Goals from Jesus Perez and Oscar Gonzalez propelled UIC (9-5-3, 6-2-1 HL) to a 2-0 win over Belmont (5-9-2, 2-7 HL) in the regular season finale Friday afternoon in Nashville.  The Flames enter the Horizon League Tournament unbeaten in their last 10 matches, with shutouts in their last four Horizon League battles.

"Belmont's quality is not reflected in their record," head coach Sean Phillips observed.  "Combine that with the fact that playing at Belmont is always very tough, as we experienced in 2013 and 2015, and you have a tough, grind it out type of game that we were fortunate to have go our way.

"At times we played very very well.  Both goals showed what we're about as a team - penetrating quickly and moving on and off the ball.  Belmont made it tough to get those moments, but we found a way to bend and not break."

Game Headlines

• Flames Get Early Openers: Max Todd opened the game with a shot that went wide in the second minute, which was just the first of several early chances for UIC.  Oscar Gonzalez got Belmont's defense in trouble, dribbling toward the net and forcing the keeper to make a play.  Immediately after, Todd was set up for a header at the goal, which just missed.
• Back Line Stands Up: Belmont took control in the middle portions of the first half.  Joel Leon was instrumental in preventing a number of challenges from reaching Sawyer Jackman.
• Additional Chances Accrue: Markell Saddler came on in the 26^th minute and was soon able to make an impact.  He blew by the last Belmont defender on a

  

  runout and sent a shot across the face of the goal, only to see it roll untouched just outside the far post.
• Flames Break Through: Exceptional passing led to the Flames' first goal.  Sasha Simon, a 37^th-minute entrant, reached a bounding ball before it crossed the back line and crossed it toward Saddler, who used a deft touch to deposit the ball in front of Jesus Perez eight yards out for an unstoppable shot.
• "Markell and Sasha deserve a lot of credit for the way they came in and gave us a lift that led to our first goal," Phillips noted.
• Bruins Come Close to Equalizing: Belmont had early chances once the second half started.  They manufactured a shot that went through the Flames' defense and just wide of the net.  Just minutes later their corner kick set up a header that went over the crossbar from close range.
• Phillips was not surprised by the Bruins' surge after halftime.  "Every time we've played Belmont it took us into the second half before we could score a second goal.  That happened again tonight as they had the run of play for most of the second half," he said.
• Flames' Footwork is Too Much: The Flames struck again in the 77^th minute.  Todd creatively worked his way open inside the box to unleash a shot that got saved, but off the rebound Gonzalez was in position to send it home.
• Todd had started the second half on the sideline and entered just four minutes before his instrumental play in the team's second goal.  "Much like the guys in the first half, Todd came off the bench in the second half and got us that goal that helped put the game away," Phillips commented.
• Back Line Stands Up Again: Jackman gets credit for the shutout, but his clean sheet was preserved in the final seconds by Jaime Alonso, who was on the goal line and deflected a Belmont shot that caught Jackman out of position.

Facts and Figures

• The Flames' First XI remained the same from the previous two games.  It's the first time all year that there were no changes in the starters over a three game span.
• Perez and Gonzalez close the season as the team's top goal scorers, as Gonzalez logged six goals and Perez tallied four (as did Peter Becht).
• Simon got his first assist of the year, becoming the 13^th Flame to get a point.
• Jackman has shut out the last four opponents he has faced.  His overall goals against average dropped below 1, at 0.99, and fell to 0.85 in Horizon League play.
• UIC is 8-0-2 over their last 10 games, which is the best 10-game stretch in program history since the 2013 team won 10 in a row.

Up Next

• The win assured the Flames of no lower than second place in the final Horizon League standings
• UIC will get a bye into the semifinals of the Horizon League tournament.  The semis will be held Thursday at Flames Field.
• "Getting the win and doing so in the manner that we did is characteristic of our group especially late in the season.  Our guys won in a place where it's very difficult to get results, on a night when nothing but a win would do to get us the bye into the semifinals," Phillips said.
• UIC's semifinal opponent will be determined after quarterfinal action on Monday.