CHICAGO – UIC took the pitch at Flames Field for the first time this season Friday night for an exhibition matchup with Western Illinois. After 90 minutes of play, it was the Leathernecks who ended up on the winning side as they recorded a 1-0 victory.
 
WIU won the shot battle, 13-9, while the Flames riffled off eight attempts in the final stanza. A total of seven shots were saved, with three going to UIC. The lone goal of the game was scored in the 75th minute on the Leathernecks' 10th shot of the match.
 
The Flames will open up the regular season next weekend at the UNLV Invitational in Las Vegas. The season opener is set for Friday (Aug. 17) against host UNLV at 9 p.m. CT and the weekend will come to a close Sunday (Aug. 19) versus UC Santa Barbara at noon.