Horizon League announces pairings for Men's Soccer Championship tournament

Oct. 23, 2006

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Horizon League Men's Soccer Championship Page

INDIANAPOLIS -- An automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament is on the line as eight teams compete for the 2006 Horizon League Men's Soccer Championship, which begins with quarterfinal-round action at campus sites Saturday (Oct. 28).

The University of Illinois at Chicago earned the top seed after clinching its first regular-season League title since 2000. The Flames' 2-0 victory over the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in Sunday's (Oct. 22) regular-season finale lifted UIC to the top of the standings with a 5-1-1 League record as part of a 12-2-3 overall ledger. UIC has been ranked among the nation's top 25 teams for nearly the entire season, including a No. 13 status in this week's Soccer America poll.

The Flames, who rank among the nation's top defensive teams after allowing only seven goals in 17 matches this year, will host No. 8 seed Wright State University (8-9-0, 1-6-0) at 8 p.m. (EST / 7 p.m. CST) in Saturday's quarterfinal round. The Raiders took UIC to overtime before falling 2-1 in Dayton, Ohio, on Oct. 13.

UW-Green Bay (11-5-0, 5-2-0) owns the tournament's No. 2 seed and will defend their home turf against seventh-seeded University of Detroit Mercy (6-8-3, 2-5-0) at 2 p.m. (EST / 1 p.m. CST). The Phoenix, which boasts the League's most prolific offense (36 goals), had won six consecutive matches before closing the regular season with shutout losses against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (1-0 on Wednesday) and UIC. Detroit is 1-6-3 in its last ten outings, including a 3-0 setback to the Phoenix at UDM's Titan Field on Sept. 29.

UW-Milwaukee claimed the No. 3 seed, posting a 1-0 victory over Loyola University Chicago on Sunday to finish the regular season at 4-2-1 in League play. The Panthers carry a four-match winning streak into the tournament, improving to 8-8-2 overall including a six-match (5-0-1) unbeaten run since Oct. 6. UWM puts that streak on the line Saturday versus sixth-seeded Butler University (6-9-2, 2-4-1) in a re-match of the teams' 2-2 tie in Milwaukee on Oct. 8. That match is scheduled for 8 p.m. (EST / 7 p.m. CST) at Engelmann Field.

The final quarterfinal pairing pits fourth seed Loyola against No. 5 seed Cleveland State University at 2 p.m. (EST / 1 p.m. CST). The Ramblers matched UW-Milwaukee's 4-2-1 loop ledger (as part of the Ramblers' 9-7-1 overall mark) but lost the head-to-head tie-breaker, dropping LU into Saturday's meeting against the Vikings (6-9-2, 3-4-0), who started at least seven freshmen in every match this year while rebounding from last fall's 0-17-1 campaign. Loyola boasts a pair of highly-touted freshmen as well, as the Ramblers look to reach the ten-victory plateau for only the second time since 1996. Loyola posted a 1-0 victory over CSU in Cleveland on Sept. 24.

The highest seed remaining after the quarterfinal round earns the right to host the remainder of the tournament the following weekend. Semifinals are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 3, with the League champion crowned on Sunday, Nov. 5. That team receives the League's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, which begins Nov. 10 at campus sites. The 2006 NCAA Men's College Cup is slated for Dec. 1 and 3 at Robert R. Hermann Stadium in St. Louis, Mo.

UW-Milwaukee has won the last four League Championships, defeating regular-season champion Detroit 1-0 in the final match last year when the Panthers entered the League summit as the second seed. The top seed has won six of the last eight League Championships.

For more information regarding the Horizon League Men's Soccer Championship, log on to the Horizon League web site at www.horizonleague.org.

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2006 Horizon League Men's Soccer Championship Schedule

Quarterfinals -- Saturday, Oct. 28
#8 seed Wright State (8-9-0, 1-6-0)at#1 seed UIC (12-2-3, 5-1-1)8:00 p.m. (EST)
#7 seed Detroit (6-8-3, 2-5-0)at#2 seed UW-Green Bay (11-5-0, 5-2-0)2:00 p.m. (EST)
#6 seed Butler (6-9-2, 2-4-1)at#3 seed UW-Milwaukee (8-8-2, 4-2-1)8:00 p.m. (EST)
#5 seed Cleveland State (6-9-2, 3-4-0)at#4 seed Loyola (9-7-1, 4-2-1)2:00 p.m. (EST)

Semifinals -- Friday, Nov. 3
(hosted by top seed remaining after quarterfinal round, times TBA)
UW-Green Bay / Detroit winnervs.UW-Milwaukee / Butler winner
UIC / Wright State winnervs.Loyola / Cleveland State winner

Championship -- Sunday, Nov. 5
Semifinal winners, Time TBA