DePaul University Athletics
Blue Demons Travel to Northern Illinois on Wednesday
10/26/2004 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S SOCCER
Weekly Notes
CHICAGO - The Blue Demons begin their season-ending three-match road trip on Wednesday afternoon at Northern Illinois. DePaul plays at Charlotte this Saturday before closing the regular season with a game at UAB on Nov. 6. Overall, the club is 3-11-3 and 1-5-1 in Conference USA games. Northern Illinois enters Wednesday’s match at 11-6-0 overall and 4-2-0 in Mid-American Conference action while the 49ers are 8-5-1 and 4-4-0 in C-USA play.
Looking at the Blue Demons: The Blue Demons have played eight overtime matches in their 17 games this season... a year ago, they played just one overtime match and in 2002 there were four games with extra soccer... the 2-1 win over Evansville on Sept. 17 ended a streak of nine straight wins with a shutout... DePaul has played in 11 matches decided by one goal and are 2-9 in those games... offensively, the team has scored 13 goals, but have allowed 24... Saint Louis is the only team to score more than two goals against the Blue Demons this season... the team is led by senior Patrick Vyncke with 10 points on five goals... Kevin Bissett, John Kornfeld, John Partyka and Alec Kulinczenko have also found the back of the net this season... on the 13 goals, there have been 12 assists, led by Julian Chill with four... head coach Craig Blazer is in his fourth season in Lincoln Park.
Last Week: DePaul knocked off Marquette, 2-1, in overtime last Wednesday. After falling behind, 1-0, a late score by John Kornfeld and a ‘golden goal’ by Patrick Ferrell gave the Blue Demons their first win against Marquette.
Matt Blouin put the visitors on the board in the 79th minute before Kornfeld tied the match with less than three minutes left in regulation. At 96:45, Ferrell’s first collegiate goal put the Blue Demons over the top and snapped a nine-match winless streak.
Scouting the Huskies: Northern Illinois enters Wednesday’s match at 11-6-0 overall and 4-2-0 in Mid-American Conference action... they have dropped their last two matches to UW-Milwaukee and Akron after winning four straight... Curt Zastrow leads the team with 16 points on seven goals and two assists... Fraser Gibson ranks second on the team with 10 points on five goals... head coach Steve Simmons is in his second season as head coach at Northern Illinois. The Series: The Huskies lead the series, 13-2-2... DePaul has won the last two meetings, each by a 1-0 score.
Looking at Charlotte: The 49ers begin the week at 8-5-1 overall and 4-4-0 in Conference USA games... they host North Carolina State on Wednesday evening before taking on the Blue Demons... UNC Greensboro snapped a three-match winning streak by Charlotte with a 4-2 decision last Saturday... Adam Ruud leads the team with 19 points on nine goals and an assist while Floyd Franks has 10 points on four goals and two assists... head coach John Tart is in his 10th season at head coach at Charlotte. The Series: Charlotte leads the all-time series, 7-2-0... a year ago, the 49ers posted a 2-0 win over the Blue Demons in Chicago.
Tournament Honors: With two tournaments during the regular season, members of the DePaul soccer team have picked up some honors for their outstanding performances. At the Best Western Lakeside Classic hosted by Northwestern, John Partyka and John Kornfeld were named to the All-Tournament team. Following the Dayton Marriott Flyer Classic, Partyka and Kornfeld were joined by Patrick Vyncke on the All-Tournament team.
Ranked in the Region: In the first NSCAA/adidas Midwest Region poll of the season, the Blue Demons found themselves at No. 10. After a pair of losses at the Best Western Lakeside Classic, the club dropped out of the region’s top 10. Over the last two seasons, the Blue Demons have been in-and-out of the region’s top 10 and were ranked as high as No. 8.
What’s Ahead: The Blue Demons finish the regular season with three road matches at Northern Illinois, Charlotte and UAB. DePaul travels to DeKalb to take on the Huskies on Wednesday before playing at Charlotte on Oct. 30 and UAB on Nov. 6. The C-USA Tournament is scheduled for Nov. 11-14 in Louisville, Ky.
