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The air was a little crisp in Chicago on Sunday and that means that fall is just around the corner. With fall comes college soccer and in fact exhibition games are already underway. Regular season games kick-off on August 26th. The NCAA Pre-season rankings were released earlier this month. The Chicago Fire are looking primed to grab some top talent with a top five pick in the draft. After the break, we've got the top ten games in the Chicagoland area along with the schedules for several big schools in Chicago Fire Country.
Top Five Chicagoland Games
1. DePaul vs. #1 Louisville - Wednesday, October 26 - 12:00 PM CST - Wish Field
The pre-season #1 comes right to DePaul's Wish Field. Chicago Fire Strength and Conditioning coach Tony Jouaux will likely be in attendance to see his old school and employer. Hermann Trophy hopefuls Austin Berry and Colin Rolfe should take the field for the university hailing from Kentucky.
2. DePaul University vs. #10 Creighton - Sunday, September 11 - 3:00 PM CST - Wish Field
Creighton is lead by Hermann Trophy hopefuls Tyler Polak and Ethan Finlay. Top Drawer Soccer lists Polak and Finlay as the No. 5 and No. 14 best players in the country. Illinoisans Greg Jordan (No. 74) and Andrew Duran (No. 97) are from Naperville and Mokena respectively and add to the Blue Jays midfield.
3. Northwestern vs. #17 Indiana University - Sunday, October 30 - 2:00 PM CST - Lakeside Field
Chicago Fire PDL and Academy fans will enjoy this matchup. U-18 captain, occasional PDL and Fire Reserves player Peter Beasley is set to play for Northwestern. 2011 PDL leading goal scorer Chris Estridge enters his senior year for Indiana University. Backing up Estridge will be another Fire U-18 and PDL player: Patrick Doody. Top Drawer Soccer lists Northwestern forward Oliver Kupe at No. 86 in the country. Indiana's Tommy Meyer is one of the best players in the Midwest at No. 22 and midfielder Harrison Petts ain't too shabby at No. 83.
4. Loyola University vs. #21 Butler - Saturday, October 1 - 7:00 PM CST - Loyola Soccer Park
Loyola University doesn't have top high rated players but the program is pretty good overall. They will be looking to upset #21 Butler and use the home field to their advantage.
5. University of Illinois-Chicago vs. #24 UC Irvine - Sunday, September 11 - 2:00 PM CST - Flames Field
UIC doesn't have a player like alum Baggio Husidic on the team but Flames Field is located in a prime location near downtown. #24 UC Irvine hopes that #49 Miguel Ibarra will be in top form and lead the Californian team higher up the charts.
Honorary Mention: University of Illinois-Chicago vs. DePaul University - Thursday, September 1 - 5:00 PM CST - Toyota Park
This is your big Chicago match-up taking place at the Chicago soccer palace: Toyota Park. If you just can't get enough of Toyota Park, here's a chance to enter on the cheap and see the local teams play. We've got the full schedules for the Division I soccer programs in Chicago below in addition to links to the colleges farther away from the capital of Chicago Fire Country.
Date
Opponent / Event
Location
Time / Result
08/14/11
at Eastern Illinois #
Charleston, Ill.
W, 1-0
08/20/11
at Western Michigan #
Kalamazoo, Mich.
T, 3-3
08/27/11
vs. Oakland
Wish Field
1:00 p.m. CT
09/01/11
vs. Illinois-Chicago
Toyota Park
5:00 p.m. CT
09/04/11
vs. Southern Illinois-Edwardsville
Wish Field
4:00 p.m. CT
09/11/11
vs. Creighton
Wish Field
3:00 p.m. CT
09/14/11
at Loyola Chicago
Chicago
7:00 p.m. CT
09/17/11
at Western Illinois
Macomb, Ill.
1:00 p.m. CT
09/21/11
at Drake
Des Moines, Iowa
7:00 p.m. CT
09/24/11
vs. Seton Hall *
Wish Field
1:00 p.m. CT
09/28/11
vs. Northwestern
Wish Field
12:00 p.m. CT
10/01/11
at Georgetown *
Washington, D.C.
12:00 p.m. CT
10/05/11
vs. Green Bay
Wish Field
3:00 p.m. CT
10/08/11
at Villanova *
Villanova, Pa.
12:00 p.m. CT
10/12/11
at USF *
Tampa, Fla.
6:30 p.m. CT
10/15/11
vs. Rutgers *
Wish Field
1:00 p.m. CT
10/19/11
at Cincinnati *
Cincinnati, Ohio
6:00 p.m. CT
10/22/11
at St. John's *
Queens, N.Y.
6:30 p.m. CT
10/26/11
vs. Louisville *
Wish Field
12:00 p.m. CT
10/29/11
vs. Syracuse *
Wish Field
1:00 p.m. CT
Date
Opponent / Event
Location
Time / Result
08/17/11
vs. Marquette (exhibition) #
Loyola Soccer Park
L, 2-0
08/23/11
at Wisconsin (exhibition) #
Madison, Wis.
