UIC claimed the Horizon League regular season championship with a 2-1, overtime win over Cleveland State at Flames Field on Senior Night.
Nkusuwila Zulu scored both UIC goals.Â
Roberto Alonzo assisted on both, each time playing Zulu to his favorite angle left of the net. The Flames improved to 12-4 (6-1 in Horizon League play), their most regular season wins since 2013.
UIC controlled possession to the tune of 35 shots, 18 on goal, but big saves by Omeed Naeemy kept the game scoreless until the 61
st minute. A penalty kick for the Vikings leveled the score until Zulu's golden goal moved the Flames to 6-1 in overtime matches.
Lyes Ghezali,
Jesus Perez, and
Cristian Sanchez were honored in a pregame ceremony for their careers and contributions to the program. They and the Flames closed out a second straight perfect regular season at home with an 8-0-0 record at Flames Field.
More action will take place on the Flames' home pitch starting November 14. As the regular season champions and #1 seed, UIC will host the semifinals and final of the Horizon League tournament.
Moments That Mattered
- Chances piled up for the Flames from the early goings. Jose Perez Flores took a hard shot that forced a nice diving save in the 10th minute. In the next sequence, Eduardo Garcia got his head on a free kick but couldn't pinpoint it into the net. Roberto Alonzo saw his shot get saved as Naeemy's frame got peppered again.
- Each team was issued a yellow card before 20 minutes elapsed, a sign of the physical play that would permeate the match to the very end. Following Cleveland State's caution, which occurred just outside the penalty box, Jesus Perez whipped a free kick into the right post.
- Sokratis Vasilas was not tested often, but one of his biggest moments came late in the first half. The Vikings put together a transition run that resulted in a quality shot, which was met by Vasilas inside the six and parried away.
- Pau Mateo uncorked a long shot in the beginning stages of the second half. It stayed high, but he figured in the Flames' first goal at the hour mark. His pass out of the back found Alonzo, who played a sprinting Zulu to the edge of the six. Zulu's sliding touch slammed the ball past Naeemy and UIC was ahead.
- Bar Hazut impacted the game off the bench.  Bukola Abdulwahab was on the receiving end of two Hazut crosses right in front of the net, but neither connected just right to score. Abdulwahab lofted a shot of his own that, like many, stayed over the bar.
- Aaron Nguyen dispossessed a Viking in the box to defuse a threat. Cristian Sanchez tried to do the same on a restart, only to be carded and a penalty kick awarded. Jannis Schmidt was true, and the match was level with just 10 minutes remaining in regulation.
- Abdulwahab had the opportunity to take a close shot early in the overtime session. A good save was made and the stage was set for Alonzo and Zulu to link up again. This time, Alonzo patiently dribbled along the top of the box and dropped a pass to Zulu on the left. Zulu took just a second to measure up his shot, which bent perfectly right inside the far post.
Postgame Reaction
Facts and Figures
- Zulu made the first start of his career.
- Zulu's brace was his first, and the team's seventh multi-goal performance.
- The Flames took the most shots since October 29, 2016, when they got off 32 against Belmont. Their 18 on target was the most since October 1 of 2016, in a match against Northern Kentucky that saw UIC put 15 shots on goal.
- Three Flames – Hazut, Alonzo, and Perez – each took six shots. Perez had a game high five on goal.
- Zulu and Alonzo became the fourth and fifth players to reach 10 points on the season.
- Cleveland State played a man down from the 65th minute after a straight red card was issued. UIC took four yellow cards and the Vikings had two more yellows.
Up Next
- The Flames will close out the regular season Friday at Milwaukee.
- The 7 pm match will give UIC a chance to win seven conference games for the first time since 2013.
