Loyola wins Horizon League Men's Soccer Championship

Nov. 5, 2006

(#4 seed) Loyola 1, (#2 seed) UW-Green Bay 0
Chicago, Ill. - Keum Sung Kim scored his first goal of the season and Loyola's defense did not allow a shot on goal as the fourth-seeded Ramblers held off second seed UW-Green Bay for a 1-0 victory to earn the Horizon League Men's Soccer Championship and the League's automatic entry into the NCAA Tournament.

Kim ran down a loose ball along the left sideline, dribbled around two Phoenix defenders and beat netminder Adam Stikl to the far post. Kim's first goal of the season came at the 52-minute mark, giving the Ramblers a 1-0 advantage, and the defense took over from there. UW-Green Bay entered the match as the League's highest-scoring team with 43 goals this season, but could not penetrate the Rambler back line as Sean Bond recorded his ninth shutout of the season.

The Ramblers managed only three shots on goal in the defensive battle, with Stikl posting two saves for UW-Green Bay. With the victory, LU avenged a 2-1 loss in Green Bay on Oct. 13.

Loyola defender Iradj Farahmand was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, leading a group of four Ramblers on the All-Tournament Team. Bond, Kim and Matt Marek also were honored, along with UW-Green Bay's David Znaty, Joshua Okoampa, Dan O'Brien and Tosaint Ricketts. UIC teammates Tonci Skroce an Pavle Dundjer plus Butler's John DeVae rounded out the squad.Loyola carries an 11-7-2 record into the national summit, while UW-Green Bay dropped to 14-6-0 overall and must hope for an at-large berth into the tournament.

The Ramblers had won only one League tournament match in 18 tries prior to this year's event, but defeated fifth-seeded Cleveland State 3-2 in the quarterfinals last Saturday (Oct. 28) and outlasted top seed UIC in penalty kicks after a scoreless draw in Friday's semifinals.

Loyola learns its first-round opponent while UW-Green Bay and UIC (12-2-5) hope for an at-large berth when the NCAA Championship pairings are announced on ESPNEWS on Monday afternoon.

2006 Horizon League Men's Soccer All-Tournament Team
Iradj Farahmand, Loyola (MVP)
Sean Bond, Loyola
Keum Sung Kim, Loyola
Matt Marek, Loyola
Dan O'Brien, UW-Green Bay
Joshua Okoampa, UW-Green Bay
Tosaint Ricketts, UW-Green Bay
David Znaty, UW-Green Bay
Pavle Dundjer, UIC
Tonci Skroce, UIC
John DeVae, Butler

2006 Horizon League Men's Soccer Championship Results
Quarterfinals - Oct. 28 (hosted by higher seeds)
(#1) UIC 0, (#8) Wright State 0 (UIC 10-9 in PKs)
(#2) UW-Green Bay 2, (#7) Detroit 1 (OT)
(#6) Butler 2, (#3) UW-Milwaukee 1
(#4) Loyola 3, (#5) Cleveland State 2

Semifinals - Nov. 3 (at UIC's Flames Field)
(#2) UW-Green Bay 2, (#6) Butler 1
(#4) Loyola 0, (#1) UIC 0 (LU 2-1 in PKs)
Championship - Nov. 5 (at UIC's Flames Field)
(#4) Loyola 1, (#2) UW-Green Bay 0