Men's Soccer Weekly Release #7

Oct. 8, 2007

Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

Horizon League Player of the Week

Ryan Germann, Milwaukee
Junior * Goalkeeper * Madison, Wis.
Germann helped lead the Panthers to a pair of victories on the road over the weekend, recording back-to-back shutouts against Butler and Wright State. He stopped four shots---including a penalty kick---in a 3-0 victory at BU on Friday and needed only two saves to post a 1-0 triumph at WSU on Sunday. The shutouts were his first of 2007.

Other Top Performances for the Week Ending October 7

Nick Hegeman, Butler
Jr. * GK * Zionsville, Ind.
Hegeman got the starting call just minutes before Sunday's match versus Green Bay and made only his third career start. He responded with nine saves to lead the Bulldogs to a 0-0 draw against the League front-runner.

Tosaint Ricketts, Green Bay
Jr. * F * Edmonton, Alberta
Ricketts scored a pair of goals, including the match-winner with 13 seconds remaining, to give the Phoenix a 2-1 victory at Wright State on Friday. He has helped Green Bay post a nine-match unbeaten streak.

Bryan Byrne, Loyola
Jr. * GK * Arlington Heights, Ill.
Byrne recorded two shutouts over the weekend, giving the Ramblers a scoreless draw at Detroit on Friday and a 2-0 victory at Cleveland State on Sunday. He stopped six shots and now has four shutouts in his last five outings.

Baggio Husidic, UIC
So. * M * Velika Kladusa, Bosnia
Husidic scored his first collegiate goal Friday, staking the Flames to a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute at Cleveland State. He became the eighth different Flame to score a goal this season.

Paul Leitelt, Valparaiso
Jr. * M * Munster, Ind.
Leitelt netted the match-winner at Detroit on Friday, providing all the scoring in a 1-0 victory to give Valpo its first-ever Horizon League triumph. He leads all active Crusaders with nine goals in his career.

Roger Downing, Wright State
Jr. * D * Huber Heights, Ohio
Downing notched his first goal of the year with a header off a throw-in in the 88th minute Friday, tying the match against Green Bay. The goal ended a 478-minute scoreless streak for Wright State.

Previous Player-of-the-Week Honorees:
Sept. 3 -- Frank Patano, Butler
Sept. 10 -- Nick Harpel, Cleveland State
Sept. 17 -- Dan O'Brien, Green Bay
Sept. 24 -- Michael Ferguson, Loyola
Oct. 1 -- JC Banks, Green Bay

News From Around the League

Phoenix keeps streak alive
Green Bay is unbeaten in its last nine matches (6-0-3), moving to 7-2-3 overall and 2-0-1 in the League. The Phoenix edged Wright State2-1 on Friday before battling Butler to a scoreless draw on Sunday.

Junior forward Tosaint Ricketts scored both goals at WSU, including the match-winner with 13 seconds remaining. Ricketts now has four goals and one assist for nine points on the season, ranking second behind freshman forward JC Banks (five goals and 11 points) on the team scoring charts.

Senior midfielder Dan O'Brien is tied for the League lead with five assists, one more than sophomore forward Francois Basty.

Junior goalkeeper Adam Stikl had a 509:42 scoreless streak end when Wright State scored with 2:45 left in regulation. Stikl stopped two shots Sunday for his fifth shutout of the season, lowering his goals-against average to 0.85. He ranks second in the League in both categories, with four of the five clean sheets coming in the last six outings.

Green Bay's nine-match unbeaten streak is the sixth-longest in team history and the longest since a program-best 14-match string in 1992.

The Phoenix is 4-0-1 at home this season and attempts to continue that pattern of success when Green Bay hosts Cleveland State on Friday and Detroit on Sunday.

Panthers claw to top of League standings
Milwaukee broke into the win column for the first time in 2007, improving to 2-8-1 with two road victories last week. Those triumphs---3-0 at Butler on Friday and 1-0 at Wright State on Sunday---also pushed the Panthers into a tie atop the League standings at 2-0-1.

Friday's victory snapped a ten-match winless streak, including the Panthers' quarterfinal-round loss in last year's League Championship. That had been the longest streak in program history. It was also Milwaukee's first victory in seven tries away from Engelmann Field.

Sunday marked Milwaukee's 11th consecutive victory over Wright State, with eight of those coming by shutout.

Junior goalkeeper Ryan Germann recorded his first two shutouts of the season with four saves Friday and two more in Sunday's contest. He also lowered his goals-against average to 1.29.

Senior midfielder Zeke Dombrowski scored the match-winner on Sunday after adding an insurance marker late in Friday's contest. Dombrowski leads the Panthers with four goals and nine points this season.

The Panthers open a four-match homestand with three contests this week, starting Wednesday versus Wisconsin. Milwaukee returns to Horizon League play with matches Friday versus Detroit and Sunday against Cleveland State.

