URBANA — Two weeks ago, the Illineks were 8-3-1 and had just received the news that they were seeded second in the 15-team Class A Monticello sectional.

Since then they have lost five straight games, including two consecutive matches to teams seeded below them in the upcoming playoffs.

The latest loss came Thursday as St. Thomas More, seeded No. 6 in the Monticello bracket, shut out Uni 7-0 at the DCR Soccer Complex.

The visiting Sabers, now 10-7-1, scored six of their goals within a span of 15 minutes in the first half. Senior Dan Lehr began the scoring about 13 minutes into the game, followed four minutes later by sophomore Jackson Hayes, who scored the first of his three goals on the day.

Lehr gave the Sabers a 3-0 advantage in the 20th minute of the half, his second score of the contest. Sophomore Tyler Johnson made it 4-0 with 17:17 left, followed by Hayes and his second goal, which raised the STM lead to 5-0 at the 14:28 mark.

Hayes concluded the Sabers' first-half scoring run with 12:08 remaining. All of the team's goals but one were unassisted; sophomore Calvin Cheng set up Hayes on the fifth score.

The Sabers' 6-0 halftime lead was the biggest by any Uni opponent this season, topping the 4-0 advantage that Urbana enjoyed after the first 40 minutes of play on Saturday.

"I think Uni stacked at least two people extra up on offense several times down the field, and we were very successful with our counterattack," Saber head coach Dave Cox said. "It’s just one of those games where we had momentum for long enough that it started to get out of hand."

Said Uni head coach Philip Anders: "Most of the goals first started simply by a ball played up and over in front of the defense. We weren’t winning the ball in front of the defense. It was getting in behind the defense. Almost all their goals were inside the box. There was a lot of miscommunication and confusion. We didn’t clear the ball defensively."

In the second half, STM senior A.J. Sikorski did the only scoring, getting a penalty kick past goalkeeper Isaac Radnitzer with 23:10 left in the match. Radnitzer finished the day with four saves, three in the first half.

The Illineks had 11 shots on goal. Five of them came in the second half, all by senior Jake Seeley. Four Uni players were missing from the lineup due to varying degrees of injury: juniors Stephen and Russell Prochaska and sophomores Eddie Diazmunoz and Neil Pearson.

With the nonconference loss, Uni is now 8-8-1 overall, 2-1 in the East Central Illinois Conference.

Thursday's game was far different from the last time the teams met. That was Oct. 19 in the 2006 Monticello sectional semifinals, when Uni defeated STM 6-2 behind Martin Granick's four goals. Eight starters from that 17-4-1 Illinek team, including Granick and 30-goal scorer Michael Belmont, have graduated.

Despite Thursday's lopsided outcome, STM's head coach noted that the Illineks have made solid strides this year.

"Uni is a well-balanced, good team," Cox said. "They’ve done a good job rebuilding from last year, from their losses [to graduation]."

As for his own players, Cox added: "I think we have a very good attack up front. I’ve got seven seniors, and the way we play we often have six or seven people on the attack, and I think we’re very strong in that. Jonathan File [a junior] is doing an excellent job as keeper. We’ve got some injuries we’re working around, but the defense has gelled and done a nice job. That’s what we lost from last season, all of our defense. We’re kind of coming into our own, peaking at the right time."

If STM and Uni play each other again this season, it will be in the sectional semifinals, just like last year.

The Illineks have now lost two straight games to sectional opponents seeded below them. The first loss came on Tuesday against Tolono Unity, when the fourth-seeded Rockets won 2-1.

Overall, Uni has lost five straight, getting outscored 23-2 in that span.

"We’ve been talking about things after games good and bad, talking about things we could improve on," Anders said. "With this game, the only thing that was really said was just the basics — organization and basics. It’s like any kind of business, any kind of work group — if you’ve completely flopped, you need to start somewhere. You need to start somewhere and do one thing right and put the next foot forward."

Two regular-season games remain before the Illineks begin the postseason. Both matches are at home next week: Normal Calvary Baptist visits on Tuesday and Monticello arrives on Thursday. The playoffs get under way Friday with 15th-seeded Mt. Carmel coming to town.

