CHICAGO - The men's gymnastics team kicks off the 2015 competitive season as they host Illinois at the UIC Pavilion on Friday, January 9. The event is scheduled to commence at 7 p.m. CT.

"I really expect our squad to get a big boost simply by being in our new home," said head coach Charley Nelson. "The team gets pumped to compete at home, but this is going to have a whole different affect. One of our challenges will be to focus that energy in the right direction."

The last time the two squads met, senior Jason Gaides recorded strong scores in three events. Gaides took a third-place finish on vault with a score of 14.350, a fourth-place on floor with 14.100 and finished second with a total of 78.200 points all-around. Meanwhile, Kyle Christiansen finished with a combined total of 69.350 points, scoring a 13.500 on floor and 13.000 on vault.

"Illinois is one of the nation's top programs and they will be tough right out of the gate," said Nelson. "UIC will stick with our game plan and do what we do well. Our goal is have a higher percentage of hit routines than the Illini. Though the outcome of Friday night will not define our season, we are looking to start off on the right foot and get used to our new digs before the Windy City Invitational on January 17."

Be sure to check back to uicflames.com on Friday night for a full recap and results from the Flames' first home meet of the 2015 season.