UIC  - (Four Star Class Ranking) -  John Trask will welcome ten newcomers to the Windy City in 2009.  The class is noteworthy in that in includes plenty of very athletic and versatile prospects with the ability to play numerous positions.  The impact player of the class is senior defender Zach Tierney who transfers in from New Mexico where he was a three-year starter and two-time All-MPSF selection.  Tierney will immediately strengthen the UIC backline.  The class also reflects the pipeline that Trask and assistant coach Sean Phillips have established with the talent rich Chicago area. UIC has made their presence know on the national scene under Trask, advancing to the Elite Eight in NCAA Tourney play in 2007 and to the Sweet Sixteen in 2008 where they lost 3-2 in overtime to North Carolina.  With eight experienced starters returning from the 2008 squad supplemented by a very good recruiting class, there is ample reason for the UIC faithful to have high expectations heading into the 2009 season.  However, there are some gaps to address as the Flames will be without their leading playmaker, All American Baggio Husidic (9g, 6a) who elected to forgo his senior year of eligibility to take his game to the professional level.  They also must replace starting defenders Allen Husidic and Pat McMahon due to graduation.  Both were rock solid defenders who were multi-year starters.  Heading into the 2009 campaign everything starts with consensus senior All-American goalkeeper Jovan Bubonja.  There is no debate about Bubonja’s productivity.  The only issue is whether he is fully healthy and recovered from the injury that kept him out of UIC’s Sweet Sixteen contest last year which UNC.  Redshirt sophomore Taylor Kelliher, who saw limited action last year, is among other returning goalkeepers.  The Flames will have plenty of weapons up-top, beginning with junior Matt Spies (5g, 1a) who was a Second Team All-Horizon League selection last year.  Spies has the mobility and soccer savvy to make the going tough for opposing defenders.  He will be joined up-top by junior Kevin Stoll (5g, 5a) who Trask will also look to for offensive productivity in 2009.  Junior Steven Jovcic (1g, 1a) and junior transfer Alex Rickett from the University of Maine will also look for playing time up-top.  The UIC midfield, which has been a source of satisfaction in the past for UIC, as reflected by Pavle Dundjer and Cesar Zambrano in 2007 and Baggion Husidic in 2008, should  be deep and talented in 2009 but they may lack the dominant “go-to” guy in the midfield that the program has recently enjoyed.  Junior midfielder Charlie Trout (5g, 6a) from Nottingham, England has two years of starting experience under his belt and looks to be primed for playing a key role in the UIC attack in 2009.  Senior Ian Sarachan (1g, 4a) is among other returning starters in the midfield who had a solid 2008 season and should be a bigger factor in 2009.  Other returning linkmen who Trask will likely look to include senior Phillip Mitchell (3g, 0a) and redshirt sophomores Moliba Diallo (1g, 0a), Drew Wolfe and Derrikc Huffman (1g, 0a).  Junior Robert Younger, who was an All-Horizon League First Team Selection last year, returns to anchor a backline that requires some rebuilding due to the graduation of Allen Husidic and Pat McMahon.  The Flame defense allowed a total of only eighteen goals last year in route to recording a total of eleven clean sheets.  Senior Paul Kopec (0g, 1a), senior Mike Giffin who sat out the 2008 season due to a foot injury, and sophomore Julian Serrato who had a very impressive freshman campaign also return in the back.  Factor in senior transfer Zach Tierney and all the ingredients are present for what should be a very tenacious UIC backline in 2009.  The early schedule should be very revealing and could set the pace for the season, the Flames kick things off by hosting UAB and Michigan State, and then travel to face Kentucky and Louisville. 

 

Josh Beard - Schaumburg, Illinois - Midfielder - Schaumburg High School - Two-time All-State and All-Midwest Suburban League selection - U.S. U-18 Men’s National Team Camp.

 

Felipe Carrasco - Iowa City, Iowa -  Midfielder - Played for Shattuck-St Mary’s in Faribault, Minnesota. 

 

Phil Galounis - New Lenox, Illinois - Midfielder - Lincoln-Way High School - All-State selection out of Lincoln-Way.  Led team in goal scoring. 

 

Zach Kaleta - Barrington, Illinois - Defender - Barrington High School - Played club with Top Talent and the Chicago Sockers S.C.

 

Piotr Kikolski - Harwood Heights, Illinois - Goalkeeper - Maine South High School - Played for the Chicago Fire Academy. 

 

Tim O’Connor - St. Louis, Missouri - Forward - St. Louis University  High School - Played with  Lou Fusz S.C.

 

Ned Pavlovic - Northbrook, Illinois - Midfielder - Glenbrook South High School - Played with Sockers F.C.

 

Joe Radice - St. Louis, Missouri - Forward - Chaminade College Preparatory School - Played with Scott Gallagher Soccer Club.

 

Alex Rickett - Northville, Michigan - Forward - Northville, High School - University of  Maine - Junior transfer from the University of Maine where he was a two-year starter.

 

Ivan Stanisavljevic - Belgrade, Serbia - Midfielder - Sportska Gimnazija - Played club in the Serbian U-19 First Division for Radnicki Novi Beograd. 

 

Zach Tierney - Wildwood, Missouri - Defender - Christian Brothers High  - New Mexico - Transfer from New Mexico where he was a three year starter.  NSCAA High School All-American.