Looking ahead to the Monticello sectional, where Judah Christian is the No. 1 seed, STM's Cox said the past two weeks have shown that the seedings won't mean much when the playoffs begin and teams start battling for the right to go to state.

"It’s wide open," said Cox, whose team lost to Judah 1-0 on Sept. 8. "There are at least 10 teams that can win it. There are many that are tough. I think we can win it. I think Uni can, Monticello, Teutopolis — I think any of the top 10 seeds, on any given night. As the recent games are showing, everything’s closing up. Salt Fork knocked off Hoopeston the other night, Oakwood barely beat Georgetown. It’s anybody’s match."

MORE PHOTOS: UNI VS. ST. THOMAS MORE

Senior Julian Hartman tries to kick past St. Thomas More's Steve Emmons (9) and Justin Koerner (2). Gargoyle photo (click to enlarge)

THE SEASON SO FAR

2007 BOYS SOCCER VARSITY RECORD: 8-8-1 overall, 2-1 East Central Illinois Conference
(home games listed in bold)

Aug. 25: Oakwood (Uni High Soccer Shoot Out), W 5-1

• Story: Illineks win first game of season-opening tournament
• Halftime score: Uni 2, Oakwood 1
• Uni goals: Dan Lilly 2 (season total: 2); Holden Bucher 1 (season total: 1); Sam Imlay 1 (season total: 1); Jake Seeley 1 (season total: 1)
• Uni assists: Sam Imlay 2 (season total: 2); David Hjelmstad 1 (season total: 1); Stephen Prochaska 1 (season total: 1); Jake Seeley 1 (season total: 1)
• Uni saves: Isaac Radnitzer 6

Aug. 25: Blue Ridge (Uni High Soccer Shoot Out), W 1-0

• Story: Sophomore's first varsity goal turns out to be game winner
• Halftime score: Uni 0, Blue Ridge 0
• Uni goal: Eddie Diazmunoz (season total: 1)
• Uni assist: Holden Bucher (season total: 1)
• Uni saves: Isaac Radnitzer 13

Aug. 25: Fisher (Uni High Soccer Shoot Out), T 1-1

• Story: Uni wins seventh consecutive Shoot Out title
• Halftime score: Uni 1, Fisher 1
• Uni goal: Eddie Diazmunoz (season total: 2)
• Uni assist: none
• Uni saves: Isaac Radnitzer 11

Aug. 28: at Judah Christian, L 5-0 *

• Story: Judah downs Uni
• Halftime score: Judah Christian 2, Uni 0
• Uni goals: none
• Uni assists: none
• Uni saves: Isaac Radnitzer 8
• JV game: Judah Christian 1, Uni 0

Aug. 30: Mahomet-Seymour, L 1-0

• Story: Mahomet-Seymour shuts out Illineks
• Halftime score: 0-0
• Uni goals: none
• Uni assists: none
• Uni saves: Isaac Radnitzer 18
• JV game: Mahomet-Seymour 3, Uni 1 (goal by Loic Hostetter, with assist by Eric Fritzsche)

Sept. 4: at Fisher, W 2-0

• Story: Illineks get back on scoreboard, defeat Fisher 2-0
• Halftime score: Uni 1, Fisher 0
• Uni goals: Stephen Prochaska 1 (season total: 1); Holden Bucher 1 (season total: 2)
• Uni assists: Holden Bucher 1 (season total: 2); Neil Pearson 1 (season total: 1)
• Uni saves: Isaac Radnitzer 5
• JV game: Fisher 4, Uni 2 (Uni goals by Richard Weisbach, with assist by Grant Loos; Loic Hostetter, with assist by Jasper Maniates-Selvin)

Sept. 6: Decatur Christian, W 3-0 *

• Story: Bucher leads Uni to 3-0 win
• Halftime score: 0-0
• Uni goals: Holden Bucher 2 (season total: 4); Jake Seeley 1 (season total: 2)
• Uni assists: Russell Prochaska 1 (season total: 1); Dan Lilly 1 (season total: 1); Seeley 1 (season total: 2)
• Uni saves: Isaac Radnitzer 3
• JV game: none

Sept. 8: Sullivan, W 2-0 (game called after first half due to lightning)

