Men's Soccer Weekly Release #2

Sept. 3, 2007

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Horizon League Player of the Week


Frank Patano, Butler
Junior * Forward * Franklin Park, Ill.
Patano was the Most Valuable Player of the Courtyard by Marriott Flyer Classic in Dayton, Ohio, after helping the Bulldogs to a pair of victories and the tournament title. He had two goals, including the match-winner in the 90th minute, in Friday's 3-2 victory over St. Francis (Pa.), and added a goal and an assist in Sunday's 4-0 triumph over Sacramento State.

Other Top Performances for the Week Ending September 2

Nick Harpel, Cleveland State
Fr. * GK * Toledo, Ohio
Harpel earned a shutout in his first collegiate start, making six saves to defeat Niagara 2-0 on Sunday. He played 45 scoreless minutes in relief Friday, stopping one shot in his first action at the college level.

Francois Basty, Green Bay
So. * F * Beauzelle, France
Basty scored the overtime match-winner to give the Phoenix a 3-2 victory over Drake on Friday. Basty's header in the 105th minute helped the Phoenix win their season-opener for the fourth year in a row.

Michael Ferguson, Loyola
So. * F * Overland Park, Kan.
Ferguson notched the first hat trick by a Rambler since Sept. 8, 2000, hitting the net three times in Friday's season-opening, 4-2 victory over Cincinnati. His total included the eventual match-winner.

Zeke Dombrowski, Milwaukee
Sr. * M * West Allis, Wis.
Dombrowski scored both Panther goals in two matches last week, hitting the net in 2-1 losses to Western Michigan (Friday) and Tulsa (Sunday). Dombrowski earned All-Tournament honors with his performance.

Matt Spiess, UIC
Fr. * F * St. Louis, Mo.
Spiess, who sat out all of last year with an injury, scored a goal and an assist in his collegiate debut to lift UIC past Marquette on Sunday. Spiess opened the scoring early in the second half and set up the eventual match-winner.

Ryan Schwarz, Valparaiso
So. * GK * Rockford, Ill.
Schwarz logged 14 saves in matches against North Carolina State and Duke. He stopped nine shots against the fourth-ranked Blue Devils, holding Duke off the scoreboard for more than 68 minutes Sunday.

Tony Labudovski, Wright State
Sr. * M * Reynoldsburg, Ohio
Labudovski returned from injury to score the overtime match-winner in the Raiders' season-opening, 1-0 victory over Western Michigan. Labudovski hit the net in the 105th minute for his first goal since Nov. 11, 2005.

News From Around the League

Bulldogs race to tournament title
Butler is off to a 2-0-0 start after claiming the championship of Dayton's Flyer Classic. The Bulldogs defeated St. Francis (Pa.) 3-2 on junior forward Frank Patano's goal with 39 seconds left Friday, but needed no late heroics in Sunday's 4-0 rout of Sacramento State.

Patano was named the tournament MVP with three goals and an assist, while sophomore forward Boris Gatzky netted his first goal as a Bulldog. Gatzky, a transfer from Gardner-Webb University and the Atlantic Sun Conference Freshman of the Year in 2006, joined Patano, sophomore goalkeeper Fabian Knopfler and junior forward Eduardo Garcia on the All-Tournament Team.

Knopfler and junior Nick Hegeman combined for the shutout Sunday as Butler out-shot Sacramento State 22-5 and allowed only two shots on goal.Freshmen Dustin Mares and Ben Sippola each scored his first collegiate goal on Sunday, with Sippola's marker in the 36th minute off a Patano assist proving to be the match-winner.

Butler shoots for its second consecutive tournament title this weekend, heading to Bowling Green, Ky., for Western Kentucky's Fairfield Inn Bowling Green Invitational. The Bulldogs meet the host Hilltoppers Friday and complete the trip with Sunday's matinee against Appalachian State.

Flames win opener with offense
UIC featured the nation's top-ranked defense in 2006, but it was the Flames' attack that grabbed the spotlight in Sunday's season-opener.

UIC hit the net three times in a 12-minute span of the second half for a 3-1 victory over Marquette. Redshirt freshman Matt Spiess opened the scoring in his collegiate debut, with junior forward Dan Simek and junior defender Pat McMahon also logging goals for the hosts.

Spiess was one of five freshman starters making their UIC debuts Sunday. Midfielder Moriba Diallo, defender Robert Younger, forward Kevin Stoll and midfielder Charlie Trout also made their first appearances in the Flames' line-up. Speiess also set up Simek's goal with Trout earning an assist on Spiess' marker.

Senior midfielder Pavle Dundjer and junior defender Pat McMahon logged assists, as well. For Dundjer, it was his first helper since 2005. The three-time First-Team All-League pick led the Flames with eight goals scored last season after collecting seven goals and eight helpers as a sophomore.

