Nov. 13, 1999

The University of Illinois at Chicago soccer team (17-3) got an early first half goal and held on for a 1-0 victory over Fairfield University at Flames Field today in an NCAA Play-In game. The win gives UIC its first-ever invitation to the NCAA Tournament which begins next week.

"I am so proud of these guys," Head Coach Sasha Begovic said moments after the game. "They have worked so hard for this and to achieve it today is a great feeling. It was a tough win, but you know when you're playing at this time of year any game is going to be tough and Fairfield certainly was."

Senior John Collins (Bloomingdale, Ill./Glenbard North) provided UIC's lone goal of the game, and his sixth of the season, in the fifth minute of the first half as he took the feed from Stein Garcia (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Hoffman Estates) and drilled a shot into the left corner of the goal from 20 yards out.

Goalkeeper Chris Jamal (Palatine, Ill./Palatine), who is ranked 18th in the country for goals against average (0.78), was solid between the posts as he stopped five shots and kept his composure during a mad scramble in the game's final moments. The 1-0 shutout was his seventh of the season while it improved his record this fall to 16-3.

The Flames, who have now won 12 straight and 18 consecutive at home, earned the right to a play-in game after capturing the Midwestern Collegiate Conference tournament title last Sunday. Fairfield received a spot in the play-in game after snagging the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament championship last weekend.

UIC, also the MCC regular-season champions, will learn where they're headed on Monday night when the NCAA Tournament bracket is announced at 8:00 p.m. (CST).