CHICAGO – The UIC women's soccer team (2-4-0) will hit the road for its next four matches beginning this weekend with a trip to Tennessee. The Flames will first tangle with Belmont (3-2-0) Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT at E.S. Rose Park in Nashville, Tenn., before heading to Murfreesboro, Tenn., Sunday to challenge Middle Tennessee (0-4-0) at 2 p.m. CT at Hayes Stadium.
 
UIC was faced with three matches last week and secured a 2-1-0 turnout as it fell to Northern Illinois, 2-1, in double overtime then returned to post back-to-back shutouts against Chicago State, 4-0, and SIUE, 1-0. Six goals were scored in the three games by six different players with Bekah Allen and Naomi Rushe earning credit for the game-winners. Annie DiCanio earned both clean sheets while playing her first minutes of the season.
 
The Flames' offense this season has been spread across the roster with seven players making up the seven goals and six generating the six assists, while Olivia Everin and Morgan Carey are the only two with three points. A Horizon League-leading 112 shots have been taken, with 71 coming last week alone, as Keri Birkenhead (17) and Everin (16) leads the group of six who own double-digit totals. UIC has put 45 of those attempts on goal with Tamae Douglas (7) and Emily Valentine (6) having the most effective looks.
 
DiCanio has played the last 180 minutes in goal and made seven saves to keep her perfect 0.00 goals-against average intact. Kelly Fritz was positioned between the posts for the first four games of the year and made 19 stops.
 
This weekend's opponents will be both familiar and new for the Flames. UIC met with Belmont last season at home and ended the match in a 0-0 tie, while Sunday's matchup will be the first-ever meeting against Middle Tennessee.
 
Belmont is coming off a pair of losses to Tennessee, 3-0, and Valparaiso, 1-0, after starting the year on a 3-0run with wins over Middle Tennessee, 3-2, Western Carolina, 3-2, and Tennessee-Wesleyan, 5-0. Five players have each scored two goals while Belicia leads the team with six points after also producing two assists. Of the team's 94 shots, more than half have been made up by Mendiola (20), Emily Whitcomb (14), Julie Garst (12) and Sydney Cason (11). Goalkeeper minutes have been split by Lily Herman and Abby Hunt as they have a combined 12 saves after opponents have taken just 49 total attempts with 20 on goal.
 
Middle Tennessee is without a win this year after falling to Belmont, 3-2, Austin Peay, 2-1, Jacksonville State, 4-1, and Tennessee, 2-0. Goals have been scored by Peyton Depriest (2), Charlotte Van Ishoven (1) and Elizabeth Watts (1) while the team has just 38 shots with half coming from Depriest (11) and Van Ishoven (8). Sydney Chalcraft has been the go-to keeper and has made 19 stops.