UIC wins 2007 Horizon League Men's Soccer Championship
Nov. 18, 2007
(#3 seed) UIC 3, (#4 seed) Green Bay 1 Box ScoreChicago, Ill. - Third seed UIC captured the Horizon League Men's Soccer Championship and earned the circuit's automatic entry into the NCAA Championship with a 3-1 victory over fourth seed Green Bay at Loyola Soccer Park. The Flames will advance to the national tournament for the second year in a row after earning an at-large berth in 2006.
Kevin Stoll, Pat McMahon and Pavle Dundjer scored for UIC (11-5-5), which won the League title for the first time since 2000. The Flames defeated the Phoenix 3-1 in the title match that year, as well, and avenged their only League loss of the season (1-0 at Green Bay on Oct. 18). Green Bay fell in the championship showdown for the second year in a row, following a 1-0 setback against Loyola at UIC in the 2006 finale.
UIC took a 1-0 halftime lead on the strength of Stoll's marker at the 38:13 mark. Robert Younger headed Mike Giffin's corner kick to Stoll, who beat Green Bay netminder Adam Stikl to the right side for the only goal of the first half. It was Stoll's third marker of 2007, with all three tallies coming in the League Championship.
The Flames stretched the margin to 2-0 late in the second half on a similar play. Giffin's corner kick found Cesar Zambrano for a shot. McMahon beat a Phoenix defender to the deflection and knocked the rebound into the left corner of the net for his second goal of the season and a commanding two-goal cushion at the 75:01 mark.
That insurance goal proved to be important less than four minutes later, as the Flames were called for a foul inside the penalty area. David Prochazka converted the PK opportunity to pull Green Bay back to within one goal.
Green Bay (11-5-6) pushed forward in an attempt to tie the match, Dundjer put the contest out of reach in the final minute, hitting an open net after Stikl came out to challenge for a long clearing attempt. He and a Flames player collided, leaving Dundjer alone for his fifth goal of the season.
UIC outshot the Phoenix 15-14, with Jovan Bubonja recording four saves in the victory. The PK was the only goal he allowed in three matches in the tournament, as Bubonja was one of five Flames named to the all-tournament team. He was joined by teammates Dundjer, Stoll and Younger, along with Championship Most Valuable Player Zambrano.
Tosaint Ricketts, Dan O'Brien and Prochazka represented the Phoenix on the all-tournament squad, with Milwaukee's Steve Bode and Loyola teammates Michael Ferguson and Keum Sung Kim also honored.
UIC will learn its next opponent Monday afternoon, when the NCAA announces the 48-team field for the national tournament. ESPNEWS will carry the release of the brackets at 5:30 p.m. (Eastern time / 4:30 Central).
2007 Horizon League Men's Soccer Championship All-Tournament TeamSteve Bode, Milwaukee Jovan Bubonja, UICPavle Dundjer, UICMichael Ferguson, LoyolaKeum Sung Kim, LoyolaDan O'Brien, Green BayDavid Prochazka, Green BayTosaint Ricketts, Green BayKevin Stoll, UICRobert Younger, UICMVP: Cesar Zambrano, UIC
