UIC will renew one of its longest standing rivalries Tuesday afternoon when the Flames (4-1) venture to Lincoln Park to take on DePaul (3-2).  Led by reigning Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week Oscar Gonzalez and the national leader in total assists, Jesus Perez, the Flames will seek to defeat the Blue Demons for the second straight year.

"Our local rivalries take on a different but equally important meaning from our conference games," head coach Sean Phillips said after the team's win over Horizon League foe Oakland.  "We have a lot of familiarity with DePaul, having played them twice a year in the fall and in the Chicago Cup [spring tournament] for the last several years.  Beyond that, many of the players on both sides played club ball together.  I anticipate a closely contested, intense match, and we will have to continue to improve in order to get a result."

First kick will be at 3:00 pm at Wish Field.  Links to follow the live action are in the blue box above.

Last Time Out

• The Flames opened conference play with a 4-1 win over previously undefeated, #20 Oakland.
• Oscar Gonzalez scored on a header just 61 seconds in to give the Flames a lead they would never relinquish.  Gonzalez later added two assists.
• Max Todd scored the Flames' second goal, and Markell Saddler registered a brace to provide the final margin.
• Jesus Perez chipped in two assists.  Sawyer Jackman made three saves, including a key stop in a 1-vs-1 scenario.

Flames to Watch

• Max Todd leads the team with five goals, three of which have been game-winners.
• Jesus Perez leads the Horizon League with five assists.  Oscar Gonzalez is right behind him with four.
• The Flames' back line of Manny Cerritos, Jacob Graiber, Pau Mateo, and Jaime Alonso allowed a season low five shots to Western Michigan.
• Sawyer Jackman was recognized as part of the Team of the Week by Top Drawer Soccer after blanking Western Michigan and making three key saves against Oakland.

Scouting the Blue Demons

• DePaul enters action on a two match winning streak after defeating Drake, 2-1 in overtime, on Friday.
• Bryan Simons scored the golden goal against Drake and leads the team with two goals on the season.
• Harry Hilling has team highs with three assists and five points.
• Drew Nuelle has one shutout to his credit and a 0.78 goals against average.

City Rivals

• DePaul is UIC's second-most frequently played nonconference opponent.
• The teams have met 29 times, with UIC holding a 15-11-3 advantage.
• UIC has won three of the last four matches.  The Flames' five match winning streak from 1996-2000 is the longest by either side in the series.
• The teams have split the last four games at Wish Field.

Statistically Speaking

• The Flames are third in the nation in assists per game with 3.
• The team ranks seventh in the NCAA with 7.4 points per game.
• UIC is ninth in shots (16.4) and shots on goal (7.6) per game.
• Max Todd ranks second in the nation with three game-winning goals.  He is fourth in shots on goal per game (3.2), sixth in total goals (5), and ninth in goals per game (1.00).
• Jesus Perez is the national leader with five total assists.