Head coach Jon Coleman
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Milwaukee Men Close Homestand With Loyola Thursday
Panthers look to solidify hold on first place
Oct. 15, 2007
THIS WEEK IN MILWAUKEE MEN'S SOCCER
Game 15
• UWM (4-8-2, 4-0-1 HL) vs. Loyola (7-3-3, 3-0-2 HL)
• Engelmann Field
• Milwaukee, Wis.
• Thur., Oct. 18, 7 p.m.
• Milwaukee leads 16-2-1
• Last meeting: 10/22/06 - UWM 1; Loyola 0
Game 16
• UWM (4-8-2, 4-0-1 HL) vs. UIC (5-3-5, 1-0-3 HL)
• Flames Field
• Chicago, Ill.
• Sun., Oct. 21, 7 p.m.
• Milwaukee leads 16-8-4
• Last meeting: 10/3/06 - UWM 0; UIC 1
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's soccer team will play two games this week that will go a long way in deciding the winner of the Horizon League regular season title. The Panthers start their week by hosting Loyola (3-0-2 in league) Thursday and close it out with a road trip to take on UIC (1-0-3 in league) Sunday evening.
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Thursday night is the final regular season home game of the year and will also be Senior Night. Seven seniors - Steve Bode, Martin Castro, Zeke Dombrowski, Dan Horst, Chris Lins, Ken Ogorzalek and Tenzin Rampa will all be honored in a pregame ceremony. Loyola is 7-3-3 this season and remains unbeaten in league play at 3-0-2. UWM leads the all-time series, 15-2-1, last falling by a score of 3-2 in overtime in the 2000 season. Last year, Billy Meier scored in the first half of a 1-0 Panther victory to extend the team's winning streak against the Ramblers to seven.
The Panthers lead the series with UIC by a count of 16-8-4. They will be looking for some revenge after falling, 1-0, on a late goal down in Chicago a year ago. UIC has had Milwaukee's number of late, posting a 2-0-2 ledger in the past four match-ups. Game time for the road match in Chicago is set for 7 p.m.
UWM has won the Horizon League regular season title in four of the past six seasons, posting a win-loss record of 38-5-4 in that span. The Panthers became the first-ever Horizon League school to win four-straight soccer titles (2002-05), breaking Evansville's old standard of three consecutive (1989-91).
If you cannot make it to the games, follow along on Gametracker at the UWM website: www.uwmpanthers.com.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS:
LOYOLA: The Ramblers improved to 7-3-3 overall and 3-0-2 in league play with two victories last week, blanking Wright State 3-0 Friday and Butler 1-0 Sunday. They have lost only once in their last ten outings and have not allowed a goal in their last 463:56 of play.
Goalkeeper Brian Byrne shares the league lead with seven shutouts after back-to-back clean sheets over the weekend. Byrne is now tied for second place on the school's single-season charts, with six of those clean sheets coming in the team's last seven outings. His efforts last week lowered his season goals-against average to 0.79.
Forward Michael Ferguson scored all four of Loyola's goals last week, posting his second hat trick of the year against Wright State. Ferguson is running away with the league scoring title with 12 goals and 25 points for the season. The goal count is twice as many as any other player in the conference, while his 25 points are 12 more than his nearest competitor. Ferguson is also the only league player to net a hat trick this year, accomplishing that feat twice.
UIC: The Flames remain unbeaten (1-0-3) in league play, climbing to 5-3-5 overall with a 4-1 victory over Wright State Sunday following a scoreless draw with Butler Friday.
The Flames broke a 358-minute scoring drought when midfielder Charlie Trout hit the net in the first minute of the second half Sunday. Forward Cesar Zambrano scored two goals and set up another in the second-half barrage, giving UIC its second-highest output of the season. The Flames had scored only three goals in their previous six outings before Sunday. Zambrano's five-point performance give him 13 points for the year, tying him for second place on the league scoring charts. He is also tied for third place with five goals. Goalkeeper Jovan Bubonja tops the circuit with a 0.63 goals-against average. He notched his fifth shutout of the year against the Bulldogs.
The Flames have outshot their opponents 200-96 this season, including 66-25 in league play. UIC is now undefeated in its last 14 home matches and puts that mark on the line versus Milwaukee Sunday. The Flames open the week Thursday at Green Bay.
ABOUT THOSE LEAGUE STANDINGS
The Panthers have three league games remaining on the schedule and will have their fate in their own hands in regards to earning the regular season crown. At 4-0-1 in conference play, UWM has yet to play the three teams directly behind them in the standings. Up first is Loyola, who sits in third at 3-0-2. Then it will be UIC Sunday, which is fourth at 1-0-3. Green Bay - who Milwaukee will play Oct. 27 - currently sits in second at 3-0-2. Each game will be important, as the top two seeds get byes in the upcoming league tournament.
UWM TURNS THE BIG 4-0-0
Last week was another great one for the Panthers, as they extended their unbeaten streak to six games with a tie against Wisconsin Oct. 10 and victories against Detroit and Cleveland State on the weekend. The 1-0 win over UDM was a big one, as it was the 400th victory in the history of the program. Heading into play this week, UWM sits 401-230-55 all-time.
