Elite Eight!!!!

[uic53]

UIC beats Creighton 1-0!!!

Advances to the Elite 8. Congrats to the Flames!!!!

Why not win it all!!!!!!

[FuryJP]

WHY NOT! WOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

[Greg]

Great news! Keep it going!

[soccer fan]

If the next game somehow ends up at UIC, this place is going to go beserk!!!

Freezing rain, snow, 10 degree wind chill, WE DON'T CARE!!!!! (Unlike the Creighton fans, who if you were watching the feed, barely even showed up).

What a thriller! GO FLAMES!!!!!!!

[uic53]

Soccer fan,

I was just going to post about that. I was looking at the bracket and saw we play the winner on CC State and UMass. We have a very good chance of having this thing coming to Chicago! I will be there no matter what the weather if it's in Chicago. gotta root for the Flames if there's a chance at the Final Four! That's a no-brainer!

[Big D]

Wow....what another great win by these Flames. A Final Four is definitely possible with how our bracket has played out....what an acheievment that woule be.

Now, I'm wondering if maybe the AD will take some of Jimmy's salary and give it to Trask. He is deserving of a big raise. In fact, at what point to we begin to worry about Trask not being here for long? Winning usually means coaches jump ship. However, if we pay him, why not stay? Why take over a program that already has history when you can make history yourself with UIC. Why we can't be a power every year....we're not a mid-major in soccer...

[Big D]

Here are quotes from after game....

Illinois-Chicago head coach John Trask opening statement

“I thought the better team won the game. I thought we outplayed them for long periods. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Creighton soccer and coach Warming, his staff and team and obviously to bring a team into the best, and it’s not even close, the best soccer stadium in the country is a privilege. This is what NCAA soccer is all about and as I’ve said many times before, I have a very good soccer team.”

On pushing players forward midway through the second half

“That was our tactic. We felt after two games in a week and traveling here yesterday, we thought we would slow the game down in the first half and look to take it over in possession and that’s exactly what happened if you look at the game. We had a game-plan, we stuck to it, the guys were brilliant, and as you see they had one shot on goal. We have a great defense and an unbelievable goalkeeper (Jovan Bubonja). He’s the best in the country, without a doubt.”

On his team’s offensive philosophy

“We don’t get in a running game with people. We slow the game down and play our type of soccer. It’s usually the 25th to 30th minute that we start picking teams apart after we’ve passed that initial surge of adrenaline from a team.”

Midfielder Ian Sarachan on scoring the game’s only goal

“Coming up I could tell they didn’t communicate on that whole play. The goalie (Matt Allen) was going to punch it and the defender (Seth Sinovic) was going to head it at the same time and sometimes it’s just about being in the right spot at the right time. It just happened to go off his (Sinovic) head instead of his (Allen) fist and went right to me. It’s one of the easier one’s I’ll score but they all count.”

Creighton head coach Bob Warming opening statement

“I’m obviously very disappointed. The boys need to be judged on their body of work for the year, I think, and what they’ve done. Tonight we weren’t sharp, we weren’t as good as we had been. Overall I hope people will look back at the whole year and what a great job they (the team) did.”

On Illinois-Chicago’s style of play

“We tried to keep an up-tempo game. They try to slow the tempo down, that’s the way they want to play. They get 11 guys back like that and they’re very organized. They’re very unusual for college soccer. That’s the reason they’ve given up one goal now in the last eight games. They had the lowest goals against average in the country last year. I don’t enjoy the tempo, I don’t like it, I don’t think it’s entertaining for the fans, I don’t think it’s the way we’d ever play but it’s been effective and it’s worked for them and we wish them the best.”

On top goal scorer Thomas Gjoesund sitting most of the second half

“We didn’t think he’d play at all tonight. He threw up all day yesterday and was sick in the bed. We got him on IV’s and everything else to see if he could play, he tried and couldn’t do it. Jeremy (Wittig) had some relapses from his concussion about 15 minutes in. You take two important guys who are great energy players for us and they’re out of the lineup, it’s tough when you want to play up-tempo. I thought Tony Schmitz gave us a lot of energy when he came in, but it took Tony away from his other role when we had to drop him back in the midfield.”

Goalkeeper Matt Allen on Illinois-Chicago’s goal

“It was just a miscommunication between the two of us. I don’t think that really was the changing factor in the game. I think it was throughout the whole entire game. We played well in some points and other points we didn’t. I think that was another mistake we made.”

[UICAndrew]

umass & central conn. are playing right now. still 0-0...anybody know how they determine who hosts this next round since neither of them are ranked??

[UICJohn]

It seems a little bad feelings from Creighton's side. Their coach commenting on how our style of play is not fun for the fans or not the style he enjoys. I don't care. We're all fans and I think we enjoy it and being in the Elite 8! I honestly don't care if we score 5 goals or if we score 1 goal, just as long as we have more than the other team!

[Big D]

I agree John....definitely sour grapes on Creighton's end...but I guess that's what happens when you lose to a team you don't know (namely, the Fire from Illinois-Chicago, or CIU, as one poster from thebluejaycafe.com called us)....

And I rather enjoy a defensive game...in any sport...I love seeing strong defense in football....one of the main reason I used to love watching the Bears. We dictate tempo, and everyone plays our game. There's something about watching frustration take the place of the other team's confidence, which seems to ooze out by the minute when they're unable to play their style.

I also really enjoy Trask's confidence and borederline cockiness in his comments...I'm not usually one for cockiness, but when you're not respected and should be, I say go for it. I love his comment about Bubonja being the best GK in the country. Unfortunately, the dolts in the HL say he's not even the best in the HL.

And we're not all defense. I didn't see the entire second half yesterday, but from what I did see, we came out attacking in the 2nd half, and we had a number of chances to convert....

Anyway, on to the next round. I have to think we'll host if we get Central Connecticut State...I mean, they had a .500 record coming in to the tourney. UMass I know nothing about but wouldn't be shocked if they hosted us because they have the "name" and isn't that all that counts in college sports?

edit: And, it looks like we'll be playing UMass (they won 3-1). Guess we'll see what happens.

[uicfire]

Looks like we are heading to Umass for a noon game on Sunday. Its a shame we aren't playing at home, although it seems like we play better on the road.

[UICJohn]

We do seem to play well on the road. I mean, look at our run going on right now.

Just wondering though. Was there any reasoning given as to why UMass got the home game instead of UIC?

[IlovePavle]

UMass was selected to host in part because the NCAA had already been out to check their facilities when they hosted their facilities for the first round and because of their RPI.
UMass soccer certainly has no outstanding facilities, but because they already hosted and because we didn't beat any of the biggies this year, it's a 900-mile trek to Amherst instead of a home game.
The team plays well on the road but hasn't been all that great in day games. That's what we've got to be worried about.

[FuryJP]

We're probably going to have a viewing party in the new residence hall, JST. If anyone is interested, let me know.

[FuryJP]

it would be nice if a bar would put up the game. I assume the Final, at least, would be on ESPN though.