HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Despite a solid defensive effort in the first half, UIC (2-7-0, 0-1-0 HL) could not stop the attack of Northern Kentucky (4-4-0, 1-0-0 HL) as it fell, 2-0, in the Horizon League opener Friday night at the NKU Soccer Stadium.
 
After being limited to five shots in the first 45 minutes, the Flames capped the game with 14 attempts and had three on goal. Emily Valentine led the effort with four attempts and had one on goal along with Keri Birkenhead and Jennifer Saviski.
 
Tara Khayam received her first start in goal of the season and second of her career. In the complete game, she made two saves as the Norse put four of their 15 shots on goal.
 
The UIC defense was tested early as NKU took seven shots in the opening 17 minutes. Of those attempts, the Flames blocked away four and never allowed a shot on net.
 
Offensively, UIC went without a shot until the 22nd minute when Haley Kittle came up with quite a look as she had her attempt from outside the 18 yard box hook and hit off the crossbar. Naomi Rushe followed with a chance one minute later but it was blocked away.
 
Birkenhead then let a shot go in the 28th minute but the Norse goalkeeper made the stop. Another shot on goal was recorded for the Flames six minutes later when Saviski took a free kick that sailed all the way in for the save.
 
NKU had just three more shots scattered in the first half after its opening barrage. But of its 10 attempts, just one came on goal as Khayam grabbed the save in the 40th minute.
 
The Norse came out of halftime and went ahead 1-0 in the 49th minute as Ally Perkins crossed the ball in to Macy Hamblin and she shot it in to the upper left corner of the net. They would increase the lead to 2-0 nine minutes later as Perkins sent a corner kick into the box and had it find Samantha Duwel to put the ball in.
 
Already with a shot sent wide from Tamae Douglas in place, Valentine fired off a sequence of three shots in a two minutes span with her final look coming on goal.
 
In the final 10 minutes, UIC put up four shots but all were off the mark from Kittle (2), Valentine and Ashlin West.
 
The Flames will close out their four-match road swing with a non-conference tilt Sunday at Drake. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. at Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines, Iowa.