UIC pushed four of six singles matches to a third set, but managed to win just one of them in a 6-1 loss to Cleveland State in the first of two weekend matches on the road.  The Flames (5-7, 0-2 HL) avoided the shutout when Christian San Andres won at #6 singles in the last match of the day over Cleveland State's (6-10, 1-0 HL) Kevin Goth.

The Vikings got off to a dominant start with a 6-0 win on the #2 doubles court.  Colton Buffington and William Malm handed Niko Wasilewicz and Alvaro de la Fuente their first loss of the season.  Then at #3, Nico Mostardi and Goth took down Kailash Panchapakesan and San Andres, 6-2, to clinch the doubles point.

It appeared that Cleveland State would have similar success in the singles competition, when Malm defeated Panchapakesan, 6-3, 6-1 at #5.  But the Flames would not back down, and turned each of the remaining matches into a heated battle.  Carl Hedstrom took the early lead over Mostardi at #1, but the Viking won the second set and carried his momentum through the third, earning a 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 win.

On the #2 court, Wasilewicz and Colton Buffington waged an epic battle.  Buffington eked out the first set, 7-6, and Wasilewicz took the second, 6-4, setting up a pivotal third set that would either allow the Vikings to clinch their first conference win, or keep the Flames alive.  Wasilewicz surrendered a couple of break points and Buffington won the set, 6-1, and the match.

Meanwhile, Marcelo Dib was giving Mirko Radosevic all he could handle at #3.  Though Radosevic won the match 7-6, 7-6, Dib pushed him to two tightly contested tiebreakers.  Johan Hedstrom and Benjamin Slade couldn't settle things in two set in their #4 match.  Slade bounced back from a 4-6 loss in set number one to take the match with 6-3 and 6-4 wins to close it out.

San Andres showed great determination as he too needed a third set to decide his match.  Goth got the better of him, 7-5, in the first set.  San Andres had an easier time of things in sailing to a 6-2 win in the second, but the third was another nailbiter.  San Andres won his third straight match with a hard fought 7-5 third set victory.

"We didn't get any momentum in the doubles sets," head coach Hans Neufeld said, "but we had great energy in singles.  Niko, Marcelo, and Johan were right there.  Christian had a great match and got us a point.  Everyone is ready to get back out there tomorrow with the same energy and try to get some wins."

The Flames will conclude their weekend road trip with another league contest at Youngstown State Sunday morning.