CHICAGO – UIC (3-10-0, 1-3-0 HL) used home field advantage to claim a 2-0 shutout victory Saturday night over Cleveland State at Flames Field for its first Horizon League win. Rebeca Pallo and Madison Pollard scored for the Flames as Annie DiCanio picked up the clean sheet.
 
UIC was just barely outshot on the night, 16-14, as it tallied six attempts on goal. Olivia Everin took a game-high four shots and put three of them on goal, while Pallo followed with three attempts.
 
For the second-straight game, DiCanio earned the start and was needed to make four saves as she tallied her third shutout of the season and improved her goals-against-average to 1.17.
 
During the first half of play, the Flames controlled a majority of the possession but was only able to attempt four shots while the Vikings put up seven, with DiCanio needing to make just one save.
 
Two of the four shots came in the first two minutes as Everin forced a shot on goal and Pollard sent one wide. The next look came from Pallo and was blocked in the 22nd minute before Everin put another shot on the mark five minutes later.
 
UIC showed great pressure out of the half as Bekah Allen went wide and Naomi Rushe was blocked on their attempts and Everin recorded another shot on goal in a five-minute span.
 
In the 58th minute, Allen picked up the ball and passed it off to Pallo, who shot it from 20 yards out and into the back of the goal for the 1-0 lead and her second goal of the season.
 
The Flames went ahead 2-0 just 11 minutes later in the 69th minute when Everin took a free kick and connected with the head of Pollard for her first goal on the year.
 
Three more shots came for UIC in the match with Everin and Tamae Douglas hitting off the mark and Rushe seeing her shot saved. The Vikings tried to come back and registered four shots in the final 20 minutes, with DiCanio making saves on two of the attempts.
 
The Flames are back in action Wednesday when they head to Normal, Ill., for their final non-conference tilt of the season against Illinois State. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. CT at Adelaide Street Field.