CHICAGO – As the UIC men's soccer team gears up for its first exhibition game of the season, head coach Sean Phillips announced that the Flames have added 10 newcomers to the 2016 squad. The new Flames will make their debut Tuesday when UIC takes on IUPUI at Michael A. Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis at 4 p.m. CT.
 
Albert Arabik, Alex Cervantes, Matt Coronado, Patrick McGrath, Cristian Sanchez, Dimitris Silvestridis, Dimitris Strantzalis and Sokratis Visalis comprise the freshmen class and are joined by sophomore transfer Ricky Pimentel and senior transfer Yuri Domiciano. The group features two forwards, three midfielders, three defenders and two goalkeepers.
 
"We are very excited to add these new players," said Phillips. "The staff, especially Aleksey (Korol) and Minos (Vlamakis), worked very hard on this group. We knew that we needed to add quality to each position on the field this year.
 
"From the first few days of training, this group has shown that it will add competition and depth to our team at every position on the field.  As always, their true impact on the field and in the classroom will be measured over the course of their four years with us."
 
The newcomers complete UIC's 24-man roster featuring 14 returning letterwinners, including seven starters. Despite losing the 2015 Horizon League Player of the Year and Co-Offensive Player of the Year in Manny Chavez and Jorge Alvarez, respectively, the Flames return All-Freshman Team honorees Max Todd, Nestor Garcia and Mike Jimenez, in addition to senior goalkeeper Andrew Putna, who earned Goalkeeper of the Year honors as a freshman.
 
IUPUI is coming off a 1-9-7 season in 2015 with a 1-2-3 output in the Summit League. The Jaguars bring back 15 letterwinners, including six-of-nine goal scorers from last season and Summit League All-Newcomer Team selection Ben Thornton.
 
UIC faced IUPUI in the preseason last year at Flames Field, where the two teams played to a 0-0 draw.
 
Following Tuesday's match, the Flames will close out their exhibition schedule with a crosstown rivalry matchup Saturday against Loyola in Rogers Park.
 
 
PLAYER PROFILES
 
#9 Albert Arabik
Hometown: River Grove, Ill.
High School: East Leyden
Club Team: Chicago Magic PSG
Height/Weight: 6-2/170
Position: Forward
 
PREP: Played high school soccer for three years at East Leyden, amassing 52 goals and 30 assists ... named to the IHSSCA All-State team as a sophomore and All-Sectional team as a senior ... played club for Chicago Magic PSG … won State and Regionals in 2014 … helped the USSDA Academy team win the Mid-America Division while earning a No. 3 national ranking in 2015-16
 
 
#24 Alex Cervantes
Hometown: Chicago, Ill.
High School: Kelly
Club Team: Chicago Magic PSG
Height/Weight: 5-7/135
Position: Forward/Midfield
 
PREP: Helped lead Kelly High School to the City Championship in his freshman year in 2012 … named IHSSCA All-Sectional in his sophomore and junior year and All-State his senior year ... finished his career with 34 goals and 30 assists for the Trojans ... played club soccer for Chicago Magic PSG … helped the team to the USYS State and Regional Championship in 2014 and the USYS State, Regional and National Championship in 2015
 
 
#19 Matt Coronado
Hometown: Niles, Ill.
High School: Maine East
Club Team: Sockers FC
Height/Weight: 5-8/145
Position: Midfield
 
PREP: Scored 16 goals and had eight assists in his first two years at Maine East before playing full-time for Sockers FC's USSDA team during his junior and senior years ... appeared in 26 matches while starting 16 for Sockers FC's USSDA team in the 2015-16 season ... tied as the team's third leading scorer while helping the Arlington Heights-based club to the USSDA Playoffs
 

#6 Yuri Domiciano
Hometown: Belo Horizonte, Brazil
High School: Colegio Aunaldo
Last College: Iowa Western C.C./New Mexico
Club Team: Colegio Aunaldo
Height/Weight: 6-0/170
Position: Back
 
AS A JUNIOR (AT NEW MEXICO): Appeared in five games … started against No. 19 LMU, Missouri State, No. 21 American, San Francisco and Charlotte ... finished the season with 279 minutes played
 
