Kansas City Hits the Road To Battle UNLV, Bakersfield
10/24/2013 3:09:00 PM | Men's Soccer
UMKC 'Roos (4-5-4, 3-1-1) at
UNLV Rebels (4-9, 2-3) and Bakersfield 'Runners (4-7-2, 2-2-1)
Date / Time: Oct. 25 - 9:00 p.m./ Oct. 27 - 4:30 p.m. (Central Time)
Site: Kansas City, Mo. (Durwood Stadium)
Webcast: UMKCKangaroos.com (via UNLV)
Live Stats: UNLV CSUB
Twitter: @TheUMKCRoos
Series: First Meeting with both
Home: 0-0-0 / 0-0-0
Away: 0-0-0 / 0-0-0
Neutral: 0-0-0 / 0-0-0
Last Meeting: N/A
Benben vs. Opponent: 0-0-0 / 0-0-0
The Games
Kansas City plays UNLV and Bakersfield on the road this weekend in its first action against the WAC West Division. UMKC comes into the weekend on a four-game unbeaten streak, while UNLV defeated San Jose State last time out to snap a three-game skid. The 'Runners are 2-1-1 in their last four outings.
The Coaches
In his 16th season at UMKC, Rick Benben is the winningest coach in school history, posting a 116-142-33 record. Under his guidance, UMKC has captured four conference regular season titles and has made three appearances in the NCAA College Cup with the most recent appearance coming in 2008. Benben, the fourth head coach in the Division I era, was inducted into the UMKC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012.
Rich Ryerson is in his fourth season at UNLV and has a 19-39-3 overall record there. An alum of UNLV, he played soccer there and still holds school records for games played and starts.
Simon Tobin is in his 27th season and comes in with a 300-187-54 overall record. He led CSUB to the 1997 NCAA Division II Championship. In Division I, he led the 'Runners to an NCAA Tournament berth in 2011, winning a conference regular season title.
The Series
UMKC has never faced UNLV or Bakersfield in men's soccer history.
Scouting the Competition
The Rebels come into the weekend with a 4-9 overall record and are 2-3 in WAC play. All four of the team's wins have come at home, including victories over San Jose State and Bakersfield there. As a team they have scored 16 goals and allowed 21. Individually, Rodrigo Fuentes leads the team with five goals and 13 points, while Salvador Bernal and Julian Portugal each have four assists. The Rebels have out-shot their opponents 207-152 on the year. Goalkeeper Ryan Harding leads the league with a 1.21 goals against average.
The Roadrunners play Houston Baptist on Friday night before hosting the 'Roos Sunday. They are 4-7-2 overall and 2-2-1 in the WAC, while posting a 2-1-1 mark in their last four games. They have scored 17 goals, but allowed 28 on the season, playing a difficult non-conference schedule. Individually, Eduardo Calzada leads the team with four goals, while Joe Masumiya matches him with eight points. Goalkeeper Anthony Perez has the bulk of the minutes, but posts a 2.12 goals against average.
A Win Against UNLV Means...
- UMKC would have moved its unbeaten streak to five games and its win streak to four games.
- The 'Roos would have won four consecutive conference games for the first time since 2003.
A Win Against Bakersfield Means...
- UMKC would have defeated a team from California for the first time since knocking off No. 5 Santa Clara in 2003.
- The 'Roos would have won on the road in California for the first time since defeating Santa Clara in 2000 (1-5-1 there since 1998)
Up Next
UMKC plays its final two home games of the season when San Jose State and Seattle come to town for Friday and Sunday contests in WAC play.
The 'Roos will be facing both San Jose State and Seattle for the first time ever.
What They Rank in the WAC
The 'Roos are first in the WAC so far this season with a 1.22 goals against average. In WAC only games, UMKC is second in the league with nine goals.
Individually, Chris McGaughey is fourth in GAA (1.46) and second saves (47). Jordan Rideout is second in the conference in shots (50), third in goals (6), and fourth in points (12). Tato Chiaparro is tied for fifth in both points (11) and goals (4).
Offensive Outburst
Kansas City has picked up its offense as of late, scoring two goals in each of its last four games (8) after scoring five in its first eight games.
