Men's Soccer Preview, Part 9: UIC

Aug. 31, 2007

In 2005 the UIC men's soccer team made national noise by beating two ranked powers on the road and completing the sixth-best turnaround in the country.

In 2006 the Flames became an even louder presence on the national level, achieving the program's best-ever and longest-reigning rankings behind the fourth-best defense in NCAA history while earning the Horizon League regular season title and an NCAA Tournament bid.

In 2007 the volume will be turned all the way up when it comes to UIC's national expectations.

Following one of the best seasons in school history, UIC will feature a sturdy combination of savvy veterans and adept young talent that has great potential to continue the construction of a special program at a rapid, entertaining pace.

LEADING
Last year's captains, All-American forward Tonci Skroce and All-Horizon League First-Team center back Derek Kosek, were lost to graduation, but the leadership of the club is anything but lacking.

Stepping up into the captaincy this year will be senior midfielders Pavle Dundjer and Cesar Zambrano and senior right back Brandon Bilbrey. All three have already shown that they will lead both vocally and with their actions.

The Flames will feature 16 returnees, so a high percentage of the squad knows what is expected during a rigorous season. That will help with a large crop of newcomers heading in, as 14 new faces will join the team this fall.

SCORING
The Flames feature two All-American candidates with offensive prowess in Dundjer and Zambrano.

Dundjer scored a team-leading eight goals last year, putting four in the net in UIC's final six games. He is UIC's active career leader in goals scored (19) and serves as the Flames' engine on offense.

Zambrano is one of the most amazing scorers to ever don a UIC kit. Though he missed a good portion of the year with an injury, he still managed to score five goals. Once Zambrano gets within striking distance, he is hard to stop.

But those two reliable options will not be the only source of UIC's goal output. Redshirt freshman Matt Spiess, an NSCAA/adidas High School All-American who missed last season following a knee injury, showed signs of his attacking nature throughout the spring season.

DEFENDING
There is no doubt that the key to last season's success was the defense of the Flames. From marking to netminding, everything done on the defensive end was superb as UIC finished with the nation's top-ranked defense. After allowing just eight goals in 1,994 minutes, posting an NCAA-low 0.36 team goals-against average and shutting out 13 of 21 opponents, the Flames were as stingy as they come.

While defense requires all 11 players on the field, the backline served as the foundation. Pat McMahon, Mike Giffin, Alen Husidic, Kosek and Bilbrey were the catalysts on defense last season, helping create an uncomfortable atmosphere for opposing strikers.

With Kosek's departure creating an opening in the center of the backline, freshman Robert Younger will bring his physical presence into a starting role on the defensive side.

Aggressive midfielders like Baggio Husidic, Pawel Ligas, Zambrano and others will be called upon to once again help the defensive cause.

GOALKEEPING
The Flames return one of the best goalkeepers in the nation as Jovan Bubonja is back at his post between the posts. While only a sophomore in eligibility, Bubonja logged heavy minutes in big games all year as a rookie and has continued to train hard throughout the year.

Bubonja started all 21 matches in 2006, posting a school-record 10 clean sheets and ranking among the top five nationally in individual goals-against average (4th, 0.37) and save percentage (3rd, .905).

Senior Jeff Engelbrecht, who has two years of starting experience under his belt, will serve as Bubonja's backup while two other youngsters, Tyler Brown and Taylor Kelliher, will get valuable training to prepare for the years ahead while watching Bubonja at work.

INCOMING
The Flames were able to bring in a large, talented crop of newcomers this season. Each student-athlete brings a diverse set of skills that plays to the strengths of the system implemented by head coach John Trask and his staff.

Younger joined the team in the spring semester, getting a head start on training and even playing in the Flames' charity contest against the Chicago Fire in April.

UIC signed Moriba Diallo, Kevin Stoll and Tom Sweeney to National Letters of Intent during the February signing period, giving the Flames a forward (Stoll), midfielder (Diallo) and back (Sweeney) with different skills and plenty of experience on the prep and club levels.

Recently the Flames announced the additions of nine more players, with a variety of positions and needs for this season and beyond being filled by the newest group.

PLAYING
The Flames will tackle a competitive slate in 2007. An improved Marquette squad will serve as UIC's first opponent on September 2 at Flames Field. From there UIC will face the likes of Rutgers, Akron, Florida International, Missouri State, Bradley, Indiana, and Wisconsin over the course of the season, in addition to the usual listing of Horizon League foes.

Story provided by UIC Office of Sports Information