Men's Soccer Weekly Release #9

Oct. 16, 2006

Horizon League Player of the Week

Braden Fleak, Wright State
Freshman * Forward * Sunbury, Ohio
Fleak provided the firepower in the Raiders' 4-2 victory over Detroit on Sunday, scoring two goals (including the match-winner) and adding an assist as Wright State snapped a six-match losing streak and posted its first League victory of the season. Fleak currently ranks second in the League with 12 goals and 27 points this year.

Other Top Performances for the Week Ending October 15

John DeVae, Butler
Sr. * F * Elmhurst, Ill.
DeVae scored the only goal of the match versus UIC on Sunday. The former Flame's 18-yard blast in the 17th minute was the difference in the 1-0 victory. He also had an assist on the lone Bulldog tally in a 2-1 loss to Detroit on Friday.

Andrew Gutting, Cleveland State
Fr. * F * Erie, Pa.
Gutting scored the equalizer at the 87:17 giving the Vikings a 2-2 draw versus IPFW on Wednesday. Gutting, who has six assists this season, is tied for the team lead in scoring with ten points.

Pavle Dundjer, UIC
Jr. * M * Belgrade, Serbia
Dundjer scored the match-winning goal versus Northwestern on Tuesday, leading UIC past the Wildcats 1-0 in a battle between two of the top ten teams in the Great Lakes Region. The goal was his fourth of the season.

Iradj Farahmand, Loyola
Jr. * D * Northbrook, Ill.
Farahmand scored his first career goal on a PK in the second half of Loyola's 2-1 loss to Michigan State on Sunday. The 2005 Second-Team All-League pick entered the match with one point in his collegiate career.

Tosaint Ricketts, UW-Green Bay
So. * F * Edmonton, Alberta
Scored his seventh goal of the year against Loyola, hitting the net with what proved to be the match-winner in a battle between the top two teams in the League standing to put UW-Green Bay one step closer to the regular-season title.

Craig Mallace, UW-Milwaukee
Sr. * M * Torphichen, Scotland
Mallace played a key role in two Panther victories, scoring the game-winner in a 1-0 decision over Michigan on Friday, and putting UWM on the board with the first goal in a 2-1 triumph over Cleveland State on Sunday.

Previous Players of the Week:
Aug. 28 -- Tonci Skroce, UIC
Sept. 4 -- Grant Fernstrum, UW-Milwaukee
Sept. 11 -- Eric Cervantes, UIC
Sept. 18 -- Jason Massoglia, Detroit
Sept. 25 -- Eric Cervantes, UIC
Oct. 2 -- Joshua Okoampa, UW-Green Bay
Oct. 9 -- Alex Jones, Loyola

News From Around the League

Phoenix takes command in title chase
UW-Green Bay extended its winning streak to six matches, moving to 11-3-0 overall with a 2-1 victory over Loyola on Friday. In the process, the Phoenix---which has not lost since Sept. 17 ---took control of the League standings at 5-0-0 and can win its first loop regular-season crown since 1994. UW-Green Bay defends the Chancellor's Cup versus UW-Milwaukee on Wednesday before a Sunday showdown at UIC.

The winning streak is UWGB's longest in 14 years. UW-Green Bay had an 14-match unbeaten streak including 11 consecutive wins in 1992, when the Phoenix set a school record with 16 victories in a 16-2-1 campaign. That run featured 10 shutouts in a row, but this year's edition is based on an attack that ranks among the nation top ten in scoring with an average of 2.57 goals per game.

Sophomore forward Tosaint Ricketts netted the match-winner versus Loyola (his seventh goal of the season), while junior midfielder Dan O'Brien had the other Phoenix strike. O'Brien moved into third place on the team scoring charts with eight points (two goals, four assists), trailing Ricketts (seven goals, 15 points) and senior forward Joshua Okoampa on the team charts. Okoampa had entered that match ranked fourth in the nation with 13 goals and 32 points but was held off the scoresheet for the first time in six matches.

