Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Omaha Athletics

Mavericks win 2023 Summit League Tournament championship
Omaha Athletics
Mavericks play at home Sunday for the first time since their 2023 Summit League Tournament title

Omaha Meets Florida Atlantic for First Time in Home Opener

Game time change to 7 p.m. CT kickoff due to heat

Aug 23, 2024

LEADING OFF 
GAME TIME CHANGE: Due to the forecast heat index for Sunday, the Omaha Mavericks home opener against Florida Atlantic at Caniglia Field will now be 7 p.m. CT.

QUICK KICKS 

  • The Mavericks posted their first season-opening win since 2017 when they downed Oakland 2-1 in Michigan Thursday night. 
  • Sophomore midfielder Brett Perkins drove home a rebound late in the match for the game winner. It was the Gretna sophomore's first collegiate goal. 
  • Omaha scored the only first half tally of the match. Senior Martin Lago's direct kick from inside the midfield circle deflected off several Golden Grizzlies for the goal at 41:37. It was also Lago's first career goal in 20 matches as a Maverick.  
  • The Grizzlies outshot Omaha 14-8 (6-5 shots on goal). Mavericks senior goalkeeper Nathanael Sallah had five saves for his 15th career win.Lago's shot came from inside the midfield circle on a free kick following a yellow card given to Oakland's Markus Wienerroither. The ball actually deflected off multiple defenders in the box, but its momentum resulted in the goal credited to Lago rather than an Own Goal. 
  • It was Dowling's second win in two matches over Oakland. The first came in the second match of the 2022 season in Omaha, which the first win of his head coaching career. 
  • There were 17 fouls in the Oakland match, 10 by OU with two yellow cards. No Mavericks were carded. 
  • Seniors Sallah, Lago, Naz Astwood and Thore Boehm were the only Mavericks to play 90 minutes against Oakland.
  • Omaha is picked to finish second in the Summit League Preseason Poll and two seniors who led the Mavericks to the NCAA tournament in 2023, Theo Klein and Nathanael Sallah, were named Players to Watch. 
  • In 2023, Omaha finished 8-8-4 and third in the Summit League regular season standings at 3-3-2.
  • The roster has a solid mix of returnees and newcomers. The class breakdown entering the season is 12 seniors, four juniors, three sophomores and seven freshmen.
  • Among the returnees is senior forward Theo Klein, whose six penalty kick goals were the most in NCAA Division I in 2023 and an Omaha school record for PK goals in a season.  A 2023 All-Summit First Team selection, the senior from Strasbourg, France broke five school records (Penalty Kicks Made, Career Penalty Kicks, Team Penalty Kicks Made in a Season, Career Points per Match, Career Goals per Match). He was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-West Third Region Team. 
  • Sallah is making his way to the top of several school records following a season that saw him lead the conference in Total Saves (57) and Save Pct. (0.792). The senior from Hamburg, Germany enters the season ranked second in Omaha history in Wins (14), Shutouts (11) and Goalie Matches Played (34).Returnees earning All-Summit honors include Klein (First Team), Sallah (Honorable Mention), and Junior Casillas, who was named Honorable Mention and selected to the All-Newcomer team.

SCOUTING THE FLORIDA ATLANTIC OWLS

  • Florida Atlantic of the American Athletic Conference opened their season Thursday in Omaha where they battled to a scoreless draw at Creighton University. 
  • Creighton dominated possession, but goalkeeper Nacho Alfaro was up to the task. Alfaro had 4 saves, as Creighton outshot Florida Atlantic 15-6. None of the Owls shots were recorded on goal. 
  • Picked to finish fifth in the AAC, FAU finished the 2023 season 6-8-3 and 2-5 in league play. 
  • The Owls top two returning attackers, senior forward Noah Kvifte and sophomore forward Oliver Moller-Jensen were named to the AAC Preseason All-Conference team. 

OWLS TO WATCH 

  • The Owls top two returning attackers, senior forward Noah Kvifte and sophomore forward Oliver Moller-Jensen were named to the AAC Preseason All-Conference team. Kvifte paced the Owls with seven goals including three game winners. Moller-Jensen scored on his first collegiate career shot last season against Lipscomb. 
  • Among the newcomers, graduate senior Alfaro will likely carry the load in goal after starting 39 games in three seasons for Iona.  Another transfer expected to have an impact on the attack is forward Mamadou Diarra. The senior netted 28 goals in two seasons for NAIA Southwestern College.  

SERIES HISTORY 
This marks the first meeting between Omaha and FAU in men's soccer.

Print Friendly Version