Former UIC standout and current U.S. National Team member Jay DeMerit was in attendance at Sunday's match, visiting his alma mater while in town for next Sunday's match versus Brazil.

The Flames hit the road for their next two contests, traveling to Rutgers on Saturday before a Sept. 13 match-up at Akron.

Ramblers split home matches
Loyola stands at 1-1-0 following Friday's 4-2 victory over Cincinnati and a 2-1, overtime loss to Jacksonville on Sunday.

Sophomore forward Michael Ferguson led the way on Friday with three goals against the Bearcats. The hat trick was the first by a Rambler since Nico Tricoci accomplished the feat versus Michigan on Sept. 8, 2000. Sophomore midfielder Eric Gehrig's penalty-kick conversion wrapped up Loyola's scoring, while freshman forward Josh Westberg notched a pair of assists in his collegiate debut.

Westberg was one of three freshmen to start the opener for the defending League champions. Midfielder Willie Koss and defender Will Martin also opened the match against Cincinnati.

Senior midfielder Keum Sung Kim hit the net Sunday, matching his goal total for the entire 2006 campaign with his 18-yard blast late in the first half against Jacksonville. Kim shared the League lead with eight assists last fall.

Loyola out-shot the Dolphins 21-6 but could not find the net and were victimized by a goal 59 seconds into the second extra frame. The Ramblers have attempted 32 shots in their first two contests of the year.

The Ramblers travel west to Kansas City, Mo., for tournament action this weekend. Loyola faces host UMKC on Friday afternoon and battles Oral Roberts in Sunday morning action.

Vikings start fast
Cleveland State carries a 1-1-0 record into the week, defeating Niagara 2-0 on Sunday after opening the season with a 3-1 loss to St. Bonaventure on Friday.

Freshman goalkeeper Nick Harpel earned the shutout in his first collegiate start with a six-save effort at Niagara. Harpel also played a scoreless second half with one save Friday night, giving him 135 minutes without allowing a goal this season.

Sophomore midfielder Marco DiFranco provided some insurance Sunday, steering home sophomore Mitch Boyer's free kick for a 2-0 cushion. An own-goal opened the scoring.

Sophomore defender Steve Trapp made an auspicious return in the season-opener, needing only 3:20 to open the scoring for Cleveland State. Trapp missed all of last season as a redshirt after scoring two goals with four assists in 2005.

CSU has scored three first-half goals, including Trapp's marker and the own-goal 9:42 into the Niagara contest. The Vikings have not scored or allowed a goal after intermission through the first two matches of the year.

Cleveland State continues a five-match road swing this week. CSU visits Western Michigan on Sunday and travels to Kentucky on Sunday before heading to Las Vegas, Nev., for a pair of matches the following weekend.

Phoenix gains split on the road
Green Bay starts the week at 1-1-0 after a two-match road swing to open the season. The Phoenix outlasted Drake 3-2 in overtime Friday before a 3-0 loss at Creighton on Sunday.

The Phoenix got off to a blistering start with two goals in the first three minutes at Drake. Freshman midfielder JC Banks needed only 24 seconds to notch his first collegiate goal off a feed from junior Tosaint Ricketts, and junior Tyler Rosenberg hit the scoresheet at the 2:41 mark with a long shot for a 2-0 cushion.

Drake scored twice to force the extra session, but sophomore forward Francois Basty headed home the match-winner in the 105th minute as Green Bay won its fourth consecutive season-opener. Basty missed most of last season with a foot injury that limited him to four appearances and two assists.

The Phoenix now stands 7-4-2 in overtime during coach Tom Poitras' four-year tenure, including a four-match winning streak in those contests.Banks, freshman midfielder David Prochazka, and freshman midfielder Mike Voigtlander started in their collegiate debuts Friday.

Green Bay remains on the road for matches at DePaul (Friday) and Marquette (Sunday) this week. The Phoenix opens the home portion of the schedule Sept. 15 versus Albany in the opening round of the Green Bay Nike Classic.

Raiders see both ends of shutouts
Wright State split two matches at the Michigan State Classic in East Lansing, Mich. The Raiders opened the season with a 1-0, overtime victory over Western Kentucky before being shut out 2-0 by Oregon State on Sunday.

Senior midfielder Tony Labudovski made a triumphant return Friday with the overtime match-winner for the Raiders. Labudovski missed nearly all of last season with an injury but netted the golden goal in the 105th minute to defeat the Hilltoppers. It was Labudovski's first goal since Nov. 11, 2005, a season in which he hit the net nine goals to earn First-Team All-League honors and Third-Team NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region notice.

Senior goalkeeper Tebias Mason earned the shutout Friday with four saves. Mason had three clean sheets in his debut campaign at Wright State last fall.

Five freshmen made their first collegiate starts, with defender Miles Kruzich and forward Jordan Haggit opening both contests. Midfielder Brian Cothern and defender Andrew Eakle started against Western Kentucky, with midfielder Carl Ebers on the field for the first touch against Oregon State.

