UIC's Cervantes earns spot on <i>College Soccer News</i>National

Sept. 26, 2006

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INDIANAPOLIS -- Honors continue to pour in for the University of Illinois at Chicago men's soccer program. Senior forward Eric Cervantes added another chapter to the Flames' impressive month of September when he was named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week on Monday (Sept. 25).

Cervantes also won the Horizon League Player of the Week award for the second time his season after leading the UIC attack with five points (two goals and one assist) in the Flames' 3-0 victory at the University of Detroit Mercy. The senior scored the first and last goal of the match while setting up Pavle Dundjer's insurance strike.

After recording the first multi-goal effort of his collegiate career, Cervantes now has four goals while helping keep UIC undefeated (7-0-2 overall, 1-0-0 in the League) this season. Those four markers tie him for the top spot on the team scoring charts, along with fellow senior Tonci Skroce and junior midfielder Cesar Zambrano.

UIC is one of six remaining unbeaten teams, and is ranked in the top ten in both major national polls (seventh according to the NSCAA and ninth by Soccer America). In addition, Soccer Times puts UIC sixth in its canvass, with College Soccer News listing the Flames tenth.

The rest of the national Team of the Week includes the nation's leading scorer in Winthrop junior Saidi Isaac along with Old Dominion senior Edson Elcock and Western Illinois freshman Martin Browne up front. The midfielder features James Madison senior Kur Morsink plus three freshmen in Sule Anibaba from UC Davis, Scott Campbell of North Carolina, and Maryland's Graham Zusi. On defense, Saint Mary's (Calif.) senior Alex Christlieb and SMU senior Mynor Gonzalez were recognized, along with Georgia Southern senior goalkeeper Adam Webb.

Cervantes and his Flame teammates return to action Thursday (Sept. 28), visiting Wisconsin in non-League play.