• Story: Uni wins game shortened by lightning
• Halftime score: 2-0
• Uni goals: Carter Hutchens 1 (season total: 1); Dan Lilly 1 (season total: 3)
• Uni assists: Jake Seeley 2 (season total: 4)
• Uni saves: Isaac Radnitzer 2
• JV game: none

Sept. 11: at Oakwood, L 2-1

• Story: Comets get payback, beat Illineks 2-1
• Halftime score: 2-1
• Uni goal: Jake Seeley (season total: 3)
• Uni assist: Julian Hartman (season total: 1)
• Uni saves: Isaac Radnitzer 11
• JV game: Uni 1, Oakwood 1 (unofficial match; Uni goal by Radnitzer)

Sept. 13: Iroquois West, W 4-0

• Story: Uni bounces back from Oakwood loss, shuts out Iroquois West
• Halftime score: 3-0
• Uni goals: Dan Lilly 2 (season total: 5); Jake Seeley 1 (season total: 4); Isaac Radnitzer (season total: 1)
• Uni assists: Carter Hutchens 1 (season total: 1); Julian Hartman 1 (season total: 2)
• Uni saves: Isaac Radnitzer 9
• JV game: none (intra-squad scrimmage)

Sept. 14: Schlarman, W 3-1

• Story: Hamer comes up big in first varsity game as Illineks down Hilltoppers
• Halftime score: Uni 2, Schlarman 1
• Uni goals: Dan Lilly 1 (season total: 6); Jake Seeley 1 (season total: 5); Holden Bucher 1 (season total: 5)
• Uni assists: Jake Seeley 1 (season total: 5); Dan Lilly 1 (season total: 2); Julian Hartman 1 (season total: 3)
• Uni saves: Nile Hamer 10
• JV game: Uni 2, Schlarman 1

Sept. 18: at Decatur Lutheran, W 4-0 *

• Story: Uni defeats Decatur Lutheran
• Halftime score: 3-0
• Uni goals: Dan Lilly 1 (season total: 7); Carter Hutchens 1 (season total: 2); Stephen Prochaska 1 (season total: 2); Sam Imlay 1 (season total: 2)
• Uni assists: Jake Seeley 2 (season total: 7); Sam Imlay 1 (season total: 3)
• Uni saves: Isaac Radnitzer 4, Nile Hamer 2
• JV game: none

Sept. 20: at Champaign Central, L 7-1

• Story: Central gets even for last year's upset
• Halftime score: Central 4, Uni 1
• Uni goal: Eddie Diazmunoz (season total: 3)
• Uni assist: Noel Knox (season total: 1)
• Uni saves: Isaac Radnitzer 25
• JV game: Central 4, Uni 0

Sept. 24: Warrensburg-Latham, L 2-0

• Story: Warrensburg-Latham's undefeated streak reaches 30 after downing Uni
• Halftime score: 0-0
• Uni goals: none
• Uni assists: none
• Uni saves: Isaac Radnitzer 15
• JV game: Uni 1, Warrensburg-Latham 1 (Uni goal by Noel Knox)

Sept. 29: at Urbana, L 5-0

• Story: Uni ends tough stretch by falling to Urbana
• Halftime score: Urbana 4, Uni 0
• Uni goals: none
• Uni assists: none
• Uni saves: Isaac Radnitzer 11
• JV game: Urbana 5, Uni 0

Oct. 2: at Tolono Unity, L 2-1

• Story: Unity upsets Illineks
• Halftime score: Uni 1, Unity 0
• Uni goal: Noel Knox (season total: 1)
• Uni assist: Jake Seeley (season total: 8)
• Uni saves: Isaac Radnitzer 7
• JV game: Uni 4, Tolono Unity 0 (Uni goals: Chris Mathy 3, Richard Weisbach 1)

Oct. 4: St. Thomas More, L 7-0

• Story: see above
• Halftime score: St. Thomas More 6, Uni 0
• Uni goals: none
• Uni assists: none
• Uni saves: Isaac Radnitzer 4
• JV game: to be posted

Next opponent: Normal Calvary Baptist, Oct. 9, at DCR Soccer Complex (corner of Florida and Lincoln avenues, Urbana); varsity game to begin at 4:30 p.m.

* East Central Illinois Conference game