Junior Grant Fernstrum led the way against Wisconsin, allowing only a goal on a penalty kick while making a career-high 11 saves in a 1-1 draw with the Badgers. On Friday, junior Colin Baker's 61st-minute goal was enough to get by Detroit, 1-0. The team then jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Cleveland State Sunday, getting two first half goals in less than two minutes from freshman Greg Rosenthal and senior Martin Castro, and then held on for a 2-1 victory.
TURN THE PAGE
The start of Horizon League play has coincided with the emergence of the team, as the Panthers have rolled off a six-game unbeaten streak (4-0-2 in that time). UWM has outscored Valparaiso, Butler, Wright State, Wisconsin, Detroit and Cleveland State by a count of nine-to-three and outshot them 78-to-75. Junior Ryan Germann has a 4-0-1 record, three shutouts, .900 save percentage and a 0.38 goals against average in that span. As a team, Milwaukee has given up just three goals in 580 minutes in the streak.
CASTRO PICKS HIS SPOT
Senior Martin Castro netted the eventual game-winner Sunday against Cleveland State when he scored at the 17:46 mark. The goal was not only his first game-winner in a Panther uniform, but came just 31 seconds after subbing into the match.
DOMBROWSKI LEADING THE WAY
Entering his senior season, Zeke Dombrowski had career totals of one goal, five assists and seven points. A little more than midway through the 2007 season, he had already eclipsed those numbers for goals and points. He has also been cited for his work in the classroom, earning Horizon League Scholar Athlete of the Week honors Oct. 8.
Entering play this week, he leads the team in goals (4), points (11), shots (39), shots on goal (15), minutes played (1,260) and is tied for the team lead in assists (3). His points have come at vital times as well, assisting the tying goal against Wisconsin Oct. 10 and the winning goals against Wright State Oct. 7 and Detroit Oct. 12.
DEFENSE STANDS TALL
When Chris Lins went down with an injury against Valparaiso Sept. 29, the first question was who was going to fill-in for the senior who had started every game in the back line since the beginning of the 2006 season. That question has been answered, with freshman Greg Rosenthal moving to the back and sophomore Nicholas Gerard-Larson seeing significantly more minutes for the Panther defense as well. Since that time, UWM has gone 4-0-1, allowing just two goals. In addition to his stellar win-loss record in the nets, junior goalkeeper Ryan Germann had a scoreless streak of 321:56 snapped Sunday.
CAREER EFFORT FOR FERNSTRUM
Seeing his first action since playing against No. 9 UC Santa Barbara back on Sept. 7, junior Grant Fernstrum responded in a big way. Getting the start against in-state rival Wisconsin Oct. 10, Fernstrum made a career-high 11 saves to help UWM earn a hard-fought 1-1 draw. Several of his stops were of the highlight variety and the only goal allowed came on a penalty kick that he nearly got a piece of as well. His 11 saves topped his previous career-best of nine that he made against #2 SMU August 27th of last season.
NOW THAT'S FAST!
Junior Travis Phillips gave Milwaukee a 1-0 lead against Yale Sept. 23 before most people had even found their seats. Phillips caught the Yale goalkeeper off guard with a 35-yard blast off a free kick from near midfield in the first minute of play. The tally at the 55 second mark was the sixth-quickest goal to start a match in program history.
Quickest UWM Goal Scored To Start A Game
# Time...Date...Opponent...Player
1. 0:19...9/14/03...Memphis...B.J. Blake
2. 0:23...9/12/93...Alabama A&M...Jake Provan
3. 0:26...8/29/03...Northern Illinois...Bobby Lish
4. 0:32...9/17/80...Minnesota...Dave Dray
5. 0:49...11/15/02...Butler...Evan Richardson
6. 0:55...9/23/07...Yale...Travis Phillips
OVERTIME JINX CONTINUES
In settling for a 1-1 draw with Wisconsin Oct. 10, UWM saw a streak get extended once again that they would like to see end: the team is now 0-7-9 in its past 16 overtime matches. They were 0-2-2 in 2006, 0-3-5 in 2005 and lost in extra time in the final match of the 2004 season (2-1 at UCSB in the NCAA Tournament). The Panthers last OT win came on Oct. 31, 2004, a 1-0 win over Cleveland State.
TOUGH OPPONENTS
The 0-8 start looked bad on paper, but a closer look reveals that three of UWM's 2007 opponents are ranked in the NSCAA Top 25. UC Santa Barbara (14th), Tulsa (23rd) and Gonzaga (25th) are all currently ranked in most major polls. Additionally, the eight teams Milwaukee lost to own a combined 53-24-14 (.669 win percentage) record this season, including a 8-1-1 mark by Cal Poly, 8-3-1 by Gonzaga, 8-3-2 by Drake and 7-2-2 by Dartmouth and Tulsa.