Ramblers shut down the opposition
Loyola comes into the week at 5-3-3 overall and 1-0-2 in League play. The Ramblers battled Detroit to a scoreless standoff Friday before a 2-0 victory at Cleveland State on Sunday.

Sophomore forward Michael Ferguson posted his League-high eighth goal of the season at CSU. He also tops the League charts with 17 points this season. Ferguson has played a role in nine of Loyola's 14 goals this year.

Senior midfielder Keum Sung Kim added an insurance marker in the waning minutes Sunday for his second goal of the year. Kim had only one goal in 2006, but it was the match-winner in the League Championship title victory over Green Bay. Sophomore midfielder Eric Gehrig is the only other Rambler with more than one goal so far in 2007, hitting the net twice.

Junior goalkeeper Brian Byrne stopped a total of six shots in the two victories, his fourth and fifth shutouts of the season. He was the beneficiary of a Rambler defense that held Detroit and Cleveland State to a combined 15 shots in the two contests. Byrne stands third in the League with a 0.92 goals-against average and is tied for second place (with Green Bay's Adam Stikl) with those five shutouts. He has allowed only one goal in his last five outings.

The Ramblers host Wright State on Friday and conclude a brief two-match homestand with a Sunday matinee versus Butler.

Bulldogs halt slide with important tie
Butler stands at 4-5-3 overall (1-1-1 in the League). The Bulldogs suffered a 3-0 loss to Milwaukee on Friday but snapped a three-match losing streak by playing first-place Green Bay to a scoreless draw on Sunday.

Butler is now 1-4-2 inside the borders of Indiana this season, but 3-1-1 when crossing state lines.

Junior goalkeeper Nick Hegeman drew the start Sunday. After being informed of the assignment just minutes before the match. Hegeman responded with a nine-save effort to preserve the draw. Hegeman, who replaced the injured Fabian Knopfler in net, had notched three saves in limited duty prior to Sunday. The start was his first since 2005.

Junior forward Frank Patano continues to lead the team with six goals and 13 points, ranking second in the League in both categories. Sophomore forward Boris Gatzky is tied for the League lead with five assists, adding three goals for a total of 11 points to rank third on that League list.

Butler had scored a League-high 20 goals in its first ten matches but now has gone 257:18 without hitting the net, since a goal late in the first half versus Evansville on Sept. 30.

Butler travels to Chicago for a pair of weekend matches. The Bulldogs are at UIC on Friday before visiting Loyola on Sunday.

Crusaders earn first League victory
Valparaiso moved to 3-7-2 overall after splitting two matches last week. The Crusaders' 1-0 victory at Detroit on Wednesday marked Valpo's first-ever Horizon Leauge triumph, lifting the League's newest entry to 1-2-2 in loop play this fall. Valpo also suffered a 4-0 defeat at Eastern Illinois on Sunday.

Junior midfielder Paul Leitelt hit the net for the only goal against UDM, taking a pass from freshman midfielder Adrian Ortiz for his first goal of the season. Leitelt leads all active Crusaders with nine career markers.

Ortiz set up Leitelt's deciding tally, logging his fifth assist of the year. Ortiz is tied for the League lead in that category.

Sophomore goalkeeper Ryan Scharz earned his first shutout of the year with three saves against the Titans. Schwarz now has five clean sheets in his career, tying for fourth place on Valpo's career charts. His 56 saves this season are third-most in the League and part of a stat line that also includes a 1.88 goals-against average.

Reserve goalkeeper Sean McGinnis made his second appearance of the year Sunday, playing the final 22:20 without allowing a goal.

Valparaiso has only one match on the schedule in the next 13 days. The Crusaders travel to Western Michigan on Tuesday and are then idle until meeting Michigan State on Oct. 21.

Flames fit to be tied
UIC carries a 4-3-4 overall record after opening the League slate with ties at Cleveland State (1-1 on Friday) and at Detroit (0-0 on Sunday). The Flames also dropped a 1-0 decision to #17 Indiana on Wednesday.

The weekend's action concluded a seven-match road swing for UIC, marking the longest of its kind in school history. The Flames posted a 2-2-3 record in that stretch and will now play five of their next six contests at home.

Sophomore midfielder Baggio Husidic scored the team's only goal at Cleveland State, becoming the eighth different Flame to hit the net this season. Four players---senior midfielder Cesar Zambrano, freshman midfielder Charlie Trout, freshman forward Matt Spiess and junior forward Dan Simek---each have three goals, with Zambrano adding two assists for a team-high eight points.

Sophomore goalkeeper Jovan Bubonja leads the League with a 0.67 goals-against average. He recorded four saves Sunday for his fourth shutout of the year.

The Flames have outshot their opponents 166-89 this season, including 32-18 in the two ties last week.

UIC opens that extended home stretch Friday versus Butler prior to a Sunday match versus Wright State. The contest with Butler marks the Flames' first home contest since Sept. 18.

