CHICAGO – The UIC women's soccer team (6-10-2, 4-5-0 HL) put up a fight until the end but it was Detroit Mercy (10-6-2, 6-1-2 HL) who came out on the winning end of a 2-1 final in overtime Friday night at Flames Field. The Flames honored their senior class of Jasmin Carrera, Cecilia Magos and Kendall Wilde prior to the game.
 
In its series finale, UIC took 11 shots and put seven on goal. Emily Wauer scored the final goal of the season for the Flames as she led the squad with four shots and had two on goal. Rebeca Pallo (2), Tamae Douglas, Paige Proctor and Carrera additionally added shots on target.
 
Kelly Fritz made three saves in the game for a total of 45 on the year. She played behind a defense that consistently held off the Titans and limited them to 16 shots with five of their attempts reaching on goal.
 
The first half presented limited opportunities for either team as possession was evenly split. Detroit Mercy turned out six shots and put two on goal before UIC had one opportunity, with its first coming in the 43rd minute when Olivia Everin sent it wide.
 
A mere 25 seconds left to go until halftime, Everin chipped the ball inside the box and had it hit off a Titan that allowed Wauer to find the ball and head it in the back of the net for her fourth goal of the year.
 
After Detroit Mercy had a shot hit off the post two minutes into the second half, it had another near chance that was blocked before Everin took the ball and passed it to Pallo to put a shot on goal 22 second later. The Flames had another great break six minutes later when Carrera connected with Douglas and she shot it at the empty net with a Titan defender getting the save.
 
Following two shots off target, Detroit Mercy tied the game at 1-1 when Carley Rice found the ball off a scramble in the box and shot it in from the left side.
 
In the 71st minute, UIC attacked the net and came up with several quality chances. A shot from Proctor got it started as the keeper made the save, with Wauer then getting a header off a corner kick that was saved, and finally Carrera with a look off a corner that was stopped by the Titan defense. Three minutes later Wauer came back and had her shot sent just wide.
 
UIC and Detroit Mercy went back-to-back in shots on goal before the Titans carried the attack in the remaining five minutes when they took three corner kicks and had one shot deflected high to go to overtime.
 
One minute and 15 seconds into extra time, Anna Mindling took the ball and passed it to the middle of the box where Rice was waiting to net the game-winner.
 
UIC just missed a spot in the postseason as it finished seventh overall. The Flames significantly improved from their first two seasons of competition as they collected five shutouts, 21 goals, 19 assists, 219 shots and 99 shots on goal.