Flames see shutout streak snapped
UIC begins the week at 11-2-2 (4-1-0 in the League) after winning two of three matches last week. The Flames edged Northwestern 1-0 on Tuesday in a battle of teams in the Great Lakes Region top ten, and outlasted Wright State 2-1 in overtime on Friday before falling 1-0 at Butler on Sunday.

Senior forward Tonci Skroce converted a penalty kick to defeat WSU. The kick was his League-best fifth match-winner of the season and his tenth in the last two years. Skroce tops the Flame scoring charts with seven goals and 18 points, with senior forward Eric Cervantes adding six goals and 13 points.

Wright State's goal with 5:57 left in regulation ended a 425-minute shutout streak by freshman goalkeeper Jovan Bubonja, who still leads the League with his 0.40 goals-against average. UIC had boasted the nation's top defense (0.33 GAA) prior to last week and has yielded only six goals this season.

UIC out-shot the Raiders 35-13 on Friday. The 35 shots were the most by a League team this season and included 12 attempts in 18:06 of overtime.

The loss to Butler put a crimp in UIC's regular-season title hopes, but the Flames can still claim their first regular-season crown in six years with victories over Loyola on Friday and UW-Green Bay on Sunday.

Ramblers stumble in tough weekend
Loyola dropped both of its matches last week, falling 2-1 at UW-Green Bay on Friday and suffering a 2-1 loss to Michigan State on Sunday. The defeats pushed the Ramblers to 9-6-0 overall, including a 4-1-0 mark in League play.

Junior defender Iradj Farahmand scored his first career goal with a penalty-kick conversion versus MSU. Farahmand was a Second-Team All-League pick in 2005 but entered the match with one point in a Loyola uniform.

Senior forward Matt Marek scored his fourth goal of the season at UW-Green Bay. Three of those four markers are match-winners.

A pair of freshmen pace the Ramblers' attack, with Alex Jones atop the team charts at six goals and 12 points, just ahead of Michael Ferguson (five goals, 11 points). Those two freshmen account for 61 percent of the team's 18 goals this season.

Senior goalkeeper Sean Bond ranks second in the League with a 0.76 goals-against average and shares the loop lead with his seven shutouts this season.

Loyola has clinched home-field advantage for the first round of the League Championship, and will host a quarterfinal match for the first time since 2000. The Ramblers were the second seed that year, finishing that season at 11-8-1---the school's only double-digit win victory total since 1996.

Panthers get back on winning track
UW-Milwaukee won a pair of matches last week, climbing to 6-8-2 overall and 2-2-1 in League play after a 1-0 triumph over Michigan on Friday and a 2-1 victory over Cleveland State on Sunday. The Panthers carry a four-match unbeaten streak into the week, going 3-0-1 since a 1-0 loss to UIC on Oct. 3.

Sophomore Ryan Germann stepped into the starting line-up in goal for the Panthers on Friday, making his UWM debut with a seven-save shutout. He also went the first 88:39 without allowing a goal versus CSU.

The Panthers took a season-high 32 shots against Cleveland State, including ten by senior Steve Sperl. UWM has now won 17 consecutive matches versus the Vikings since 1989, out-scoring CSU 63-11 during that span.

UW-Milwaukee attempts to re-gain the Chancellor's Cup in Wednesday's home date versus UW-Green Bay. Home-field advantage has been important to UWM this season, as the Panthers are now 6-1-1 at Engelmann Field but 0-7-1 away from their campus. The Panthers close the regular season Sunday at Loyola.

Senior midfielder Craig Mallace has scored two goals and two assists in his last three matches to take over the team scoring lead with 11 points (three goals plus five assists). Sophomore Colin Baker has four goals and one assists for nine points.

