DePaul University Athletics
Blue Demons Travel To UIC
9/24/2002 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S SOCCER
CHICAGO - The men's soccer team will make the drive down Halstead Ave. to play the Illinois-Chicago Flames on Wednesday afternoon. The Blue Demons enter the match at 2-4-1 while UIC's record stands at 3-4-0. Kickoff at Flames Field is set for 4 p.m.
Looking at the Blue Demons
DePaul has dropped two straight Conference USA matches after winning back-to-back games... DePaul's season-opening nine-match road trip ends on Sunday at Drake... offensively, three players have found the net... Luke Rojo leads the squad with three goals while Edwin Arreola has a pair and Adam Hermsen has scored once... two of Rojo's three goals have been game-winners... the Blue Demons have been outscored, 15-7, through seven matches... DePaul is 1-0 in overtime matches and 1-1 in one-goal games... goalkeeper Michael Timlin is ranked third in league with 25 saves... Rojo and Jonathan Foley were named to the All-Tournament team at the Coca-Cola Panther Invitational... Rojo earned Conference USA All-Freshman team honors last season... Foley and Bob Kruse will serve as team captains in 2002... after opening the season with nine straight road matches, the Blue Demons play seven of the remaining 10 regular-season matches at Wish Field... head coach Craig Blazer is in his first season without the "Interim" tag... he was named interim coach a day before the first exhibition game last season after Tom Secco resigned.
Looking at the Flames
UIC enters Wednesday's match at 3-4-0 overall and 1-1-0 in Horizon League play... the Flames have posted victories over Drury (4-2), Denver (2-0) and Loyola-Chicago (3-0)... they have lost to Bradley (2-1), New Mexico (4-1), Wisconsin (4-3, 2OT) and Butler (3-1).
Last Time Out - Charlotte 2, DePaul 0
A pair of goals by Mira Mupier boosted the host Charlotte 49ers over the DePaul Blue Demons, 2-0, on Sunday afternoon. With the loss, the Blue Demons fell to 2-4-1 overall and 0-2-0 in Conference USA action.
In the 30th minute, Mupier scored the eventual game-winner off a pass from John Nabers. He came back in the second half to seal the win for Charlotte with just over eight minutes left in the match.
DePaul managed just five shots while Blue Demon goalkeeper Brian Allen faced 20 shots and made five saves.
Nothing But the Best
A quick look at the 2002 schedule shows that the Blue Demons have their work cut out for them. Consider this, five opponents (No. 7 Washington, No. 10 UAB, No. 11 Saint Louis, No. 15 Portland, No. 17 UW-Milwaukee) were ranked in the preseason top 25 by Soccer America. Of those five, the Blue Demons opened their season at three of those ranked squads. DePaul doesn't play a home match until Oct. 5 against Memphis, a span of nine consecutive games.
Home-Opening Weekend Plans Announced
DePaul men's soccer Craig Blazer announced plans for activities surrounding DePaul's home-opener against Memphis on Oct. 5. There will be activities for Alumni and Parents during the day.
The Alumni game is set to start at 10:30 a.m. Alumni interested in playing need to RSVP to Blazer and register on Oct. 5 at 10 a.m. Following the game there will be a lunch for the alumni and parents at noon. All are invited to stay for the DePaul match against Memphis at 2 p.m.
For more information and to RSVP, contact head coach Craig Blazer at (773) 325-7231. All parents and alumni need to RSVP with Blazer prior to Oct. 5.
Up Next
The last of nine consecutive road matches comes to an end on Sunday at Drake. The Blue Demons and Bulldogs square off at 1 p.m. in Des Moines, Iowa.
The home-opening weekend will be Oct. 5 when the Blue Demons take on the Memphis Tigers at Wish Field. Seven of the remaining 10 regular season matches will be played at Wish Field.