LIVE STATS
CHICAGO – The UIC women's soccer team will get its third competitive season underway this weekend when it takes on Northern Illinois and Belmont for the first time. The Flames open their slate by making the short trip to DeKalb, Ill., on Friday to face the Huskies at 7 p.m. CT at the NIU Soccer Complex before returning for their home opener at Flames Field on Sunday against the Bruins at 1 p.m.
UIC has already recorded minutes on the pitch this season as it tangled with Eastern Illinois (Aug. 8) and Indiana State (Aug. 13) in a pair of exhibition matches. The Flames dropped a 2-1 decision against the Panthers before posting a 0-0 draw with the Sycamores. In the two games combined, UIC put up 26 shots and had 12 on goal.
Rebeca Pallo scored the lone goal, with
Emily Wauer getting the assist.
This season, the Flames haul their largest roster with 28 players (3 SR, 12 JR, 5 SO, 8 FR). A total of 19 letterwinners are back, including 10 starters, which features 2015 Horizon League Goalkeeper of the Year and First Team selection
Kelly Fritz, Second Team honorees
Olivia Everin and
Madison Pollard, and All-Freshman Team member
Naomi Rushe.
UIC is returning from a 2015 season that presented a 5-12-2 record and 2-6-1 mark in the Horizon League. The team picked up wins against Morehead State, SIUE, Loyola, Cleveland State and Green Bay and garnered five shutouts along the way.
The Flames put up 14 goals and 10 assists during the year, led by Everin (4G, 1A),
Jasmin Carrera (3G, 2A), Rushe (3G, 1A) and
Emily Wauer (2G, 3A). On the opposite end of the field, Fritz made 92 saves in 1,583 minutes of play and acquired a 1.65 goals-against average.
Northern Illinois begins its campaign after a 3-12-3 output in 2015, with a 2-6-3 record in the Mid-American Conference. The Huskies return 16 letterwinners and seven starters, which features 12 upperclassmen in addition to MAC All-Freshman honoree Taylor Sarver. In the preseason, NIU went 0-1-1 with a 3-1 loss against Drake and a 1-1 tie with Iowa State.
Belmont went 4-12-2 in 2015 with a mark of 3-6-1 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Bruins bring back 16 letterwinners and eight starters, including All-OVC Second Team selections Stephanie Bukovec and Belicia Mendiola. Belmont turned out a 0-1-1 record in the preseason following a 1-1 tie with UAB and a 2-0 loss to Chattanooga.
UIC will continue non-conference action with matches against Drake, New Mexico State, SIUE, Baylor, Northern Arizona, Grand Canyon and Chicago State.
The Horizon League campaign opens on Sept. 13 with an away match at Milwaukee. The Flames will follow it up with home matches against Youngstown State, Green Bay, Northern Kentucky, Valparaiso and Detroit, and the remainder on the road against Oakland, Cleveland State and Wright State.
