Schedule – 9/10 to 9/14

There’s a lot going on in Conway this weekend, and it all starts with the volleyball team kicking off the Sugar Bear Classic.

Volleyball

• 9/10 @ 7p.m. in Conway; Louisiana Tech
• 9/11 @ 2p.m. in Conway; Louisiana-Monroe
• 9/11 @ 6p.m. in Conway; Air Force
• 9/12 @ 2:30p.m. in Conway; UAPB
• 9/14 @ 6p.m. in Pine Bluff; UAPB

Men’s Soccer

• 9/11 @ 5p.m. in Conway; Eastern Illinois
• 9/13 @ 3p.m. in Conway; Missouri State

Women’s Soccer

• 9/11 @ 3p.m. in Conway; Oral Roberts
• 9/13 @ 3p.m. in Nashville, TN; Lipscomb

Softball

• 9/12 @ 3p.m. in Conway; Central Baptist (City of Colleges Park)

Football

• Open Week

Schedule – 8/18 to 8/28

Football (practice)
8/19 @ 9a.m. & 7p.m. (scrimmage)

Volleyball
8/22 @ 2p.m. in Conway; Alumni Match
8/28 @ 5p.m. in Houston, Tx; Rice

Men’s Soccer
8/22 @ 4p.m. in Conway; Northeastern State (exhibition)

Women’s Soccer
8/22 @ 5p.m. in Jonesboro; Arkansas State

Only home game ends in loss

For the five seniors on the men’s soccer roster, Sunday’s match against Midwestern State wasn’t what they had imagined for the team’s lone home game of the season.

The 1-0 loss gave the Bears a 5-7-1 record with just three games left, all back on the road.

"It just leaves a bad taste in your mouth," head coach Chad Flanders said about the loss on the senior’s only home match of the season.

"It’s really disappointed because we’ve played a lot better on the road the last four games, and even though we’d lost some games, we played better soccer."

The Bears had prime opportunities in the first 25 minutes of the game but couldn’t capitalize on any.

All three of UCA’s shots on goal were early in the first half. The team only had two shots in the second half, none were directed towards the goal.

MSU on the other hand had just one shot on goal in the first half but made that one count as Brandon Swartzendruber scored with 12 minutes remaining in the first half on what Coach Flanders called a counter.

"I thought we lacked an ability to have any impact in the game. If we’d have scored a goal in the first 25 minutes, the game’s totally different, but instead we give one up on the counter."

While those first 25 minutes seemed to be played almost entirely with UCA on their offensive side of the field, the second half seemed to be mostly the opposite.

"You’ve got to get the ball in the dangerous area of the field. We got in there, but we didn’t get anything out of it.

"We didn’t create enough to be dangerous besides the first 20 minutes in the first half.

It was very disappointing to see, because we played a lot better than that the last couple of weeks."

Every senior was able to get into the game and play at least 15 minutes. Senior Nick Hankins had one of the shots on goal.

"I’m sure they (seniors) are disappointed," Flanders said. "They’ve done a great job as a group of giving us leadership and playing great soccer. We’re going to miss them."

<– Photo Gallery –>

Preseason Polls Released

(Oddly, the University of West Florida, the pick to win the GSC, is not listed among the top 25 teams. UWF had to cancel its 2004 season due to hurricane damage.)

The Bears begin the season four spots behind the University of North Carolina-Pembroke. The Braves defeated UCA in the NCAA quarterfinals last November by a score of 1-0. UNCP’s lone goal was scored by Sascha Görres, the tenth player selected in the United Soccer League’s draft earlier this year. It was the second trip to the NCAA tournament for the Bears and the first under Coach Chad Flanders. In Flanders first two seasons, his team has finished with 11 wins each.

UCA will have to replace three of their top five point scorers from a year ago, and the roster changes have been abundant. There are 20 new faces listed for this season.

After finishing with a program best 11-6 record in 2004, the women’s team was not listed in the preseason poll. UWF’s women’s team at #23 was the only representative of the GSC in the women’s poll.

Another Award for UCA Athlete

Every year, the GSC names five males and five females as “Top Ten” award winners. The award is based on athletic, academic and extracurricular achievement during the previous academic year. UCA has now placed a student on the list three of the last four years.

Blake Barlow, a senior defender for the men’s soccer team last season, not only helped UCA to the national quarterfinals on the field, but in the classroom has a 3.91 GPA in general business administration. Barlow, from Tulsa, OK, was also given one of 28 NCAA Post Graduate scholarships. He started all 19 games this season, and his defense held opponents to just over 1 goal scored per game. Barlow is no stranger to academic accolades. He has been named to the 3.0 Club and Dean’s List for UCA athletics four times, is a Co-Sida Academic All-American, and three times has been named to the GSC Academic Honor Roll and All-Academic Team.

The third part of the formula for the Top Ten award is also well-covered. As a member of the Honors College, Barlow traveled to Belize to help clean up a riverbed. He was Vice President of Programs and Scholarship Chair for his fraternity for three years and has volunteered at AETN telethons. In April, Barlow was named Co-Male Student-Athlete of the Year.

Soccer Review

Senior Ryan McKean finished his collegiate career with a bang. He racked up post-season accolades and led the team in goals (13), to the GSC championship game and for the second time in three years, the NCAA tournament. The team was beaten 2-1 by Lincoln Memorial in the GSC championship match, but the season wasn’t over. A 2-1 win over Rollins made the Bears 2004 South Region champs. The Bears reached the NCAA semifinals in 2002 and were just one win away from returning. The game with then #5 UNC-Pembroke was evenly matched. Both teams had five shots on goal and both goalkeepers made four saves, but UCA’s fifth shot hit the post. Pembroke’s Sascha Görres’ unassisted goal with under ten minutes remaining ended UCA’s season in the NCAA Quarterfinals.

Head Coach Chad Flanders‘ second season was even more successful than the first. He led the Bears to a 11-6-3 record, 5-1-1 in conference and was named GSC Coach of the Year. McKean was named GSC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, GSC Co-Player of the Year and First Team All-South Region. Senior Kelly Franklin was named to the All-South Region Second Team. Five players were named to the All-GSC teams, and the team jumped from completely out of the polls to finish the season ranked #7.

Also, it shouldn’t be forgotten that West Florida was the preseason favorite to win the GSC. UWF’s season was cancelled after Hurricane Ivan.