Bulldogs stop slide, DeVae beats old team
Butler split two matches last week, climbing to 5-9-2 overall and finishing 2-4-1 in League play. The Bulldogs fell 2-1 to Detroit on Friday but used an early goal by John DeVae and a stellar defensive effort to upset UIC 1-0 on Sunday.

Sunday's victory snapped a six-match winless streak for the Bulldogs, who won for the first time since Sept. 24 (going 0-5-1 since then). The victory was also BU's first ever in the Butler Bowl over a team ranked in the Top 25.

DeVae's goal carried added significance for the senior forward, who played for the Flames in 2003 before transferring to Butler. He has five goals this season, all coming against League competition.

DeVae also set up the lone Bulldog goal versus Detroit, when sophomore forward Frank Patano hit the net for thhe sixth time this season. Patano leads the team with those six strikes and 13 points, but hadn't hit the net since Sept. 13.

Senior goalkeeper Frank Peabody recorded his 12th career shutout against the Flames, ranking fourth in school history in that category. He is also seventh in Butler annals with 132 career saves.

Titans find new scoring threats
Detroit also split two contests last week, moving to 6-7-2 on the season and 2-4-0 in the loop. The Titans held off Butler 2-1 on Friday but could not withstand a second-half flurry in a 4-2 loss at Wright State on Sunday.

UDM closes the League schedule Wednesday at Cleveland State, needing a victory to keep hopes of hosting a first-round match in the League Championship. Detroit was the top seed last year after holding the No. 3 seed in 2003 and 2004.

Four different players scored goals for Detroit last week, with each netting his first marker of the year. Senior Barry Brown and freshman Andres Setaputri hit the net at Butler, with freshman Robert Merritt and sophomore Brandon Powell scoring their initial tallies at WSU.

Senior Vahid Assadpour set up both goals at Butler, giving him a League-high ight this year and 27 for his career. Assadpour moved into second place in Detroit history with those 27 helpers, trailing only Tim Blackwell (a League-record 39 from 1993-96).

Vikings rally for tie, continue progress
Cleveland State stands at 4-9-2 overall (1-4-0 in the League) following a 2-2 draw at IPFW on Wednesday and a 2-1 defeat at UW-Milwaukee on Sunday. The loss at UWM was the fifth one-goal defeat suffered by the Vikings, who have started at least seven freshmen in every match this season. The Vikings are 2-5-2 in matches decided by one goal or less.

One of those freshmen, forward Andrew Gutting, scored the tying goal with 2:43 left in regulation at IPFW. Gutting leads the team with six assists (tied for second in the League) and shares the team scoring lead with ten points. David Stewart---one of only two seniors to start a match for CSU---also has ten points, scoring five goals.

Sophomore goalkeeper Kasey Gray recorded eight saves at Milwaukee after turning in 40:35 of scoreless relief with three stops at IPFW. He has 61 saves this season and lowered his goals-against average to 1.47.

As a team, Cleveland State has yielded only 27 goals in 15 matches this season. CSU allowed 59 in its first 15 outings (and 65 overall) last year.

Raiders break out for victory
Wright State snapped a six-match losing streak Sunday, out-scoring Detroit 4-2. The Raiders took UIC to overtime on Friday before falling 2-1 in overtime, and carry a 6-8-0 record into the week. That ledger includes a 1-5-0 mark in League play.

Freshmen Braden Fleak and Adam Harp each scored two goals in Sunday's victory, which featured three Raider tallies in the final 11 minutes. Fleak also had an assist on the final goal of the contest, giving him five points on the afternoon and 27 for the season. He ranks second in the League in that category, and also with 12 goals.

Junior goalkeeper Tebias Mason recorded a season-high ten saves against the Flames before allowing an overtime PK. He leads the League with 83 saves this season and is four stops away from cracking the single-season top ten in school history.

Senior defender Jonah Baskin forced extra time versus UIC with a 25-yard free kick into the corner of the net with 5:57 left in regulation. He ranks third on the team with three goals, trailing Fleak (12) and Harp (six).