Titans relying on defense
Detroit stands at 4-5-4 overall and 0-1-2 in League action. The Titans opened the loop slate with a 1-0 loss to Valparaiso on Wednesday before playing Loyola to a scoreless draw Friday and matching that result versus UIC on Sunday.

Detroit has not hit the net in the last 416:11 since a goal early in the second half against Xavier on Sept. 28. Sophomore goalkeeper Bryan Kloss has helped UDM salvage two ties during that stretch with six saves each against Loyola and UIC. He compiled a 0.29 goals-against average for the week, lowering his season pace to 1.03. Kloss also leads the circuit with 61 saves and six shutouts this fall.

The Titans have been held off the scoreboard seven times in 13 contests. Each of UDM's last seven outings have featured a shutout by at least one team, with the last six finishing either 0-0 or 1-0.

Junior midfielder Reanto Susnja leads the team with four goals and nine points this fall, ranking fourth and fifth, respectively, in those departments on the League lists. Freshman Jake Munchiando and freshman midfielder Ken Simon have two goals apiece.

The Titans hit the road for two matches in Wisconsin this weekend. Detroit travels to Milwaukee on Friday and concludes the trip at Green Bay on Sunday.

Vikings looking for offense
Cleveland State moved to 3-6-2 overall after opening League play with a 1-1 draw against UIC on Friday and a 2-0 loss to Loyola on Sunday.

The Vikings have managed more than one goal only once this season (a 2-0 victory over Niagara on Sept. 2) and has been outscored 16-9 for the year. CSU was outshot 14-7 by UIC and 12-4 by Loyola.

Sophomore defender Mitch Boyer connected for the match-tying goal Friday, converting a penalty kick with 6:39 remaining in regulation to help salvage a point in the League standings. The goal was his first of the season, putting Boyer into an eight-way tie for the team lead in that department. He paces the Vikings with four assists and six points, with the set-up count tying Boyer for fourth place in the League in that department.

Freshman goalkeeper Nick Harpel recorded six saves Friday and five more Sunday while lowering his goals-against average to 1.17. He has three shutouts this season.

Cleveland State continues League play this weekend, visiting Green Bay on Sunday before a Sunday stop at Milwaukee. The Vikings are 3-3-1 away from home compared to an 0-3-1 mark at Krenzler Field. CSU has only two more home matches on the schedule: Oct. 19 versus Butler and Oct. 26 against Detroit.

Raiders' scoring woes continue
Wright State saw its losing streak reach eight matches, falling to 2-9-0 on the year and 0-2-0 in League play. The Raiders were shut out 3-0 by Akron on Wednesday and 1-0 by Milwaukee on Sunday, but nearly gained a tie against Green Bay on Friday night. The Raiders tied the score in the 88th minute but yielded a goal with 13 seconds remaining to lose, 2-1.

Wright State has been outscored 15-2 during its slide, managing only one goal in its last six outings. Junior defender Roger Downing scored that lone marker, heading home a throw-in with 2:45 to play for his first goal of the year. The strike ended a 478-minute scoreless streak for WSU.

Senior goalkeeper Tebias Mason kept the Raiders in contention with four stops Friday. He ranks second in the circuit with 59 saves this season while compiling a 1.62 goals-against average. Freshman Matt Koewler made his first career start in net versus Milwaukee, recording two saves in a losing effort.

Senior midfielder Tony Labudovski continues to lead the team with two goals, both overtime match-winners. Downing, junior midfielder Milovan Milosevic and sophomore midfielder Adam Harp have the only other markers for Wright State in 2007, as the Raiders have hit the net only five times in 11 contests.

Wright hosts visits Loyola on Friday before concluding the weekend at UIC on Sunday.

Ties becoming the latest fashion trend
Teams receive three points for a win and one for a tie when determining seeds for the League Championship. Points are coming at a premium so far, as six of the 13 League matches played have finished as ties. Last year, only two of 28 League contests concluded without a winner.

The League race continues this week with four loop contests Friday and four more on Sunday. The two teams tied atop the standings both play at home, with Green Bay hosting Cleveland State and Milwaukee entertaining Detroit. The rest of Friday's schedule sees UIC facing Butler in the Flames' first home match since Sept. 18, while Wright State visits Loyola.

Travel partners flip sites Sunday, with Cleveland State going to Milwaukee and Detroit traveling north to Green Bay, while Wright State battles UIC and Butler plays at Loyola.

Valparaiso is idle in terms of League play, with a Tuesday date at Western Michigan marking the Crusaders' only competition until Oct. 21. Milwaukee plays the other non-League match, hosting in-state rival Wisconsin on Wednesday evening to open a four-match homestand.

The League Championship begins Nov. 9, with the teams seeded 4-6 hosting teams ranked 7-9. The winners of those matches join the third seed in second-round action (Nov. 11) before action moves to the home of the top seed for semifinals (Nov. 16) and the final (Nov. 18).