No. 7 Men's Soccer Plays No. 17 Ohio State To 0-0 Draw
Oct. 8, 2008
Chicago, Ill.- In front of a school-record home crowd of 2,438 fans, the seventh-ranked UIC men's soccer team battled No. 17 Ohio State to a 0-0 tie that featured its share of exciting chances at goal in the match's late stages. The Flames (8-0-4) remain unbeaten while recording their sixth shutout in the last seven games. UIC put pressure on the Buckeyes (7-2-2), last year's national runner-up, from the start. The Flames outshot the visitors 9-1 in the first period, including a sharp shot off the boot of Paul Kopec in the 40th minute that forced starting Ohio State keeper Drew Czekanski to make a diving save that ended up causing injury and forcing his departure from the match. The second half and subsequent overtime sessions did not produce goals for either side, but the closing moments displayed a variety of heart-stopping near-misses. A laser Buckeye shot in the 75th minute saw UIC keeper Jovan Bubonja make a great stop that bounced to Ohio State's German Gomez in front of goal by the right post, where he lifted a shot that bounced off the crossbar and missed going in by an inch. The Flames created their most breathtaking opportunity in the 106th minute. Kevin Stoll's shot coming from the left side of the box hit the far post, careening back to a waiting Baggio Husidic, who dove toward the ball and just missed placing it on the scoring side of that same post. "It was big-time college soccer," said UIC head coach John Trask. "If you talk about the bigger events in the country, this was a big event. It was a spectacle. "To see where this program has come and how it electric it was here tonight...I just pray that the students understand that a 0-0 game in soccer can be extremely exciting," said Trask. "That's the type of heart and desire and spirit that we show every time out, and our hardcore fans know that.
"The people who came for the first time, I hope they come away loving this group of players for the way they represent this University with the class, the heart, the desire and the determination they show, and knowing the fact that they also go to school here, that they're not a professional team. "This was an NCAA tournament-type game," Trask said. "It was tight. It reminded me in some ways of our [NCAA first-round] game at Saint Louis last year that ended 0-0 and went to penalty kicks. No one wants to give anything up. "Every player who walked on this field should be commended. It was very professional in terms of the quality of play by both teams. It was a great night of soccer here in Chicago." UIC heads to Indianapolis, Ind. this Saturday in a Horizon League showdown against Butler at 3 p.m. Central.
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