UIC tasted defeat for just the second time in 2018, falling to Northern Illinois 1-0 on Tuesday night in DeKalb.  The Huskies (5-2) limited the Flames to 10 shots, and only four on goal – both season lows – as UIC (6-2) suffered its first shutout.

"Northern Illinois is always a tough place to play, and it was even more so tonight given the outstanding job they did preparing for us over their 10-day break;" head coach Sean Phillips said.  "To their credit, they executed their plan very well and made it very difficult for us to get into a rhythm.

"We were not able to break them down as we have broken down some of our opponents this year. They have a talented front five, and they defended well and countered very well tonight."

How it Happened

• Neither side was able to generate a serious threat in the first 15 minutes.  The Flames got off the first shot of the match, but Oscar Gonzalez' attempt went wide.  Later, Northern Illinois earned a corner kick.  UIC got the first touch and cleared it easily.
• The Huskies forced a turnover in UIC's end and sent numbers forward to generate an attack.  The Flames' defense forced the action toward the sideline, from where Kevin Rodriguez took a shot from a severe angle which Sawyer Jackman played out of harm's way.  Three minutes later, Jackman made his second save, punching an attempt over the crossbar.
• Northern Illinois drew first blood in the 31^st minute.  Countering a UIC opportunity that looked promising until a Huskie defender headed the ball out of the six, NIU sent a long ball ahead and Jan Maertins finished at the top of the box.
• Max Todd had two good chances to pull UIC level late in the half.  He ripped a shot on goal from the left corner of the box, resulting in Conrad Dziedzic' only save of the period.  In the final 45 seconds, some nifty footwork rendered him open at the top of the box with an open look at the goal.  He pushed his shot high and the halftime score read NIU 1, UIC 0.
• At the hour mark, Sawyer Jackman made his best save of the night.  Northern Illinois caught the Flames flat-footed and had a 3-on-0 fast break.  A shot was rocketed on goal as Jackman dove to his left, deflecting the ball out of bounds.
• A set piece gave the Flames their best chance to get on the scoreboard.  Jesus Perez lined up a free kick in the center of the pitch, about 30 yards from the goal.  He served it well into the box, where the ball was volleyed to a streaking Markell Saddler toward the far post.  Saddler had an expanse of open net in front of him, but pushed his shot over the crossbar.
• Jackman kept his team in it, aggressively coming off his line to challenge Huskie attackers.  He made a couple of saves from close range, while the offense, for its part, assembled some credible chances.
• "Sawyer saved us," Phillips noted, adding, "He was phenomenal.  He made some great saves tonight."
• The Flames' last chance to get a goal came with five minutes to play.  A through ball found Jesus Perez weaving his way through NIU defenders.  He eluded their convergence and shifted to an open spot from where he sent a low shot on goal.  Dziedzic made his fourth and final save to preserve the clean sheet.

Facts and Figures

• Alwin Seitz got his second start of the season, playing the first 19 minutes until Todd came on..  The remainder of the First XI was unchanged from the last two games.
• UIC conceded the game's opening goal for the first time in five matches dating back to the Drake contest on Aug. 31.  It ended a stretch of 260:22 of shutout defense.
• The Flames were shut out for the first time this year.  It was the 12^th time in the last 20 meetings between the clubs that the losing side did not score.
• Jackman made a season high seven saves.
• Each team took 10 shots, but NIU made the most of their opportunities with a whopping eight on goal.  UIC had not allowed more than three shots on goal in any game this season.
• The physical contest saw UIC commit 12 fouls and NIU 18 – a high for any Flames opponent – with each team earning three yellow cards.
• Nick Markanich had three shots, all of which were on goal, as one of three Huskies with multiple attempts on frame.  Oscar Gonzalez and Markell Saddler were the only Flames with more than one shot.
• Mike Jimenez (50), Christian Crespo (26), and Jonathan Sanchez (9) all set season highs in minutes.

Up Next

• The Flames will return home for a Horizon League matchup with Detroit Mercy Saturday night.
• Kickoff will be at 7:00 at Flames Field.
• "Our second half was better tonight," Phillips concluded, "but we still need to learn from our mistakes and become a better team before we play Detroit."