The UIC Flames (1-4-1) will face off against another crosstown rival Wednesday night when they take a short trip north to Evanston to play Northwestern (1-6-0).  The Flames will look to end a three game losing streak and get their second win of the season against a Chicago opponent.

"We always look forward to our non-conference matches with our local rivals," head coach Sean Phillips said.  "The game against Northwestern is no different.  Coach Lenahan will have his team well prepared.  It is always a very competitive affair.  We will have to turn in a disciplined performance to get the result this evening."

In their last outing on Saturday, the Flames and Wright State battled for over 80 scoreless minutes.  UIC had a handful of quality shots in the latter stages of the second half, but none got past the Raiders' goalkeeper.  Wright State broke through in the 84^th minute on a shot from a sharp angle, and added another goal less than a minute later for a 2-0 win.

Though the Flames took fewer corner kicks than Wright State, marking just the second time all year that has happened, UIC continues to lead the nation in corner kicks with 9.0 per game.  Their aggressive pace in the final third has resulted in over 15 shots per game, which ranks the team in the top 15 nationally.  Oscar Gonzalez is pacing the team in shots, having fired 20 attempts this season and seven on goal.

Northwestern won their opener against Valparaiso, but has lost six straight since.  Most recently, they fell to #1 Indiana on Sunday, 2-0.  Four of their six losses have been via shutout.  Each of the Wildcats' four goals on the season has come from a different player.  Miha Miskovic has started the last four games in goal and has season numbers of 2.38 goals against and a .643 save percentage.

In their first intracity game, the Flames picked up a win over DePaul on August 27.  The Blue Demons scored the first two goals but UIC roared back to tie the game on a penalty kick, and went on to win in overtime on Max Todd's golden goal.  UIC will face Loyola later this season, as all three other Division I programs in the city are on the schedule for the third straight year.

The rivalry with Northwestern dates back to 1981, UIC's first year of Division I play, but had been on hiatus since 2005 – aside from a meeting in the 2007 NCAA tournament – until starting up again in 2015.  The Flames are 13-9-1 all-time in the series after splitting with Northwestern the last two seasons.  UIC won the match last year in Evanston, 2-0.

The match will be live streamed on BTN2Go (subscription fees apply).  Free live stats will be available via the link in the blue box above, and in-game updates are always provided on the official Twitter page of UIC soccer, @UICmensSoccer.
 
For additional notes on Wednesday's contest, please continue below:
 
RACKING UP CORNER KICKS: UIC's offensive pressure has resulted in bountiful chances to take corner kicks.  The Flames are first in the nation with 9.0 corner kicks per game.  Against Eastern Illinois, the Flames took 15 corner kicks to the Panthers' none, and they continued their dominance in the category against Detroit Mercy, with a 9-2 edge.

IRON MEN: The Flames played five overtime periods over their first five games, giving several players the opportunity to rack up minutes.  To date, three Flames – Jesus Perez, Oscar Gonzalez, and Jose Fuentes – are averaging over 90 minutes per match.

FINALLY, SOME REST: Jose Fuentes did not come off the pitch for a single minute over the Flames' first five games.  He was subbed out in the 84^th minute against Wright State.  Fuentes has one of the Flames' goals this season and is tied for third on the team with two points.

JUGGLING THE STARTERS: Six different First XI's have been deployed over the first six matches.  Nineteen players have at least one start.  Only four players (Fuentes, Gonzalez, Perez, Garcia) have started every match.  Albert Arabik is the only player who has seen action but not started at least once.

STABILITY IN THE MIDDLE: Despite the variety of starting lineups, UIC's midfield has remained intact all season.  Jose Fuentes, Oscar Gonzalez, Nestor Garcia, and Jesus Perez have been the starting quartet at midfield in every match.  They are the Flames' top four non-goalkeepers in terms of minutes played.

RETURN OF THE MAX: Junior Max Todd scored the golden goal at 105:31 to lift the Flames past their crosstown rivals DePaul.  It was Todd's first game winner of his career.  He missed the next three games but returned against Wright State and made an immediate impact, initiating the offense and getting off three shots in 24 minutes.

SOME GOALS, PLEASE: The Flames have been shut out for three straight games.  Going back to the first half of the Marquette game, when they scored their last goal, it has been a run of 346:50 since they have dented the scoreboard.  The last time the team suffered three straight shutouts was in 2010, when the first three opponents of the season (Florida International, Michigan, and Gonzaga) held the Flames without a goal.  That team went 362 minutes before scoring a goal.
 
GO WITH O.G.: Oscar Gonzalez has been a catalyst for the Flames' offense.  He leads the team in shots (20) and shots on goal (7).  His 3.3 shot per game average is good for a top-40 spot in all of Division I.  He is the only Flame with a goal and an assist, and is tied for the team lead with three points.

JESUS HELPS OUT: Jesus Perez assisted on both Flames goals against Marquette (9/1).  He leads the team and is ranked second in the Horizon League with three assists.  He is also frequently called upon to initiate action from the corner.  He has taken a team high 28 corner kicks – more than the Flames have given up to their opponents all season.

WILLING AND ABEL: Abel Guzman is one of the Flames' goal scorers this season, striking on a penalty kick against DePaul.  He took a team high 6 shots versus the Blue Demons as the Flames rallied to win.

SAWYER MAKES STOPS: Sawyer Jackman started the first three games of the season in goal, leading the Flames to a 1-1-1 start.  He shut out #25 Butler for over 90 minutes until the Bulldogs pushed through a golden goal in overtime.  After allowing two goals to DePaul, he kept the Blue Demons off the scoreboard for the rest of the game as the Flames rallied to win, 3-2.  He is second in the Horizon League with 4.8 saves per game and has a .727 save percentage.

NEW FACE IN NET: Sokratis Vasilas made his first appearance and first start in goal against Eastern Illinois.  He faced only one shot on goal and allowed one goal in the game.

THE DEFENSE RESTS: Back Joel Leon played every minute of the Flames' first three games, helping anchor a back line that shut out then-#25 Butler during regulation, and posted a win and a draw.  Leon got some well-deserved rest during the Eastern Illinois game.  He returned to the lineup against Wright State and played the whole 90 minutes.

LYES COMES ON: After easing into the lineup against DePaul, freshman Lyes Ghezali started and played significant minutes in each of the next three games.  He was in the middle of the action often against Eastern Illinois, firing four shots, two of which were on goal.  He is second on the team with a .714 shot on goal percentage.

UPPING HIS MINUTES: Freshman midfielder Peter Becht started against DePaul, but was used sparingly as a late-half substitute against Butler and Marquette.  He came off the bench again against Eastern Illinois, but logged a season-high 45 minutes.  Becht was a 69^th-minute sub against Wright State.

MAKING HIS MARK-ELL: Freshman Markell Saddler saw his first action of the season when he started against Detroit Mercy.  He tied for a team-high three shots, putting one on net.  He went the distance against Wright State, often placing himself in the middle of the action when the Flames were on the attack.