UIC will play for its third straight Horizon League tournament championship Saturday night against Wright State.  The Flames (11-5-2, 5-2-1 HL) are the second seed, the same position from which they won the last two tournaments, while the host Raiders (13-2-3, 6-1-1 HL) are the #1 seed for the second time in three years.   A win would give the Flames a third straight crown for the first time in school history, and would be the first Horizon League three-peat since Milwaukee won four straight tourneys from 2002-2005.  It would also be the sixth overall championship for UIC, which would break a tie with Milwaukee, Evansville, and Butler for the most in conference history.

"We talk about experience being a big part of success," head coach Sean Phillips said.  "This group of seniors, playing in their third final, are familiar with the expectations and have the experience in focusing on the game at hand.  We have to approach this game as we've approached other games this season.  We need to understand what to focus on and what to push aside." 

Wright State is UIC's most frequently-played postseason opponent.  The matchup is the ninth tournament meeting between the programs.  The teams have split the two previous matches in Dayton, with the Flames winning the 2016 championship on Wright State's pitch.

"Wright State earned the right to be the home team," Phillips continued.  "They have played in two of the last three championships so the experience we have in this setting may not provide as big a margin as you might think.  We have a lot of experience playing each other.  There may be a feeling out process at the beginning of the game but both teams want to play with tempo.  You could see a very energetic start.  Both teams have good offenses and good defenses.  It will be an interesting matchup."

Both teams needed penalty kick shootouts, after playing two overtime periods, to advance out of their respective semifinals.  Each team scored just one goal in regulation before pulling away in the shootout.  It was the first time in Horizon League history that both semifinals required a shootout.

"Saturday night will be a test of fitness and a test of depth.  Both teams are fairly fit, but it's been a while since either team played a Thursday-Saturday set.  Now, the fact that it's a final carries additional energy and adrenaline.  It will remain to be seen who has the mental fortitude to make a play at the end.

"It will be a test of wills.  Championships always are.  We're playing the #1 seed at their place, which is a difficult place to play.  We're going to have to continue to get better in every part of our game.  They are a good attacking group and they have the goalkeeper of the year, along with a solid back four.  We'll have to play our best game of the season to date, and that's what being in a final is all about, isn't it?"

The match will kick off at 5:00 Central, and can be seen on ESPN+.

Last Time Out

• The Flames tied with IUPUI in a semifinal Thursday, 1-1, and advanced by winning the penalty kick shootout, 4-2.
• Oscar Gonzalez scored, netting the equalizer in the 80th minute.
• The Flames set season highs in shots (29) and corner kicks (16).  They put 10 shots on goal and allowed just five Jaguar shots.
• In the shootout, two Jaguars missed high. Max Todd, Jesus Perez, and Josiah Ash all scored, and then Jordan Moore clinched it in round 4.

Flames to Watch

• Oscar Gonzalez scored the golden goal in UIC's semifinal win over Milwaukee on Wright State's field in 2016.  His game-tying goal against IUPUI was his team-high second career tournament goal.
• Markell Saddler took six shots Thursday and is tied with Gonzalez with two career tournament goals.
• Max Todd, the conference Offensive Player of the Year, took a game high seven shots and had four on goal Thursday.  He has three assists in his Horizon League tournament career.
• Jesus Perez, the Horizon League Player of the Year, and Todd each made the All-Horizon League First Team.  Gonzalez, Jacob Graiber, and Sawyer Jackman made the Second Team.

Scouting Wright State

• Wright State needed a shootout to advance out of their semifinal. They were equal with Milwaukee, 1-1, after 110 minutes, and came out ahead on penalty kicks, 4-3.
• Dan Bent won the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year award, and Joel Sundell won the Goalkeeper of the Year honor.
• Four Raiders made the All-Horizon League first team, including their leading scorer Alec Philippe and leading assist man Jackson Dietrich.

Statistically Speaking

• With a 5-2-1 record and 16 points, UIC finished in sole possession of second place in the final Horizon League standings.
• It is the fourth straight top-two finish for the Flames, and their fifth in the last six years.
• The match will be the Horizon League's third straight #1 vs. #2 championship.  UIC won the previous two as the #2 seed.
• The Flames improved to 2-3 all-time in Horizon League penalty shootouts on Thursday.

Raider Rumblings

• The series between UIC and Wright State dates back to 1991 and spans 35 matches, including eight Horizon League Tournament meetings.
• The teams have split the postseason matchups, 3-3-2.  In the two draws, each team won a penalty kick shootout once.
• There were four quarterfinal meetings between 2003 and 2007, with each team advancing twice.  The squads split semifinal matchups in 2013 and 2015, with the Flames taking the lone championship meeting in 2016.