BIG EAST Tourney Kicks Off

Providence Falls to Cincinnati

November 7, 2007

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The BIG EAST men’s soccer tournament got underway this afternoon at Glay Field where host Providence suffered a 2-0 defeat to Cincinnati in the first round of the BIG EAST Championship Wednesday.

The fourth-seeded (Blue Division) Friars fell to 9-7-2 for the season while the fifth-place (Red Division) Bearcats improved to 9-9-1. Cincinnati will travel to Chicago, Ill. to take on No. 1 seed DePaul on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Cincinnati’s Kenny Anaba set up the first goal and added an insurance tally, helping the Bearcats earn their first ever win against the Friars (1-2-1), who dealt Cincinnati losses in the Big East Tournament two years in a row.

The Friars did have their chances. In the 12th minute, sophomore Justin Kahle found freshman Michael Pereira at the near post, but his drive was cleared off the line by a Cincinnati defender. In the 27th minute, the Friars developed another quality scoring chance when freshman Alex Redding (Newton, Mass.) found senior Ryan Maduro (Bristol, R.I.) at the top of the box, but Maduro's shot was sent over the bar.

But it was Cincinnati that got on the board first in the 33rd minute, when Anaba took a shot that was blocked, but the Bearcats' Mark Konitsch crossed in the loose ball that was headed by Patrick Baxter. Baxter's shot deflected off PC goalkeeper Tim Murray (Haverhill, Mass.) and just over the goal line. After one half of play, the Bearcats held a 1-0 lead.

In the 54th minute the Friars had an opportunity to tie the game off a free kick. Maduro played a ball into the box that was headed off the cross bar by freshman Matt Marcin. Then, in the 66th minute Maduro played a corner kick into the box that was flicked toward the net by Matt Otte (East Lyme, Conn.). The Bearcat defense was able to clear the ball out to PC’s Alex Bury (Shrewbury, Mass.) who had a go from 20 yards, but Cincinnati’s Miguel Rosales made the save.

In the 86th minute the Bearcats increased their lead to 2-0 and sealed the victory when Anaba received a through ball from Matt Telting at the top of the box and slid the ball past Murray. The goal was Anaba’s 10th tally of the season.

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