UIC's magical run ends in quarterfinals of NCAA men's soccer tournament

Dec. 9, 2007

Massachusetts 2, UIC 1 Box Score
Amherst, Mass. - Behind goals from Stuart Amick and Mike DeSantis and a spectacular effort by goalkeeper Zack Simmons, host UMass defeated UIC, 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship. With the win, the Minutemen (17-7-1) advance to the College Cup for the first time in program history.

The two goals were the first allowed by UIC in the NCAA Tournament and tied the most the Flames had given up all season.

Sunday's match started as a defensive battle for both sides. UIC outshot UMass 7-4 in the first half, but each team played excellent defense within the 18-yard boxes to clear away any dangerous threats. Each keeper finished the opening frame with one save.

In the second half, UMass pressured early earning the first goal of the game just 2:56 into the frame. Greg Cirillo advanced the ball up the right flank sending a cross into the box finding Mark DeSantis. DeSantis flicked the ball to Stuart Amick just outside the left post. Amick quickly got a foot on the ball firing it into the top right corner of the goal.

The Flames answered 10 minutes later, turning up its offensive pressure and midfield play keeping possession in its offensive third during that time. After winning a corner, Charlie Trout put the ball in play towards the near post. A UMass defender initially headed the ball clear, but Mike Giffin controlled the loose ball and blasted a shot from 18 yards out for the equalizer for his second goal of the season.

The match remained tied for the next 21 minutes until Mike DeSantis nailed the go-ahead marker at the 79:45 mark. UMass earned a side-line throw-in in the far corner and Doug Rappaport heaved a pass into the box. The ball was deflected out where Cirillo fired a shot from outside the box towards the left post. DeSantis got a foot on Cirillo's shot deflecting it just inside the right post for the match-winner.

The Flames held a 17-8 advantage in shots and a 5-1 edge in corner kicks.

Simmons made five saves for the game for UMass, including four in the second half. He made several spectacular saves late in the game to keep the Minutemen alive. Jovan Bubonja made three saves in goal for the Flames.

UIC finishes the season at 13-6-6 after having an eight-match unbeaten streak snapped. The Flames were 6-5-5 after a los on Oct. 28 before entering Sunday's contests on a 7-0-1 run that included the Horizon League championship.

UIC was attempting to become the first team to reach the College Cup without playnig a single match at home, since the tournament expanded to 48 teams in 2001. Coach John Trask's crew had eliminated three teams ranked in the top 16 in the national polls -- #12/11 Saint Louis (6-5 in PKs), #16/16 Northwestern (2-0) and #7/12 Creighton (1-0) -- all on the road to earn the trip to Amherst.

The Flames' run was the Horizon League's deepest entry into the national tournament since Evansville reached the national semifinals in 1990 when the Aces represented the Midwestern Collegiate Conference. The MCC was renamed the Horizon League in 2001.