Another intracity rivalry will heat up Tuesday night when UIC (7-2) hosts Loyola (3-3-1) at Flames Field.  The Flames begin the week as the top-assisting team in the nation.  Their 28 total assists lead the NCAA, with Jesus Perez (second) and Oscar Gonzalez (eighth) both ranking in the top 10 on the individual assist table.

"It's always great to step out of the Horizon League to play an opponent like Loyola," head coach Sean Phillips commented.  "It's a big rivalry with great competition.  We've played against a lot of their guys as youths, as college players, and with and against each other on their summer teams.  I would expect the rivalry to take on an added twist with all that familiarity between the two teams.  Coach Jones has done a nice job putting that team at the top of the Missouri Valley.  It's a great measuring stick for us."

Kickoff will be at 5:00 pm, a change from the originally scheduled time of 7:00 due to the threat of severe weather.

Last Time Out

• The Flames rebounded from a one-goal loss with a 3-0 shutout of Detroit Mercy on Saturday night.
• Markell Saddler scored two goals, both on headers just three minutes apart, and had an assist.  It was his second brace of the season.
• Jesus Perez scored the final goal of the physical match.
• The Flames had season lows in shots (8) and shots on goal (4) for the second straight game.
• Sawyer Jackman made a career high nine saves.  It was his fifth clean sheet of the season, and second in Horizon League play.

Flames to Watch

• Markell Saddler leads the Horizon League in goals and points within conference play.
• Max Todd leads the team with six goals, four of which have been game-winners.
• Jesus Perez is second in the NCAA with eight assists.  Oscar Gonzalez is eighth, with five assists on the season.
• The four Flames listed above, along with Josiah Ash, all have scored multiple goals.
• Sawyer Jackman's five shutouts and 0.67 goals-against average lead the conference, and his .842 save percentage ranks second.

Scouting the Ramblers

• Loyola fired a season high 26 shots in their 1-1 draw with Drake Saturday.  Oskar Gustafsson scored for the Ramblers.
• Five players have a goal on the season, led by Grant Stoneman's two.
• Josh Lagudah has been the team's primary goalkeeper.  He has three shutouts and a 0.57 goals against average in five matches.

A City Rivalry

• Loyola is UIC's most-frequently played non-conference opponent, with 33 meetings over the years.
• The Flames have a narrow 16-14-3 edge in the series, but have not won since 2012 -- a 3-1 victory at Flames Field.
• Loyola won four straight in the series until last year's 1-1 draw.

Statistically Speaking

• UIC's 7-2 start is the program's best nine-game record in a decade.
• Markell Saddler's five points against Detroit Mercy is a Flames season high.
• UIC is fourth in the nation in assists per game (3.11), seventh in fewest fouls per game (9.0), eighth in points per game (7.56), and 12th in scoring offense (2.22).
• Sawyer Jackman's five shutouts rank him fourth in the nation.