CHICAGO – UIC had its home opener at Flames Field on Friday night end in heartbreaking fashion as it dropped a 2-1 decision in overtime to UMKC. Meaghan Smith notched the lone goal for the Flames as it was the first of her career.
 
The Flames produced a season high in shots with 19 attempts and had eight on goal. The total was split amongst nine different players led by Emily Valentine (4) and Jessica Christmas (3). Christmas was the only player who had more than one shot on goal with two.
 
Tara Khayam went the complete game in goal for the third straight match and made six saves. She was tested on eight of the Roos' shots as they took a total of 18.

UIC is now 0-3-0 while UMKC improved to 2-1-0.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• After UMKC had five of its six shots of the first half come in the opening 15 minutes, UIC came back into possession and was able to get off several quality attempts. Christmas put a pair of shots on goal before the Flames put five shots up in the final 10 minutes of the first half with Rebeca Pallo and Keri Birkenhead having their attempts stopped.
• The Flames got off to a hot start in the second half, recording four shots in the first seven minutes, before UMKC went on a sequence of taking eight shots and forcing Khayam to come up with three saves.
• Entering the 83rd minute, a foul set UIC up outside the 18. Alliyah Parker took the free kick and had it hit the hand of a defender to set the Flames in the same position. Smith stepped to the plate this time and had her shot blocked, but she quickly found the rebound and shot the ball into the right side of the net for the 1-0 lead.
• While Tamae Douglas had a great look minutes later trying to add insurance, the Roos were able to answer in the 88th minute as Kelsey Mothershead held the ball on her own on the right side of the box and took one shot that was blocked before her second chance landed in the goal to tie the game at 1-1.
• The first overtime period for the Flames this season did not have much action, that is until the 93rd minute, when Mothershead attempted a shot from 20 yards out and saw it go into the upper left corner of the goal for the game-winner.

 
NOTABLES

• The Flames used their third different starting combination with Jessica Christmas, Alexis Jakuszewski and Rebeca Pallo making their first appearances of the year.
• UIC's 19 shots were not just the most this season, but they were the most since they took a program record 33 versus Chicago State last season.

 
NEXT UP

• UIC is back at Flames Field on Sunday as it meets with Toledo for the first time at 1 p.m. CT.