UMKC To Host IPFW On Senior Day Saturday

10/22/2010 10:44:00 AM | Men's Soccer

By: UMKC Athletics

The Setting - The UMKC men's soccer team will jump back into Summit League play on Saturday when it welcomes IPFW to Durwood Soccer Stadium and Recreational Field. The 'Roos and Mastodons will begin the contest at 7 p.m. and UMKC's Senior Day festivities will take place at halftime.

Follow The Action Online - UMKC fans can follow the men's soccer program online via Roo Vision, which streams a live audio and video feed. Monthly or yearly subscriptions are available, so visit www.UMKCKangaroos.com for more information. Live stats are also available on the website, free of charge.

Senior Day On Saturday - UMKC will hold its Senior Day festivities at halftime of Saturday's game against IPFW. The 'Roos will honor five seniors in Coady Andrews, Cole Roentved, Brian Quintana, Ken Cooper and John Bayron Sosa.

Scouting IPFW - The Mastodons enter Saturday's contest with a 2-11-1 overall record and an 0-3-0 mark in Summit League play. IPFW ended its seven match losing streak on Oct. 17 when it played to a 3-3 tie at Detroit.
    The Mastodons' Max Touloute leads a group of four players that have netted a goal this season, as the forward has a league-leading eight strikes on the year. Andy Masteller, meanwhile, has found the back of the net in four contests. In goal, Donovan Dowling has played all but 140 minutes in goal for IPFW, where he has posted a 2.27 goals against average with 58 saves.

The Series - The 'Roos hold a 3-1-0 advantage in the series over IPFW. UMKC won the first three meetings, out scoring the 'Dons by the count of 12-2. Last season, however, IPFW notched its first win over the 'Roos, as it posted a 3-2 victory in double overtime.

Last Game - UMKC posted its eighth victory of the season with its 1-0 win over Illinois-Chicago on Tuesday night at DSSRF. Freshman Zachary Balthazar netted the game-winner for the 'Roos in the 59th minute and senior Ken Cooper made four saves en route to his fourth consecutive shutout.

An Outstanding Streak - Senior Ken Cooper brings a four-match shutout streak into Saturday's game against IPFW. The St. Louis native has not allowed a goal in his last 438:48 minutes in between the posts. The last goal he allowed was at the 31:52 mark in the 4-2 win over Oral Roberts.

The Class of UMKC Goalkeepers - Senior Ken Cooper moved into the top spot in both career saves and minutes played in the 1-0 shutout victory over Eastern Illinois. The St. Louis native then moved into the top spot in career shutouts, courtesy of his 1-0 blanking of Centenary.
    Cooper also tied the single season shutout record of seven on Oct. 19 when he guided the 'Roos to a 1-0 win over Illinois-Chicago. In the game, he made four saves to tally the 300th save of his UMKC career.

'Roos Remain Sixth In NSCAA Midwest Region Rankings - UMKC held steady at sixth place in the NSCAA Midwest Region rankings that were released on Oct. 19. The 'Roos have been in the rankings since Sept. 13, when they debuted at ninth. It is the team's first ranking since the 2008 campaign when it climbed to as high as third in the region before finishing the year ranked sixth.
Summit League POW Honorees - The 'Roos have had four student-athletes be recognized as The Summit League Player of the Week.
    Senior Ken Cooper was the first 'Roo to earn the honor, as he was named the Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 13 after making four saves in 110 minutes of action in the 1-1 draw at Loyola Chicago.
    Fellow senior John Bayron Sosa earned the offensive accolade - the second of his 'Roo career - on Sept. 20 after notching a pair of goals in UMKC's 3-2 loss at Drake. Junior Jimmy Simon was the third straight 'Roo to earn the accolade on Sept. 27 following his two goal contest in UMKC's 2-1 win over Memphis.
    Sophomore David Sarabia was the latest UMKC player to earn the accolade, as he received the nod on Oct. 4 after scoring the game-winning strikes in the team's victories over Oral Roberts and Eastern Illinois.

Home Cookin' - UMKC improved to 6-1 at home this season with its 1-0 shutout victory over Illinois-Chicago on Oct. 19.   Durwood Soccer Stadium has been a daunting place for the opposition to play since it opened in 2009, as the 'Roos are 10-3 in 13 games at the venue.
    Overall, UMKC has been exceptional at home the past three seasons, as it has compiled a 17-3 record over its past 20 home dates.

Spreading The Wealth - Four UMKC players have netted their first collegiate game-winning goals this season and a total of six different 'Roos have netted the GWG this season. Freshman Zachary Balthazar joined the first club with Jimmy Simon, Diego Rojas and Tom Black when he found the back of the net in the 1-0 triumph over Illinois-Chicago.
Harman Leads League In Helpers - Junior Luke Harman is leading The Summit League in assists with four thus far in the 2010 season. The Ireland native tallied his fourth assist on Zachary Balthazar's strike in the win over Illinois-Chicago.

Offensive Outburst - UMKC scored a season-high four goals in the 4-2 win over Oral Roberts on Oct. 1. The scoring output matches Oakland for the team-high in The Summit League this season. The last time the 'Roos had scored four goals in a single match came last season in the 4-1 win over Centenary on Oct. 24.

Simon Notches Team-Leading Fifth Goal - Junior Jimmy Simon netted his team leading fifth goal of the season in the 4-2 triumph over Oral Roberts on Oct. 1 at DSSRF. The forward scored in the 68th minute on an assist by Tom Black. Simon's five strikes are currently second most in the league this season.

'Roos Atop The Summit - UMKC is currently tied for The Summit League lead with 16 goals, while pacing the league with 46 points. The squad is also second with 14 assists this season. This continues the team's trend of being the class of the league offensively.
    The 'Roos led the league in goals, points and assists in both 2008 and 2009. The squad finished with 38 goals, 34 assists and 110 points in 2008 before following it up with a 31 goal, 24 assist, 86 point campaign in 2009.

