UIC men's soccer head coach Sean Phillips announced the team's 2017 schedule today. Eight home matches at Flames Field, eight Horizon League matches, and showdowns with three NCAA tournament teams from last season highlight the schedule.

"I am very excited about this schedule," Phillips said.  "Our players always want to be challenged with the opponents.  In addition to our always difficult Horizon League schedule, we have some outstanding non-conference opponents this year."

The defending Horizon League champions will play exhibitions at Western Illinois and at home against Wisconsin before opening the regular season at Butler on August 25. The Bulldogs won the Big East and advanced to NCAA play in 2016, finishing the season with a 13-5-2 record.

UIC's first home match of the regular season will be on August 27 when crosstown rival DePaul comes to Flames Field. That match will be on a Sunday immediately following a Friday match; marking the first of two straight weeks in which the Flames will face such a turnaround. They will travel to Marquette on Friday, September 1 ahead of a home match on Sunday, September 3 against Eastern Illinois.

Phillips arranged the early part of the schedule, in terms of timing and opponents, to reinforce to his squad the focus required for success over the long haul. "The first two weekends are going to challenge our players individually and collectively in preparation for the start of the Horizon League schedule," he said.  "Three Big East opponents – Butler, DePaul and Marquette – and the rising EIU program will provide early season challenges that will prepare us for the start of the always difficult Horizon League schedule the third weekend of the season."

Following the initial spurt of four matches in 10 days, the Flames will open Horizon League play at Detroit Mercy on September 9. The home conference opener will be September 16 against Wright State, the team UIC beat in the Horizon League championship game last season. Road trips to Northwestern and Milwaukee will follow.

A trip to Edwardsville to take on SIUE for the first time since 2013 will close out the month of September. The Cougars are the defending MVC champions and advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament with wins over Michigan State and Butler. Just three days later, UIC will make a short trip across town to square off with Loyola, who eliminated the Flames from the NCAA bracket last year.

The sprinkling of nearby non-conference opponents throughout the middle part of the season will reignite some regional rivalries. "In addition to playing local rival DePaul on the first weekend, we always look forward to the challenges provided by local rivals Northwestern, NIU and 2016 NCAA Tournament participant Loyola.  We were also able to add SIUE back into the schedule, which will be another great challenge out of the conference for us," Phillips commented.

Conference play will dominate the remainder of the schedule. Five of UIC's last six matches will be against Horizon League foes. Green Bay will venture to Chicago October 7. Cleveland State and Oakland will close out the Flames' home schedule before a trip to Belmont ends the regular season on November 3.

The Horizon League tournament will begin November 6 with quarterfinal action at the homes of the higher seeds. The regular season champion will host the semifinals (Nov. 9) and championship game (Nov. 11), with the champion receiving the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

"The non-conference games will be great to grow our team, but the number one goal for our program is always winning the Horizon League Regular Season and Tournament Championship so that we can compete on the national stage of the NCAA Tournament," Phillips stated. As the defending champion, Phillips knows that UIC will face the best shots from a deeply talented conference this fall.  "The Horizon League is far more competitive and talented than it is given credit for.  I anticipate this to be true again this year."

For the full schedule in PDF format, see the link in the blue box at the upper right, or simply click here.