4:00 p.m. CT
08/27/11
vs. Drake
Loyola Soccer Park
7:00 p.m. CT
Nike Portland Invitational
09/02/11
vs. Washington
Portland, Ore.
6:30 p.m. CT
09/04/11
at Portland
Portland, Ore.
4:30 p.m. CT
09/11/11
vs. Western Michigan
Loyola Soccer Park
7:00 p.m. CT
09/14/11
vs. DePaul
Loyola Soccer Park
7:00 p.m. CT
Bradley Classic
09/16/11
vs. Evansville
Peoria, Ill.
5:00 p.m. CT
09/18/11
at Bradley
Peoria, Ill.
2:30 p.m. CT
09/24/11
at Green Bay *
Green Bay, Wis.
7:00 p.m. CT
10/01/11
vs. Butler *
Loyola Soccer Park
7:00 p.m. CT
10/05/11
vs. Oakland
Loyola Soccer Park
7:00 p.m. CT
10/08/11
at Cleveland State *
Cleveland, Ohio
6:00 p.m. CT
10/12/11
vs. Eastern Illinois
Loyola Soccer Park
7:00 p.m. CT
10/15/11
vs. Detroit *
Loyola Soccer Park
7:00 p.m. CT
10/19/11
at Northwestern
Evanston, Ill.
7:00 p.m. CT
10/22/11
at Wright State *
Dayton, Ohio
6:00 p.m. CT
10/26/11
vs. Valparaiso *
Loyola Soccer Park
7:00 p.m. CT
10/29/11
at Milwaukee *
Milwaukee, Wis.
7:00 p.m. CT
11/02/11
vs. UIC *
Loyola Soccer Park
7:00 p.m. CT
| Date | Opponent / Event | Location | Time |
|
|||
| 08/14/11 | at SIUE (exhib.) | Edwardsville, Ill. | L, 1-0 |
| 08/19/11 | vs. Wheaton (exhib.) | Evanston, Ill. | W, 5-0 |
| 08/26/11 | vs. Eastern Illinois 
|
Evanston, Ill. | 5:00 p.m. CT |
| 09/01/11 | vs. California | Bridgeview, Ill. (Toyota Park) | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| 09/05/11 | vs. UMKC | Evanston, Ill. | 2:00 p.m. CT |
| adidas/Magnuson Inn Invitational | |||
| 09/09/11 | vs. Portland | DeKalb, Ill. | 2:30 p.m. CT |
| 09/11/11 | vs. Valparaiso | DeKalb, Ill. | 1:30 p.m. CT |
|
|
|||
| Lakeside Classic | |||
| 09/16/11 | NIU vs. Xavier | Evanston, Ill. | 5:00 p.m. CT |
| vs. UC Davis
|
Evanston, Ill. | 7:30 p.m. CT | |
| 09/18/11 | NIU vs. UC Davis | Evanston, Ill. | 11:30 a.m. CT |
|
|
|||
| 09/18/11 | vs. Xavier
|
Evanston, Ill. | 2:00 p.m. CT |
| 09/24/11 | vs. Michigan State *
|
Evanston, Ill. | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| 09/28/11 | at DePaul | Chicago, Ill. | 12:00 p.m. CT |
| 10/01/11 | vs. Missouri State | Evanston, Ill. | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| 10/05/11 | at Notre Dame | Notre Dame, Ind. | 6:00 p.m. CT |
| 10/09/11 | at Ohio State * | Columbus, Ohio | 1:00 p.m. CT |
| 10/12/11 | vs. Northern Illinois | Evanston, Ill. | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| 10/16/11 | at Penn State *
|
University Park, Pa. | 1:00 p.m. CT |
| 10/19/11 | vs. Loyola Chicago | Evanston, Ill. | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| 10/21/11 | Alumni Game (exhib.) | Evanston, Ill. | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| 10/23/11 | vs. Wisconsin *
|
Evanston, Ill. | 1:00 p.m. CT |
| 10/30/11 | vs. Indiana * | Evanston, Ill. | 2:00 p.m. CT |
| 11/05/11 | at Michigan * | Ann Arbor, Mich. | 4:00 p.m. CT |
University of Illinois-Chicago
| Date | Opponent / Event | Location | Time / Result |
|
|||
| 08/18/11 | at Eastern Illinois (Exhibition) | Charleston, Ill. (Lakeside Field) | W, 2-1 |
| 08/20/11 | vs. Lewis (Exhibition) | Chicago, Ill. (Flames Field) | Canceled |
| 08/27/11 | vs. Marquette | Chicago, Ill. (Flames Field) | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| 09/01/11 | vs. DePaul | Bridgeview, Ill. (Toyota Park) | 5:00 p.m. CT |
| 09/04/11 | at UAB | Birmingham, Ala. (West Campus Field) | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| 09/09/11 | vs. Memphis | Madison, Wis. (McClimon Complex) | 5:00 p.m. CT |
| 09/11/11 | vs. UC Irvine | Chicago, Ill. (Flames Field) | 2:00 p.m. CT |
| 09/16/11 | Wisconsin vs. Drake | Chicago, Ill. (Flames Field) | 5:00 p.m. CT |
| Chicago South Loop Hotel UIC Soccer Classic | |||
| 09/16/11 | vs. SIU-Edwardsville | Chicago, Ill. (Flames Field) | 7:30 p.m. CT |
| 09/18/11 | Wisconsin vs. SIU-Edwardsville | Chicago, Ill. (Flames Field) | 11:00 a.m. CT |
| vs. Drake University | Chicago, Ill. (Flames Field) | 2:00 p.m. CT | |
|
