Oct. 8, 2010
CHICAGO - The UIC men's soccer team will play its second-consecutive Horizon League road game Saturday, when the Flames travel to Indianapolis to take on No. 14 Butler, at Varsity Field beginning at 3 p.m. Five of the last seven meetings between the Flames and Bulldogs have been decided by just one goal.
UIC (3-6, 1-2 Horizon) is coming off a convincing 4-0 win over host Wright State last Sunday. The Flames received goals from Robert Younger, Drew Wolfe, Paul Tracy and Derek Huffman. Goalkeeper Peter Kikloski preserved the shutout in his first career start between the pipes. The win marked the Flames' first Horizon League victory, and first road win of the season.
Butler (9-0, 3-0 Horizon), the last unbeaten, untied team in the NCAA Division I ranks, is coming off a 2-1 win over visiting Evansville in a non-conference match on Tuesday. The Bulldogs have shutout their last two Horizon League opponents, including a 1-0 win over Valparaiso in double overtime on Oct. 1.
"Every Horizon League game is important, and they are all competitive," said UIC head coach Sean Phillips. "Butler is one of the top-15 teams in the country; they have a core group of older players, and a nice mix of younger guys. This season, they've made the plays that are very characteristic of a mature, experienced soccer team.
"It's going to come down to which team executes the best, and makes the most plays. I thought we had a great week of practice; it was very competitive, and made it very difficult for us as far as player selection for Saturday. That's a good problem to have. Our guys will be ready to play, and we're looking forward to an honest, focused effort. If we make the plays when we have the opportunities, we'll have a great chance to win."
Up top, the Flames have been led by the duo of Huffman and Eric Frazier, who have combined for seven goals, and a total of 18 points. Tracy carded three of his five points with his one goal and one assist at Wright State.
Butler is led by Ben Sippola, who has recorded 15 points this season with five goals and five assists. Adekunle Oluyedlin and Matt Hedges have both added four goals. At home, Butler has out-scored its opponents by a margin of 7-1.
Butler has defeated UIC by a score of 1-0 in each of the past two seasons. In 2007, the teams battled to a 0-0 draw. The Flames' last win over the Bulldogs was on October 6, 2005, when UIC recorded a 1-0 win at Flames Field.
