Men's Soccer Release #6

Oct. 7, 2008

Click on the player below for an interview with CSU head coach Ali Kazemaini.



Complete Men's Soccer Release in PDF Format

THIS WEEK IN THE HORIZON LEAGUE

Tuesday, Oct. 7
Indiana vs. Butler, 7 p.m. (at Kuntz Stadium, Indianapolis)

Wednesday, Oct. 8
IPFW at Cleveland State, 7 p.m.
Milwaukee at Wisconsin, 8 p.m.
Ohio State at UIC, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 11
No. 4 UIC at Butler, 4 p.m.
Detroit at Wright State, 7 p.m.
Valparaiso at Cleveland State, 7 p.m.
Bradley at Loyola, 8 p.m. (Horizon League Network)
Green Bay at Milwaukee, 8:05 p.m.

NOTE: All times EasternHorizon League matches in Italics

NEWS AND NOTES FROM AROUND THE HORIZON LEAGUE

ANOTHER STRONG STREAK UNDER FINDLEY: With a 2-1 overtime win over Valparaiso last Friday, Butler has now matched its longest unbeaten streak under head coach Kelly Findley at five games. The Bulldogs' only loss of the season was a 3-2 setback at EvansvilLe on Sept. 7.

PATANO AND GARCIA CLIMBING BULLDOG CHARTS: BU senior Frank Patano is tied for ninth in the nation and leads the Horizon League with 0.90 goals per match. Patano's strong senior campaign has pulled him into sixth place on Butler's all-time goals list with 33. Bulldog classmate Eduardo Garcia has been a key part of Patano's high scoring, as he has registered a league-best seven assists. Garcia's assist total is tied for 21st in the country and his 15 career helpers are good for ninth in Butler history.

SNAPPING A LOSING STREAK: Cleveland State's 2-1 overtime win over Milwaukee last Sunday snapped a 19-match losing streak by CSU against the Panthers that dated back to the 1993 season. CSU, which last defeated Milwaukee during the 1989 season, went 12-4-2 in the first 18 contests against UWM before the streak started.

HARPEL PROVES DIFFICULT TO BEAT: CSU goalkeeper Nick Harpel ranks second in the Horizon League and 17th in the nation with 5.36 saves per match. He made nine saves and stopped his second penalty kick of the year in the win over Green Bay and came back to make three saves in the win over Milwaukee. His save total against Akron on Sept. 21 allowed the sophomore to pass the 100 save mark for his career. He starts the week with 125 career stops, including 66 as a freshman.

A COUPLE OF TITAN FIRSTS: Detroit junior Ali Youssef earned his first point as a Titan when he assisted on Renato Susnja's goal in UDM's 1-1 tie against Milwaukee last Friday. Another notable first last weekend saw freshman goalkeeper Paul Graf make his first start Sunday versus Green Bay. Graf made two saves in 45 minutes of action.

UIC POLL POSITION: No. 4 UIC has spent the entire season in the national rankings. The Flames enter this week ranked in the top 12 in all five major college soccer polls. Here is a breakdown of UIC's national rankings this week:

Soccer America:No. 4
Soccer Times:No. 6
NSCAA/adidas:No. 7 (No. 4 in Great Lakes Region)
Top Drawer Soccer:No. 9 (Tournament 48 poll)
College Soccer News: No. 12

FLAMING HOT START FOR UIC: UIC is off to its best start in school history. The Flames are 8-0-3 after 11 contests, marking the longest that the programs has gone undefeated to begin a season. The program's previous best start was a 9-0-1 beginning in 1997.

UIC CLAMPING DOWN ON `D': Junior goalkeeper Jovan Bubonja has a 0.22 goals-against average in his last nine starts, allowing just two goals in nearly 834 minutes of netminding. The Serbia native posted his fifth shutout of the season in UIC's 1-0 win over Marquette last Thursday, and he followed that performance by recording a career-high eight saves Sunday at Wright State. Bubonja's 0.61 goals-against average currently ranks 22nd in the nation.

LOYOLA GOES POLLING, TOO: Loyola also represents the Horizon League in the national and regional rankings, appearing at No. 35 (receiving votes) in the most recent College Soccer News poll. Additionally, LU is ranked 10th in the NSCAA/adidas Great Lakes Region poll.

BYRNE LEADS RAMBLER DEFENSE: Loyola senior goalkeeper Brian Byrne picked up two shutouts last week in LU's victories over Wright State (2-0) and Valparaiso (1-0). Byrne, who also had a season-high six saves against the Raiders, now has five shutouts on the season.

CRUSADERS JOIN REST OF THE LEAGUE: Valparaiso had been the only Horizon League team to score at least one goal in every contest this season before being blanked at Loyola last Sunday. The Crusaders opened the season by scoring at least once in 11 straight matches. The consistency has helped Valpo score 15 goals this season, already surpassing the team's total from last season.

ZOBECK APPEARS IN NATIONAL RANKING: Valpo freshman goalkeeper Kyle Zobeck stands 26th in the nation with 5.08 saves per game. His total is also good for third in the Horizon League behind UWM's Grant Fernstrum (5.73) and CSU's Nick Harpel (5.36). Zobeck has contributed on the offensive end as well, recording an assist against Western Michigan on Sept. 21. It was the first assist by a Crusader goalkeeper since 2001.

RICKETTS POST LEAGUE'S FIRST HAT TRICK: Green Bay senior Tosaint Ricketts recorded the Horizon League's first hat trick this season last Sunday in his seven-point effort against Detroit. Ricketts had a goal and an assist in the first half of the contest before scoring twice more - including the game-winner in the 77th minute - in the second half. The Edmonton, Alberta, native is now third in the Horizon League with six goals.

PROCHAZKA LENDS A HAND: After notching three assists in two matches last week, Green Bay sophomore David Prochazka now has six assists, the second-highest mark in the Horizon League. Additionally, he leads the league with 0.75 assists per game.

FRAZIER FILLS SCORING ROLL AT UWM: Milwaukee freshman Eric Frazier leads the Panthers in goals (4), assists (4) and points (12). His totals have already surpassed Milwaukee's 2007 leader - Zeke Dombrowski - who had 11 points with three assists.

FRESHMAN PANTHERS LEAD THE WAY: Nine of UWM's 13 goals have been scored by freshmen. Eric Frazier leads the newcomers with four goals, followed by Evan Bartzis (3) and Ross Van Osdol (2).

FLEAK ATTAINS TOP 10 STANDING: Wright State junior Braden Fleak's go-ahead tally against UIC last Sunday was his 21st career goal, pulling him in a tie for 10th on Wright State's all-time list. He is currently tied for fourth in the Horizon League with five goals.