Two Is Better - Senior John Bayron Sosa and junior Jimmy Simon both have notched two goal games this season. Sosa netted both of UMKC's strikes in the 3-2 loss at Drake, while Simon scored twice in the 2-1 win over Memphis. The pair is tied for the high water mark in both single game goals and assists this season.

Coop-Tack-ular - Goalkeeper Ken Cooper is having the best season of his collegiate career, as he has posted a 0.73 goals against average, 46 saves, a .821 saves percentage and seven shutouts through 13 contests. The senior has allowed just 10 goals on the year, and he is currently leading The Summit League in goals against average, shutouts and save percentage.

Mr. Shutout - Senior Ken Cooper posted his fourth straight shutout in leading the 'Roos to a 1-0 win over Illinois-Chicago on Oct. 19. The performance came on the heels of a 1-0 win at Centenary on Oct. 9, an identical 1-0 shutout of Eastern Illinois on Oct. 3 and a 0-0 draw at Oakland.
    Cooper, who is pacing the league with seven shutouts on the year, also blanked Central Arkansas and Missouri State in back-to-back contests and goose-egged Columbia College earlier this season. His seven shutouts are tied for the most in a single season in school history.

Chasing History - Senior John Bayron Sosa tallied assists in back-to-back contests in leading UMKC to victories over Oral Roberts and Eastern Illinois. The midfielder now has 20 career assists in Blue and Gold, which are 10 behind former 'Roo Dan Hilson for the school record.

Iron Man - Senior John Bayron Sosa has played in and started 70-of-71 total games in his UMKC career. Sosa, who has played every minute for the squad this season, has been among the starting 11 for the 'Roos in each of the past 58 contests.

Cooper Among UMKC Career Leaders - Senior Ken Cooper already ranks as one of the best goalkeepers in UMKC history when you look at his career statistics. The St. Louis native is the school recordholder in three categories, while also ranking among the top-two in two additional categories.

Cooper in the UMKC Top-10
1st     Goals Against Average    1.32
1st    Saves    300
1st    Minutes Played    5993
1st    Shutouts    17
2nd    Wins    29 (31)

The Countdown To 100 - Head Coach Rick Benben, who is the winningest coach in UMKC history, currently has 98 career victories to his resume. The 13th year head man needs just four victories to reach the 100-win milestone. In his tenure, UMKC has posted four seasons where it has won at least 10 contests.

Markey Sidelined For '10 Season - Senior Chris Markey, who is one of UMKC's co-captains for the 2010 season, suffered a foot injury during the exhibition contest against Drake on Aug. 27. The midfielder broke his foot while going in for a tackle, which will force him to miss the remainder of the 2010 season.
    Markey is the second UMKC senior to suffer a serious injury this season. Matt Kopsky, a returning starter and three-year letterwinner, went down with a knee injury prior to the beginning of preseason practice. He too will miss the entire 2010 campaign.

'Roos Tabbed As Preseason Favorites - UMKC was picked as the preseason favorite to claim the 2010 Summit League title. The 'Roos received three first place votes en route to 33 points to edge Oakland by a single point for the top spot.

Sosa Named To MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List - Senior John Bayron Sosa has been named to the prestigious MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. The St. Cloud, Fla., native is the first UMKC player to be named to the Watch List and is one of 39 Division I men's soccer players and the lone representative of The Summit League to be recognized.
    Considered the highest individual honor in intercollegiate soccer, the recipient of the MAC Hermann Trophy is selected by Division I head coaches who are current members of the NSCAA.

Team Captains - Seniors John Bayron Sosa and Chris Markey have been selected to serve as the team co-captains for the 2010 'Roos.

Back-to-Back OPOY - The 'Roos have not only led the league in scoring in each of the past two seasons, but the squad boasts each of the past two Summit League Offensive Player of the Years. Brian Harris earned the post season recognition in 2008 before Bryan Perez took home the top offensive honor in 2009.

A Look Back To 2009 - The 'Roos posted a 7-10-2 overall record during the 2009 campaign, which included a 2-2-2 mark in Summit League play. UMKC upset top-seeded Oakland in The Summit League Championship semifinals to advance to the final for the third time in the last four years before dropping a 1-0 decision to Western Illinois.
    UMKC had a total of six student-athletes earn post season recognition in 2009 with two players - Bryan Perez and David Sarabia - earning individual honors. Perez was named The Summit League Offensive Player of the Year, while Sarabia was named The Summit League Newcomer of the Year.
    The pair were a part of a school record five first team selections, as they were joined on the first team squad by teammates Chris Markey, John Bayron Sosa and John David Hernandez. Additionally, Sarabia and Tom Black were named to the all-Newcomer squad.

Kuster-'Roo - True freshman Sean Kuster is the third member of his immediate family to play for the UMKC men's soccer team. Brother, Erik, played for the 'Roos during the 1999 season, where he netted nine goals, while Colin suited up for the program during the 2007 campaign.

Giant Killers - The 'Roos have been making a name for themselves in scheduling and beating ranked foes. UMKC has taken down a ranked opponent in each of the past two seasons, shutting out No. 23 Drake, 3-0, in 2009 after beating No. 3 Creighton (1-0) and No. 19 Drake (4-3) during the 2008 campaign.

Championship Soccer - UMKC earned its third NCAA Tournament appearance in 2008 after winning The Summit League Tournament as the No. 3 seed.   The 'Roos, who have played in championship game of the league tournament in three of the last four years, have won three Summit League regular season titles (1999, 2001, 2003) and three league tournament crowns (2001, 2003, 2008), all of which led to NCAA Tournament appearances.