CHICAGO – In hopes of extending its season, UIC put up a fight until the end Friday night but came up short in its effort to respond to Northern Kentucky as it fell, 1-0, at Flames Field to bring its 2018 campaign to a close.
 
The Flames attempted their second-most shots on the year with 25, and had 17 alone in the second half. Of their attempts, a season-high 11 reached on goal from Rebeca Pallo (5), Tamae Douglas (2), Naomi Rushe, Emily Valentine, Emily Kavanaugh and Jennifer Saviski.
 
Tara Khayam made a season-high 10 saves, just two off from her career best of 12, as the Norse took 20 shots on the night and put 11 on goal. It was Khayam's 12 game of the season and 10th complete game in goal. The result put her with a conference record of 2-3-0 for the season.
 
UIC's caps its fifth competitive season with a 4-14-1 record and a mark of 3-6-0 in the Horizon League. NKU improved to 10-5-1, 6-2-1 HL.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The first three shots of the match occurred in the first five minute and belonged to NKU as one resulted in a save. UIC came back with its own attempts, taking three of the next four with two on goal from Douglas and Pallo.
• The teams continued to go back-and-forth with opportunities, as the Norse created numerous rushes with the Flames defense breaking up the attack. However, NKU claimed the 1-0 lead in the 34th minute as Brianna Frondorf sent the ball off to Kailey Ivins, who then knocked it to Shawna Zaken to shoot the ball into the goal from 15 yards out.
• If the first shot of the second half was any indication of how the rest of the game would go, it looked to be promising. The Flames had a great scoring chance three minutes in as Rushe sent in a cross that found Kavanaugh, but her quick touch was grabbed by the NKU keeper. Pallo followed with one of her many quality chances but was saved.
• Shot after shot came for UIC, with the opportunities nearing the goal each time, as it held the Norse to just six attempts in the half. Pallo, Saviski, Rushe, Douglas and Kavanaugh brought the pressure, each trying to find the equalizer. With 10 minutes to play, six shots were taken by the Flames, with the most threatening looks coming from Rushe, Valentine and Pallo, but their persistence did not pay off.

 
NOTABLES

• In 19 games this season, UIC used 14 different starting combinations. Valentine was the lone player to start every match.
• Pallo's seven shots in the game matched her career high as she set a new career-best mark in shots on goal with five, surpassing her previous total of three set back in 2016 against Chicago State.
• With Khayam's 10 saves in the game, she caps her junior campaign with 55 on the year, and 19 against conference foes.
• The Flames' 25 shots marked the third game of the season with 20 or more as the team acquired more than 200 shots in a season for the fourth straight year with 220.