Aug. 17, 2004

Chicago, Ill.- Despite fielding a squad with many new faces, the University of Illinois at Chicago soccer team continues to receive respect around the Horizon League after being tabbed for third in the annual league preseason poll. The Flames, gunning for their eighth consecutive double-digit win campaign, received 32 points in a poll of the league's head coaches. UW-Milwaukee, last year's Horizon League champion, topped the poll with six out of eight first-place votes. The Panthers were followed by Butler, UIC, Detroit and Wright State in a tie for fourth, Loyola, Cleveland State and UW-Green Bay. This marks the second time in three years that UIC was picked third in the poll. The Flames earned a third-place ranking in the poll in 2002. UIC finished 10-7-2 last season, narrowly falling in the quarterfinals of the 2003 Horizon League Tournament. This season, after losing 10 letterwinners from last year's squad, the Flames will feature as many as 12 newcomers. The UIC soccer team will open the regular season on Friday, Sept. 3rd at the University of Denver at 4 p.m. The Flames' home opener will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 15th against DePaul at Flames Field beginning at 3 p.m.