NORMAL, Ill. – Despite coming back to tie the match, UIC (3-11-0) could not answer the three goals scored by Illinois State (6-5-2) in the final 20 minutes Wednesday night as it fell, 4-1, at Adelaide Street Field. Tamae Douglas picked up the Flames' lone tally for her second goal of the year.
 
UIC was limited to just seven shots while the Redbirds fired off a season opponent-high 26. The Flames put four attempts on goal from Olivia Everin (2), Douglas (1) and Janai Cedeno (1), with the remaining efforts coming from Autumn Rasmussen, Bekah Allen and Keri Birkenhead.
 
Annie DiCanio started her third-consecutive match and matched her career high with seven saves before Tara Khayam entered to play the final five minutes and make one stop.
 
UIC relied on its defense as it was unable to generate the offense it needed and ISU controlled possession. DiCanio made a stop on the Redbirds' first shot before two more attempts were sent high and then Emily Dickman converted in the 16th minute and shot the ball high into the upper 90 for the 1-0 lead.
 
The first look of the match for the Flames did not come until the 22nd minute when Everin had her attempt stopped. Over the next 10 minutes, Rasmussen and Birkenhead both fired off shots but sent the ball high. It was ISU the rest of the half as it took six more strikes at the ball with DiCanio making saves on three.
 
The Redbirds continued their persistence out of halftime and executed another trio of shots in the opening five minutes while Haley Kittle came up big for UIC and booted the ball out of an empty-net look. Everin recorded the first shot of the second half for the Flames in the 60th minute when she broke and let a shot go that was saved.
 
After DiCanio made another stop as ISU was awarded a free kick just outside the 18, Cedeno got off an attempt that resulted in a save at the 66-minute mark then Allen followed with a look that was sent wide.
 
In the 71st minute, Everin sent in a cross that was taken down by the Redbirds' keeper, but the ball came loose and Douglas pounced and tapped it into the back of the net to tie the match at 1-1.
 
However, ISU came right back one minute later as Kelli Zickert sent a corner kick to Dickman and she shot it in for her second goal of the game and the 2-1 advantage. After another pair of shots, the Redbirds added to their total in the 79th minute as ZIckert put in a rebound shot from Mikayla Unger, then Unger scored her own three minutes later to go up 4-1. Four more shots would come in the match, but all from ISU.
 
The Flames move on to their next road stop as they head to Detroit, Mich., for a 3 p.m. CT matchup Saturday against Detroit Mercy at Titan Field.