AT IOWA WESTERN C.C.: Named both an NSCAA First Team Junior College All-American and a First Team Junior College Scholar All-American as a sophomore ... helped the Reivers advance all the way to the national semifinals and an undefeated 23-0-2 record in 2014 ... started 21 of the team's 24 games and scored two goals with three assists while helping Iowa Western hold opponents to just 0.45 goals per game … earned Academic All-American honors
 
 
#29 Patrick McGrath
Hometown: Woodstock, Ill.
High School: Woodstock
Club Team: Sockers FC
Height/Weight: 6-5/178
Position: Goalkeeper
 
PREP: Competed for Sockers FC … won the National Premier Leagues Regional Championship in 2014 … 2012 Northern Illinois Soccer League Premiership champions … earned 28 clean sheets ... started 16 matches in 2015-16 for the U18 Academy team, earning a 14-1-1 record and helping Sockers FC qualify for the USSDA Playoffs … recorded just one loss in games played over 2015-16 with the Academy
 
 
#21 Ricky Pimentel
Hometown: Franklin Park, Ill.
High School: East Leyden
Last College: North Park
Club Team: Chicago Magic PSG
Height/Weight: 6-2/190
Position: Back
 
AS A FRESHMAN (AT NORTH PARK): NSCAA All-Central Region Second Team and All-CCIW First Team selections … led the Vikings to a 12-4-2 record … played and started every match … part of a strong defense that recorded nine shutouts, including three in the first five matches of the season … earned CCIW Defensive Player of the Week honors (Oct. 6) after helping NP to pair of shutouts …  his three points on the year all came in one game as he scored his first collegiate goal against Illinois Wesleyan and assisted on the game winner … took 16 total shots during the season and had six reach on goal, with a season-high three against Aurora University
 
PREP: Competed for one season at Leyden (Ill.) … served as a starter on varsity … earned all-conference, all-city and all-region distinctions … played at the club level for Chicago Magic … went to playoffs every year and reached the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Final Four in 2014 … three-time regional champion … named to the Top Drawer Soccer Chicago Combine Boys Best XI
 
 
#16 Cristian Sanchez
Hometown: Countryside, Ill.
High School: Lyons Township
Club Team: Chicago Fire Academy
Height/Weight: 5-9/165
Position: Back
 
PREP: Played in back for the Chicago Fire Academy during all four years of high school … helped the club to the USSDA Playoffs in each season ... reached the U16 USSDA Semifinals in 2013 while winning the U18 USSDA National Championship in 2015
 
 
#11 Dimitris Silvestridis
Hometown: Athens, Greece
High School: Anaxagoreio Lykeio
Club Team: Panathinaikos FC
Height/Weight: 6-2/154
Position: Forward
 
PREP: Former Youth National Team player of Greece … scored 68 goals with 47 assists in just over 100 matches for Panathinaikos FC's Academy … helped the team to a second-place finish in the U15 Greek Super League and a third-place finish in the U20 ICGT Tournament in the Netherlands … before joining PAO FC, captained AEK Athens FC's youth team to four straight Greek Super League Championships .… was the team's top scorer in 2005, 2006 and 2007
 
 
#33 Dimitris Strantzalis
Hometown: Thessaloniki, Greece
High School: Hellenic College of Thessaloniki
Club Team: Iraklis FC
Height/Weight: 6-1/165
Position: Back/Midfield
 
PREP: Most recently played for Iraklis FC in the U20 division of the Greek Super League ... played for three seasons in the Greek Football League of Macedonia Men's Division … won first place in 2013 while finishing with 23 goals and 14 assists during that time ... captained Hellenic's team to first Place in the Northern Greece School District and to the quarterfinals of Greece School District's Championship
 
 
#30 Sokratis Vasilas
Hometown: Athens, Greece
High School: PIERCE – The American College of Greece
Club Team: Panathinaikos F.C.
Height/Weight: 6-4/191
Position: Goalkeeper
 
PREP: Former Youth National Team player of Greece ... spent 10 years in Panathinaikos FC's Academy, featuring prominently in the U17 and U20 teams as well as making a first team appearance during the preseason of the former UEFA Champion's League quarterfinalists … at U20 (2014-16), played two consecutive years as the first choice goalkeeper and helped the team to a third-place finish at the ICGT International Tournament … with U17 (2012-14), served as team captain, earned Best Goalkeeper Award at the Karlovac International Tournament and rounded out a fourth-place finish at the Ferenc Puskas International Tournament  … at U15, played every match as team captain and played in the league final against Olympiacos