Wright State finishes the League slate Friday, hosting Cleveland State in a match re-scheduled from Sept. 27.

Valpo on verge of school history
Valparaiso, which officially joins the Horizon League next season, fell to 7-6-0 with a 1-0 loss to in-state rival IUPUI on Saturday. The seven victories are Valpo's most since 1998 when the team finished at 8-12-1. The Crusaders still need two more wins to tie the school single-season record of nine, set in 1987.

Freshman goalkeeper Ryan Schwarz stopped five shots for Valpo, while lowering his season goals-against average to 2.06. He has 62 saves and four shutouts in his debut campaign.

Senior forward D.J. Catrow remains the team's top scorer with five goals and 13 poitns. Sophomore midfielder Paul Leitelt has four goals and three helpers for 11 points, with senior midfielder Jeremy Stacy contributing ten points off three goals and four set-ups.

League Championship Preview

As teams enter the final week of the League schedule, three already have secured first-round home dates in the 2006 Horizon League Men's Soccer Championship. UW-Green Bay (5-0-0) stands atop the loop standings, while UIC and Loyola (each 4-1-0) also will have home-field advantage for the (Oct. 28) quarterfinals.

Phoenix in control
UW-Green Bay can wrap up its first regular-season League title since 1994 and gain the top seed with a victory at UIC on Sunday. The Phoenix also visit UW-Milwaukee on Wednesday, but need only a win in Chicago because the Phoenix would then own tie-breaker advantages over both UIC and Loyola, should either Chicago school also finish 6-1-0.

Flames still control fate
UIC has carried the League banner in the national rankings most of the season, but Sunday's loss at Butler leaves little margin for error if UIC is to win the regular-season championship for the first time since 2000. The Flames visit cross-town rival Loyola on Friday before Sunday's showdown against the Phoenix, likely needing to defeat both teams to wear the crown.

Ramblers have hopes but need help
Loyola also can win the regular-season championship, but the Ramblers must defeat UIC on Sunday and UW-Milwaukee on Sunday and have either the Panthers (Friday) or Flames (Sunday) defeat UW-Green Bay. The Ramblers' 2-1 loss at UW-Green Bay last Friday gives the Phoenix an edge should both teams finish tied atop the standings.

Panthers, Titans, Vikings battle for final home spot
UW-Milwaukee (2-2-1, 7 points), Detroit (2-4-0, 6 points) and Cleveland State (1-4-0, 3 points) remain in contention for the right to host the fourth quarterfinal match.

The Panthers control their own fate, hosting UW-Green Bay on Wednesday before traveling to Loyola for Sunday's regular-season finale. A victory in either contest would give the Panthers that home date, although UWM could still claim the third seed with two wins and a tie between UIC and Loyola on Friday. That would put UIC as the second seed, followed by UWM and Loyola (each with 13 points).

Detroit and CSU square off in an elimination contest at Titan Field on Wednesday, before CSU visits Wright State on Friday in a re-match of the team's (Sept. 27) suspended contest. The teams were tied 1-1 at halftime when a lightning storm forced the match to be called, and under NCAA rules the contest must be replayed from the start.

Site for semifinals and title tilt still up in the air
The top seed is important, for more than simply the bracket match-ups. The highest-seeded survivor after the quarterfinals earns the right to host the remainder of the League Championship the following weekend. Semifinals are currently scheduled for Friday, Nov. 3, with the League's automatic entry into the NCAA Championship on the line in the (Sunday, Nov. 5) title showdown. However, if the same school were to host both the men's and women's soccer championships, the men's tournament would shift to Thursday and Saturday, Nov. 2 and 4.

Detroit won the regular-season championship last season but lost in the final match to second-seeded UW-Milwaukee, 1-0. The top seed has won six of the last eight League summits, including Butler (1998), UIC (1999, 2000), and UW-Milwaukee (2002-04). Butler also bucked that trend as the second seed in 2001, defeating the top-seeded Panthers.