Wright State faces more tournament action this weekend, traveling to the Pittsburgh Soccer Classic. The Raiders face host Pittsburgh on Friday before a Sunday match with Robert Morris.

Panthers come up short
Milwaukee dropped a pair of 2-1 decisions at the Middleton Cycle & Fitness Invitational, losing to Western Michigan on Friday and falling in overtime to Tulsa on Sunday.

Senior forward Zeke Dombrowski netted both Panther goals over the weekend to garner All-Tournament honors. His unassisted tally in the 42nd minute tied Sunday's contest, while he opened the scoring Friday with a penalty-kick conversion early in the second half against Western Michigan.

Milwaukee out-shot its two opponents by a combined 28-19 margin, but only 12 of those attempts were on goal. The Panthers also emerged from the weekend with a 14-7 edge in corner kicks.

Junior goalkeeper Ryan Germann stopped four shots in the overtime defeat Sunday, while junior Grant Fernstrum went the distance in net Friday.Ten of the Panthers' last 11 losses in coach Jon Coleman's two seasons have come by one goal and Milwaukee is now 0-7-7 in its last 14 overtime contests, following Sunday's setback to Tulsa.

Milwaukee heads west for a pair of matches this weekend. The Panthers face defending national champion UC Santa Barbara on Friday before taking on Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo on Sunday.

Crusaders learn lessons out East
Valparaiso brings back an 0-2-0 record but gained some valuable experience from its trip to North Carolina, which featured a 2-1 loss to North Carolina State on Friday and a 2-0 setback against fourth-ranked Duke on Sunday.

Valparaiso reached halftime tied in each contest, with junior midfielder Mario Diaz hitting the net in the 25th minute of his first Division I match to even the score versus NCSU. Two other newcomers set up the goal, with junior forward Oscar Lomeli and freshman midfielder Adrian Ortiz earning assists in their first Division I appearances.Sophomore goalkeeper Ryan Schwarz logged 14 saves in the two matches, including nine against the Blue Devils. Valpo held Duke off the scoreboard until the 69th minute, and the hosts eventually tacked on an insurance tally with six minutes remaining.

Schwarz's effort came against a Duke attack that out-shot the Crusaders 28-8. Valpo played the final 42 minutes Friday short-handed following a red-card expulsion. NCSU scored the match-winner with 10:42 remaining.The matches were Valpo's first against a current member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Crusaders return to Indiana for two matches this weekend, hosting IPFW in the home debut Friday before traveling south to meet Evansville on Sunday.

Titans struggle early but rebound Sunday
Detroit stands at 0-2-0 after dropping both contests on a California trip. The Titans lost 6-1 to Northridge on Friday and suffered a 1-0 defeat against Cal State Fullerton on Sunday. The two defeats leave UDM 0-2-0 for the first time since 2003.

Redshirt freshman Jake Munchiando scored the lone Titan goal Friday, knocking a corner kick by junior Simon Zahra into the net in the 30th minute to cut the margin to 2-1. Zahra was making his first appearance in a Titan uniform since transferring from Schoolcraft Community College.

The Titans allowed a goal 85 seconds into Sunday's match but played CSUF on even terms after that. Sophomore goalkeeper Richard Fatyma, in his third year in the program, made his collegiate debut late Sunday after sophomore Bryan Kloss was injured.

Four players---Munchiando, Zahra, Kloss, freshman midfielder Renato Susnja, and freshman forwar Matt Spencer, started Friday after not opening a match for Detroit in 2006. A fifth, freshman midfielder Ken Simon, only played one contest before opting for a medical redshirt.

Detroit returns to action Tuesday, visiting local rival Oakland in the Titans' only action of the week. The match will be a homecoming of sorts for Munchiando, who attended OU last year but did not play.

Horizon League tries to continue success
As a group, the nine Horizon League teams combined for a 7-10-0 (.412) record in the opening week of the season. Only six of those 17 contests were home matches for League squads.

The Horizon League placed two teams in the NCAA Championship last fall, with UIC joining loop champion Loyola in the 48-team field. It was the first time since 2001 that the League had two representatives, and the Flames' 3-0 victory over Western Illinois marked the fifth consecutive year a League institution has reached the second round. Milwaukee won opening-round matches in each of the four previous years.

UIC won the national statistical title for goals-against average, allowing only eight goals last fall. The Flames defeated perennial national power Saint Louis and eventual national champion UC Santa Barbara on the way to the No. 7 spot in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's national rankings (Sept. 26), the best in school history and the first League entry in the top ten since 2002.

Loyola won the League Championship to earn its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance, while Green Bay compiled an impressive 14-6-0 overall record and finished second in the regular season and the League summit. The Phoenix joined the two Chicago schools to give the League three teams among the NSCAA's top-ten rankings in the Great Lakes Region.