IT ISN'T LETTING UP OVERALL, EITHER
In addition to the .669 winning percentage that is owned by the eight schools that knocked off Milwaukee to start 2007, the Panthers also lead the way - so to speak - in another category. The overall record of all opponents on UWM's 2007 schedule is currently 100-90-47 (.519 winning percentage). The only other Horizon League team that has a total opponent win-loss record even close to .500 is Valparaiso, at a near break-even 93-92-38 (.502).
SO CLOSE, SO FAR
If it feels like the Panthers had been in every match early in the season but couldn't catch a few necessary breaks, it would be an accurate statement. After a 1-0 defeat Sept. 21, the trend sounds familiar: 14 of the last 16 UWM losses have been by just one goal.
Last year, the Panthers overall record consisted of nine losses, but eight of them were one-goal setbacks. Three of them came at the hands of Top 25 teams: 1-0 to No. 2 SMU Aug. 27, 2-1 to No. 6 Washington in overtime Sept. 10 and 1-0 to No. 12 UIC Oct. 3.
SLOW START NO WORRY
The Panthers may have been 0-8 for the first time ever, but a slow start is no indication of how the season will go at UWM. The team started 1-2-2 in 2004, only to finish the season at 14-5-3 overall. A 3-3 start in 2003 led to a 16-6-1 campaign, while a 2-3 start in 2000 led to a record of 11-9-1.
Also, in 2002, UWM did not have a victory after two games (0-1-1) but went on to produce a program-best record of 19-2-1.
FRESH FACES
The Panthers newcomers continue to make an impression on the line-up, as 10 have already seen time on the field in 2007, including eight who have made starts. That trend continued against Cleveland State Oct. 14, as Elliott Dunn, Greg Rosenthal, Van Hong, Ben Chavers and Raphael Martinez were all in the starting line-up. They've handle the pressure of big games too: Rosenthal, Martinez and Calvin Mai were in the starting line-up against UC Santa Barbara Sept. 7, playing the defending national champions.
NATIONAL EXPOSURE FOR MARTINEZ
Speaking of the newcomers, Raphael Martinez was given some national recognition in the preseason when College Soccer News tabbed him as one of its "100 Freshman To Keep An Eye On In 2007". The website noted his playing for the club team Chicago Magic, his 17 goals and seven assists as a senior and that he was an NSCAA Youth All-American.
HOME COOKING
When it comes to home-field advantage, the Panthers rank right up there with the best in the country. And in 2006, that was no different, as the Panthers posted back-to-back shutouts to open the home slate and finished 7-2-1. Since the start of the 2001 season, UWM has turned Engelmann Field into a place visiting teams do not want to see on their schedule. They have gone 52-8-3 on their home pitch in that time, including a 13-2 mark in postseason play and a perfect 2-0 mark in NCAA Tournament action.
SENIOR CLASS READY TO RETURN TO FORM
The seniors on the 2007 squad will look to go out on a high note, and a return trip to the NCAA Tournament is what they have in mind. After going to the second round of the tournament in each of their first two seasons, the seniors will look to improve on their 2-1-1 NCAA ledger in four games with a return trip this fall.
THE DRIVE FOR 400
The Panthers hit a significant milestone in their history Oct. 12 against Detroit: all-time program victory No. 400.
UWM entered play in 2007 with an all-time mark of 397-222-53, a .635 winning percentage.
MILESTONE PROGRAM WINS:
1: Marquette, 4-1 (9/22/73)
50: UW-Green Bay, 4-0 (10/7/78)
100: Northern Illinois, 4-3 (11/6/82)
150: Cleveland State, 2-1 (10/18/87)
200: Michigan State, 4-0 (10/13/91)
250: Cleveland State, 5-0 (10/15/95)
300: Loyola (MD), 2-0 (9/17/00)
350: Detroit, 3-0 (9/28/03)
400: Detroit, 1-0 (10/12/07)
PANTHERS IN THE POLLS
The Panthers were picked by league coaches to place third in the Horizon League regular season, according to the results of the preseason poll announced Aug. 23 by the league office. Milwaukee has advanced to the NCAA Tournament in five of the past six seasons, reaching the second round in the last four it appeared (2002-05). It has compiled a league record of 34-5-3 in that time.
UIC, the regular season champion in 2006, took the top spot this year with 64 points and eight first place votes (all possible). Green Bay edged out UWM for second, compiling 53 points (and one first place vote) to the 48 that the Panthers received. This marks just the second time in the past six years that the Panthers were not chosen as the favorite. In 2006, they were tabbed for a second place finish.
1. UIC (8 first place votes) - 64 pts.
2. Green Bay (1) - 53
3. Milwaukee - 48
4. Loyola - 45
5. Butler - 31
6. Cleveland State - 27
7. Detroit - 25
8. Wright State - 23
9. Valparaiso - 8
ON TAP
Milwaukee closes out the regular season with the first of three-consecutive Cup games. It plays just one of those next week, heading to Green Bay Oct. 27. Not only will the Chancellor's Cup be on the line, but possibly the regular season league title as well.
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