OMAHA, Neb. – The Omaha Mavericks open the 2021 slate at Bradley on Aug. 26 before returning to Caniglia for their home opener vs. Tulsa on Aug. 29. Omaha is coming off a historic postseason run after upsetting No. 23 UNC-Greensboro in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season for the program's first NCAA Tournament win. The Mavericks return their entire starting lineup and look to be atop the league and earn a second straight trip to the big dance.
Follow the Match
The links to live stats and stream are available on OMavs.com. Admission will be free to Omaha's home match with Tulsa. Food and non-alcoholic beverages are permitted within the stadium.
Quick Kicks
- The Mavericks were tabbed the Summit League preseason favorite with Hugo Kametani and Fitzroy Cummings being named players to watch earlier this week.
- Omaha is coming off 7-3-1 overall finish last season. The Mavericks went 5-2-1 in league action and represented the Summit League in the NCAA Tournament. Omaha upset No. 23 UNC-Greensboro for the program's first NCAA Tournament win. Their run came to an end in the second round with a 1-0 overtime loss to Stanford.
- The Mavericks return their entire starting lineup, including the Summit League Newcomer of the Year Hugo Kametani and the Summit League Defensive Player of the Year Fitzroy Cummings.
- In addition to Kametani and Cummings, Omaha will see Ed Gordon, Stevie Siy, Mitch Hammer, Nil Ayats, Gonzalo Ledesma, Jeremy Pollard, and Connor Jokerst take their extra year of eligibility.
- Omaha added 13 new faces to the squad for the fall season. Haider Al-Barakat, Naz Astwood, Inaki Aldao, Calvan Berteau, Thore Boehm, Malik, Elmi, Lute Lillo Portero, Nick Merlo, Neville Morgan, Tomas Restrepo, Nathanael Sallah, Luke Smith, and Joe Vokins will all make their debuts as Mavericks this season.
Scouting the Bradley Braves
The Braves finished 2-7-2 last season and were picked to finish fifth in the MVC Preseason Poll, the league announced. Bradley has a young team taking the pitch this week. The 29-man roster has only five players who have played in a normal fall season for Bradley. In exhibition action, the Braves tied Northwestern and Marquette, but fell to Creighton.
Braves to Watch
- Bryce Logan was tabbed the MVC pre-season all-conference goalkeeper. In the spring, Logan logged every minute in goal for the Braves. He led the league averaging five saves per match and was named the MVC Goalkeeper of the Year.
- Bradley returns its leading scorer from last season in Rasmus Smdtslund. He tallied three goals on three shots on goal last year. He started 11 matches and logged 953 minutes on the pitch.
- Jake Schoffstall added a goal and two assists last season for the Braves. He tallied five shots with four on goal over 10 matches played.
Scouting the Tulsa Hurricane
Tulsa was selected third in the American preseason poll earlier this week with three players earning preseason accolades. The Hurrican finished last season 6-4-2 with a 6-3-1 record in league action. They felly to UCF in the conference championship. The team kicked off fall action with three exhibitions. The Hurricane downed Richland Junior College and Midwestern State. Tulsa tied Central Arkansas 1-1.
Hurricane to Watch
- Alex Meinhard was tabbed the American Athletic Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and a member of the preseason team. He earned Offensive Player and Rookie of the Year honors last season. He led the team and league with seven goals and 15 points. He led the nation with five game winners.
- Mariano Fazio helped Tulsa record five shutouts last season and has been named to the preseason team. He registered a game winning goal vs. USF.
- Chase Bromstedt is the final selection to the preseason team. He is a two-time all-conference honoree. He has eight career goals and 10 career assists.
Series History
Omaha leads Bradley 4-2-0 in the all-time series, while Tulsa holds a 1-0 advantage vs. the Mavericks.
