Aug. 28, 2008
UIC Soccer Match Notes in PDF Format 
MATCH 1:
UIC FLAMES
(0-0-0, No. 16 NSCAA/adidas, No. 17 College Soccer News, No. 18 SoccerTimes.com, No. 21 Soccer America)
vs.
UMKC (0-0-0)
Friday, August 29 * 7:00 p.m. Central
Flames Field * Chicago, Ill.
Chicago, Ill.- Less than a year removed from its historic run to the 2007 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, the 16th-ranked UIC men's soccer team begins a new campaign this Friday night as the Flames host UMKC in the 2008 season opener.
The action kicks off at 7 p.m. at Flames Field, located directly behind the UIC Physical Education Building at 901 W. Roosevelt Road on UIC's South Campus.
The Flames, ranked in all four major national polls heading into Friday's season opener, hope to take their progression into a college soccer power a step further after finishing just one win away from the program's first-ever College Cup berth last season.
There is no better place for UIC to begin another memorable run than at home. UIC has tasted defeat just once at Flames Field in the last two seasons, going an incredible 13-1-4 since the 2006 home opener. The Flames have gone 10-1-1 in openers held on the Flames Field pitch.
Eight starters from last year's Elite Eight side return, including Hermann Trophy candidate and preseason All-American Jovan Bubonja. The junior goalkeeper totes an impressive list of accomplishments that includes a paltry 0.47 goals-against average and a school-record 22 career clean sheets.
While the Flames enter the year as a consensus nationally-ranked team, fourth-year head coach John Trask has his program's sights set squarely on the first opponent and not on preseason polls.
"It's nice to be the first consensus Top 25 team in school history, but I really don't think that UMKC or any other opponent is too concerned about our preseason rankings," said Trask. "A better question for this team is whether they will be nationally-ranked four weekends from now after the Chicago Classic."
Friday's opener begins a two-match homestand that will conclude on Labor Day night against perennial national power Santa Clara, a team ranked No. 1 in the country by TopDrawerSoccer. Other opponents making their way to Flames Field this season include 2007 national runner-up Ohio State and Chicago Classic foes Princeton and Loyola Marymount.
For more information on UIC men's soccer, click on the link above for the first edition of 2008 UIC Men's Soccer Match Notes.
