Aug. 23, 2007

Chicago, Ill.- The UIC men's soccer team was selected as the preseason favorite to capture the 2007 Horizon League Championship when the league's preseason poll of its head coaches was unveiled on Thursday (August 23rd).

After turning in a phenomenal 2006 campaign that saw the Flames earn the Horizon League regular season title and an NCAA Tournament berth behind the nation's top-rated defense, UIC is expected to remain the league's best in 2007. The Flames received eight of a possible eight first-place votes in the poll.

Green Bay finished in second place in the poll, followed by Milwaukee, Loyola, Butler, Cleveland State, Detroit, Wright State and Valparaiso.

Last year UIC finished 13-3-5 overall and 5-1-1 in league play en route to its first Horizon League crown since 2000. The Flames went on to advance to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.

During the season the Flames made a historic run in the national polls. UIC spent 11 consecutive weeks in the national rankings, an unprecedented feat in UIC soccer history, while achieving the program's highest-ever national ranking (No. 6) and becoming a consensus Top 10 team for the very first time.

At the close of 2006 the Flames received a pair of national statistical titles. With only eight goals allowed in 21 matches, UIC posted a 0.36 team goals-against average that served as the best mark in the NCAA that year. It was also the fourth-best team goals-against average in NCAA history.

UIC also featured the nation's best team save percentage (.908), which stands as the best in NCAA history.

Head coaches could not vote for their own squad in the poll.

UIC begins the regular season with a home encounter against Marquette at Flames Field on Sunday, September 2nd at 6:00 p.m. Central.