|
|||
| 09/23/11 | at Dayton | Dayton, Ohio (Baujan Field) | 6:00 p.m. CT |
| 09/27/11 | at Michigan State | East Lansing, Mich. (DeMartin Soccer Complex) | 3:00 p.m. CT |
| 10/01/11 | vs. Green Bay # | Chicago, Ill. (Flames Field) | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| 10/08/11 | at Butler # | Indianapolis, Ind. (Varsity Field) | 6:00 p.m. CT |
| 10/14/11 | vs. Cleveland State # | FLAMES FIELD | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| 10/16/11 | vs. Nebraska-Omaha | FLAMES FIELD | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| 10/22/11 | at Detroit # | Detroit, Mich. (Titan Field) | 1:00 p.m. CT |
| 10/26/11 | vs. Wright State # | Chicago, Ill. (Flames Field) | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| 10/29/11 | at Valparaiso # | Valparaiso, Ind. (Brown Field) | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| 11/02/11 | at Loyola # | Chicago, Ill. (Loyola Soccer Park) | 7:00 p.m. CT |
| 11/05/11 | vs. Milwaukee # | Chicago, Ill. (Flames Field) | 7:00 p.m. CT |
Norte Dame
Why do we include Notre Dame's full schedule? A decent amount of Fire fans live in Northern Indiana. Notre Dame is highly ranked in pre-season polls. Somehow they manage to not play any regular season games in Chicago this year but they have several top college opponents they will play in South Bend. UND's Dillon Powers (#4), Ryan Finley (#15), and Aaron Maund (#21) highlight a very special group of players for the Irish this year. If you have anything resembling a good excuse to check out one of their games, be sure to use it.
| Date | Opponent / Event | Location | Time |
|
|||
| 08/16/11 | at Xavier (exhibition) # | Cincinnati, Ohio | T, 1-1 |
| 08/18/11 | at Butler (exhibition) # | Indianapolis, Ind. | W, 2-1 |
| 08/22/11 | vs. Creighton (exhibition) # | Notre Dame, Ind. | T, 2-2 |
| 08/27/11 | vs. Indiana | Notre Dame, Ind. | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| adidas/IU Credit Union Classic | |||
| 09/02/11 | vs. Dayton | Bloomington, Ind. | 5:00 p.m. ET |
| 09/04/11 | vs. Saint Louis | Bloomington, Ind. | 11:30 a.m. ET |
|
|
|||
| Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament | |||
| 09/09/11 | vs. Denver | Notre Dame, Ind. | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| 09/11/11 | vs. Bucknell | Notre Dame, Ind. | 2:00 p.m. ET |
|
|
|||
| 09/16/11 | vs. Michigan | Notre Dame, Ind. | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| 09/18/11 | at Michigan State | East Lansing, Mich. | 1:00 p.m. ET |
| 09/24/11 | vs. Louisville *
|
Notre Dame, Ind. | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| 10/01/11 | at St. John's * | Jamaica, N.Y. | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| 10/05/11 | vs. Northwestern | Notre Dame, Ind. | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| 10/08/11 | vs. Connecticut * | Notre Dame, Ind. | 12:00 p.m. ET |
| 10/12/11 | at Marquette * | Milwaukee, Wis. | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| 10/15/11 | at Georgetown * | Washington, D.C. | 1:00 p.m. ET |
| 10/19/11 | vs. Seton Hall * | Notre Dame, Ind. | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| 10/22/11 | at Pittsburgh * | Pittsburgh, Pa. | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| 10/26/11 | at Providence * | Providence, R.I. | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| 10/29/11 | vs. West Virginia | Notre Dame, Ind. | 12:00 p.m. ET |
Other Schools
The following is a list of schools that have Division I soccer programs and are in or around Illinois. St. Louis University and Louisville might be pushing it but they are both five hours away and in states that border Illinois. Almost all of these schools have a top 25 opponent somewhere on their schedule. If you live nearby, check it out. You never know who the next Chicago Fire player or MLS star might be.
Illinois
Southern Illinois - Edwardsville
Indiana
Iowa
Kentucky
Missouri
Wisconsin