Dec. 18, 2000

Chicago, Ill. - UIC senior Eric Lukin (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) has been named a National Soccer Coaches Association of America Third Team All-American and a CollegeSoccer.com Honorable Mention All-American it was announced recently after leading the Flames' soccer program to their most memorable season in school history.

A 1999 NSCAA Second Team All-American, Lukin tallied 15 goals and 10 assists for 40 points this fall and was hailed the Midwestern Collegiate Conference Player of the Year for the second straight season. Lukin also put in seven game-winning goals in 2000 and wraps up his career as UIC's all-time leading scorer with 50 goals and 33 assists for 133 points.

The Flames also enjoyed a remarkable year in 2000 as they captured their second straight MCC regular-season and tournament titles while advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year. This season, however, not only did UIC reach the NCAA Tourney, but it also made some noise as it knocked off Bradley, 1-0, in the first round and advanced to the Sweet 16 where it eventually fell at #3 Stanford, 6-0.

UIC, which won a school record 18 games in 2000, finishes the year ranked #21 in the country in the final NSCAA poll to achieve its first-ever national ranking. Maddog Soccer, a website dedicated entirely to college soccer, the Flames finished ranked #19.