As UIC continues to alternate between Horizon League and non-conference play, the Flames will take on in-state rival Northern Illinois Tuesday night.  On the strength of its 6-1 record, UIC is ranked seventh in the latest RPI calculations released by RPI Update.  NIU (4-2) will be the second opponent from the Mid-American Conference on the Flames' schedule.

"We're looking forward to stepping out of the league again this Tuesday, against another one of our local rivals," head coach Sean Phillips said.  "Their coaching staff has done a very nice job of putting their mark on the program.  They're sitting at 2-0 at home, and I expect Northern Illinois to be a tough place to play as it always is.  Northern Illinois has attacked well; it'll be a challenge for our group defending to try and minimize their ability to attack as much as possible, whether that's by keeping the ball or, when we don't have it, sticking to our good individual and team principles to minimize their opportunities."

Kickoff from the NIU Soccer Complex will be at 7:00 pm.  Links to follow the game are in the blue box above, and fans can always follow @UICMensSoccer on Twitter for in-game updates.

Last Time Out

• The Flames recorded their second straight shutout with a 4-0 win over IUPUI on Saturday night.
• Jesus Perez scored two goals, each on a committed run toward the frame which positioned him to send a cross past the keeper.
• Markell Saddler had two assists, including a gorgeous cross to Perez and a precisely placed pass to Oscar Gonzalez, who knocked in the team's first goal.
• UIC's back line suffocated their guests, allowing a mere three shots all night and only one on goal.

Flames to Watch

• Max Todd leads the team with six goals, four of which have been game-winners.
• Jesus Perez is second in the Horizon League with seven assists.  After his brace on Saturday, he was named to College Soccer News' Team of the Week.
• Manny Cerritos is the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week, and a member of Top Drawer Soccer's Team of the Week.  He played a key role in last week's clean sheets and added an assist.
• Josiah Ash converted a penalty kick against IUPUI for his second goal of the season, becoming one of five Flames with multiple goals.

Scouting Northern Illinois

• Northern Illinois has not played since last Wednesday, when they defeated Western Illinois 1-0.
• Diego Sanz' goal gave NIU their second straight win.
• Nick Markanich has three goals on the season.  Three Huskies have at least three assists.
• Konrad Dziedzic has three shutouts and a 0.99 goals against average.

Huskie History

• Tuesday is the 20th all-time meeting between UIC and Northern Illinois.
• In 11 of the previous 19 games, the losing team has been shut out.
• The series took a break between 2004 and 2014, with the teams splitting the three matches this decade 1-1-1.
• UIC is 0-2-1 in the last three games at NIU Soccer Complex.

Statistically Speaking

• UIC's 6-1 start is the program's best seven-game record in two decades.  The team also went 6-1 to start the year in 1998.  That squad's second loss came in their 10th match of the season.
• UIC is second in the nation in assists per game, with 3.29.
• The team ranks fifth in the NCAA with 8.14 points per game.
• UIC is also fifth in shots on goal per game, with a mark of 7.71.
• Max Todd ranks second in the nation with four game-winning goals.  He is fourth in shots on goal per game (2.6), tenth in total goals (6), and 18th in goals per game (0.86).
• Jesus Perez is third in the country with seven total assists.  Oscar Gonzalez ranks 13th on that list, with four.
• Sawyer Jackman's four shutouts rank him fourth in the nation.