Bukola Abdulwahab scored with just 18 seconds elapsed against IUPUI Sunday afternoon.

He and the Flames never looked back.

Abdulwahab – Bukky, as he is known to his teammates – netted his first career hat trick and led the Flames to a 7-1 win.

Despite the team's highest scoring output since 2005, Sean Phillips credited his team's defense with the big day.  "This week the main focus was defending.  People will see the scoreline and say, what an offensive output, but the thing I was most pleased with was our individual and team defending," he said.

"Guys applied what they worked on in training and that created the chances.  Once you create, you have to finish, and we finished very well.  We wanted to strike on their home field and we got that early one, but every goal we scored was created by good defensive play."

Bukky scored again in the 18^th minute.  He completed the hat trick five minutes into the second half.  Goals by Bar Hazut and Jesus Perez had staked the Flames to a 4-0 halftime lead.  Late goals by Nkusuwila Zulu and Alwin Seitz rounded out the scoring.

"We continued to do those [defensive] things late in the game on the sixth and seventh goals when the game changers were in there," Phillips continued, referring to his bench players who deserve more than the title of mere substitute.  "Zulu added to the game, as did Alwin.  As players got opportunities in the second half they helped maintain what we were going after, which was the three points."

When all was said and done, the Flames moved into first place in the Horizon League with two matches to play.  They have clinched a top-four seed in the conference tournament, which means at worst a home game in the quarterfinals, and at best a bye to the semifinals, which, along with the championship match, will be hosted by the #1 seed.

Moments That Mattered

• Bukky scored what is believed to be the fastest goal in UIC history.  Just 18 seconds in, he was in position for a dazzling play when Bar Hazut's shot hit the crossbar.  Bukky laid out for a bicycle kick to smash the rebound into the net.
• In the 18^th minute, Bukky made it 2-0.  He broke through the Jaguars' back line and chipped the keeper inside 12 yards off a feed from Jose Perez Flores.  It capped an opening stretch that saw UIC carry possession for long stretches in IUPUI's end of the pitch.
• The 28^th minute saw the onset of a barrage of chances that culminated in UIC's third goal.  Jesus Perez just missed the net on a free kick from 25 yards out.  After the Flames won possession off the goal kick, Zulu banged the post with a promising shot.  Finally, Bar Hazut finished to the back post from a Zulu feed.
• Sokratis Vasilas saved the only first-half shot that went on his net in the 34^th minute.  Hazut, meanwhile, had two more shots saved late in the first half.  When given another chance, Perez  made good on a restart by scoring from 25 yards away in the center of the pitch.
• IUPUI built on some good moments at the outset of the second half.  They challenged Vasilas with a shot on goal.  After he made the save and gave UIC possession, Bukky showed off even more individual prowess.  Pau Mateo led him near the corner, and after he danced down the line, beating three defenders on the way, he cracked a shot past Quinn McCallion.
• The Flames packed it in with a 5-0 lead, content to concentrate on defense and keep IUPUI from penetrating.  Game-changers started entering in the 60^th minute, giving Alwin Seitz, Roberto Alonzo, Elias McCloud, Andres Moreno, David Gorniak, and Michael Silvar plenty of playing time. 
• Zulu scored for the second straight game in a sequence quite reminiscent of his golden goal against Oakland.  Again, he dribbled across the top of the box and buried a shot to the upper reaches inside the far post.  Seitz scored his second goal of the season off a set piece just outside the box, eight yards off the end line.

Facts and Figures

• Phillips started three forwards for the second time.
• UIC had not scored seven goals since defeating Centenary 8-1 on October 2, 2005.
• The Flames set a program record for goals in a conference match, topping the six they scored against Loyola in September 2001.
• Bukky's hat trick was the second of the season, joining Hazut's natural hat trick against Valparaiso.
• He vaulted into second place on the team with eight goals, and third with 19 points.
• Perez set new career highs with his sixth goal and 20^th point.
• Hazut, who scored his 10^th goal, and Bukki are the Horizon League's top two goal scorers.
• Bukky has scored in five straight matches.
• The Flames took 24 shots, making it the fourth match of the season that they've unleashed at least that many.
• UIC had a 7-1 edge in corner kicks.

Up Next

• The Flames will close the home portion of the regular season Saturday night.
• Cleveland State will visit on Senior Night.
• Perez, Cristian Sanchez, and Lyes Ghezali will be honored prior to the 7 pm kickoff.