent goals in 2018. The Cal defense had five shutouts and held opponents to one goal in six additional matches. Golden Bear opponents tallied 11.4 shots per game, including 43.4 percent of those on goal. Drake Callender is the top returning goalkeeper after posting a 7-5-2 record in 2018 with four shutouts, 37 saves, and a 1.11 goals-against average.
Golden Bears to Watch
No. 17 Alonzo Del Mundo – tied for second on team in 2018 with seven points and three goals.
No. 7 Taylor Davila – dished out team-high three assists while posting seven points last season.
No. 12 Lucas Churchill – posted three points with a goal and an assist in 622 minutes in 2018.
Omaha vs. Cal
Cal leads the all-time series, 1-0. The Golden Bears won 2-0 on Sept. 16, 2016 in Berkeley, Calif., in their only meeting.
Scouting the Saint Mary's Gaels
The Saint Mary's Gaels capped the 2018 campaign with an 18-0-2 overall record while falling to Stanford in penalty kicks in the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Gaels scored 50 goals last season while taking 15.7 shots per game, including 49.7 percent of those on goal.
The Saint Mary's defense allowed eight goals in 2018. The Gaels had 15 shutouts and held opponents to one goal in four additional matches. Goalkeeper Remi Prieur returns after posting an 18-0-2 record last season with 55 saves, a .873 save percentage and 0.41 goals-against average.
Gaels to Watch
No. 15 Jake Rudel – led team with 31 points and 13 goals while dishing out five assists.
No. 11 Anders Engebretsen – recorded 24 points with nine goals and six assists.
No. 9 Joseph Restani – totaled 13 points with six goals and an assist in 11 appearances in 2018.
Omaha vs. Saint Mary's
Monday's match marks the first all-time meeting between the two programs.
Looking Ahead
The Mavericks return to Omaha for the home debut vs. Columbia on Friday, Sept. 6 at 8 p.m.
