Defense Rules in UMass-UIC Game

Quarterfinal Tilt Pits Two of Nation's Best

December 9, 2007

What: NCAA Quarterfinals
Who: Illinois-Chicago at UMass
Where: Amherst, Massachusetts
When: Sunday, Dec. 9 – Noon

AMHERST, Mass. – This Elite Eight showdown pits two of the country's top defensive teams on Rudd Field.

UMass has pitched nine shutouts this year, while surrendering just 19 goals - the fewest allowed in the program since 1979. Illinois-chicago, meanwhile, has posted 14 shutouts, including all three of the team’s NCAA Tournament wins.

The UMass men's soccer team hosts Illinois-Chicago Sunday in the NCAA Quarterfinals. (Photo source: UMass Athletics)

Sunday’s tilt also marks a battle of the overachievers as both teams were unseeded to begin the NCAA Tournament, but won three consecutive games to get to Sunday’s quarterfinal.

UMass enters the match with a 16-7-1 overall record - the most wins in school history - while UIC is 13-5-6. The Minutemen, champions of the Atlantic 10, defeated Boston University in the first round, No. 1-seed Boston College in the second round and Central Connecticut in the third round to make the Elite Eight for the first time in school history.

The Flames, who have played all their tournament games on the road, upset Saint Louis in the opening round, No. 9-seed Northwestern in the second round, and No. 8-seed Creighton in the third round.

Illinois-Chicago is led by Cesar Zambrano who has six goals and seven assists. Pavle Dundjer and Matt Spiess are tied with 13 points on five goals and three assists each, while Charlie Trout has four goals and three assists.

The Horizon League Champions are a strong defensive minded team like the Minutemen. The Flames have one of the top keepers in the country in Jovan Bubonja who has a goals-against-average of 0.50 allowing just 12 goals in 23 games and just one in the last eight matches. Every game for UIC in the NCAA Tournament has been a shutout giving the team 14 for the season. Like UMass, UIC started slowly going 4-3-5 to start the season, but have gone 9-2-1 since then including three overtime wins.

UMass, after starting the year 2-4, went on to earn a school-record 16 wins. Sophomores Bryan Hogan and Mark DeSantis lead UMass offensively with 18 points and 13 points, respectively. Hogan has eight goals and two assists, while DeSantis has four goals and five assists. Hogan is the team's top scorer for the second year of his career and has doubled his freshman year scoring output. Along with DeSantis, Douglas Rappaport has five assists, while freshman Ben Arikian leads the team with six.

Zack Simmons has been the keeper of record for the season playing every minute between the posts. He boasts a 0.77 goals-against-average and a .849 save percentage. In front of him is an experienced and veteran defensive row anchored by three-time All-Conference selection senior Kenny Cook. In the centerback positions, Cook and redshirt junior Chris Brown solidify the four-man unit with Rappaport and sophomore Dan Lepone manning the flanks.

The winner of Sunday’s game will advance to the NCAA Tournament College Cup next Friday in Cary, N.C., against the winner of the Ohio State-Bradley game.

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