UIC's historic season came to an end one win shy of the program's first Horizon League championship.

Milwaukee topped the Flames, 2-0 in the title match Saturday night.  A ninth-minute goal capped a ragged opening to the match.  Quality shots were hard to come by for UIC, especially after the Panthers added a second goal in the 71^st minute.

The team entered play on a school record six-match winning streak, after achieving the first-ever postseason win in the semifinal for an all-time best 12^th victory of the season.  Extending those marks, and bringing home a trophy, proved elusive against a Milwaukee squad that did not lose a match, and allowed only one goal, in Horizon League play.

"Credit to Milwaukee.  They're the champions for a reason," Tom Anagnost said.  "They were the better team tonight.  Even if you look at shots, which were relatively even, it felt like they had control of the game.  The matchups were favorable for them, and unfortunately, I don't think we played our best game.  And you have to when you play a team like that."

UIC allowed more than one goal for the fourth time in 19 matches.  Milwaukee's defense, which was the only one in the Horizon League that had statistics comparable to UIC's, made plays in the final third consistently and limited the Flames to nine shots after they uncorked 26 in the semifinal Thursday.

"It's truly remarkable what has transpired in the women's soccer program," Anagnost said, noting that his team was in the top 10 nationally in several defensive categories.  "I give all the credit to my staff and I give all the credit to the players.  They put the work in.  We've got some great people on this team, and with great people you can do great things.  I'm just proud of every individual on our team and the culture as a whole.  At the utmost highest level, I am proud to have met and worked with those four seniors.  Without them, none of this would have been possible.  They've been fantastic."

The seniors – Tamae Douglas, Emily Valentine, Autumn Rasmussen, and Cassidy Privett – depart as the winningest class in program history after helping to engineer the nation's fifth-best turnaround from last season.

Privett had the game-winning goal in the semifinal.  She, along with Douglas and Lena Kurz, were named to the All-Tournament Team.

Anagnost concluded, "It stings, but it's also humbling.  Only one team is happy at the end of the year.  It's good for our returning players to see that level and to have something to work towards and get better every day."

Moments That Mattered

• Early action favored Milwaukee, but it was UIC that had the first two scoring chances.  After Lena Kurz stepped forward to send in a free kick from the center line, her service was headed forward and then cleared, when Sydney Gratz put an attempt on target from distance.  Later, Kurz took another free kick from the same spot.  This one went right on net and required keeper Elaina LaMacchia to make a sure catch.
• Between UIC's two early shots, the bench was issued a yellow card when Anagnost took issue with the referee for stopping play to lecture Kurz.  Emily Valentine was also shown yellow minutes later after a challenge near the center circle.
• Milwaukee struck for the first goal in action following a corner kick.  The service went to the far post where it was headed down and appeared to deflect off Tamae Douglas, out in front of the goal.  Rachel Phillpotts collected the loose ball and easily deposited it into an open net.
• Kurz was active over the next 30 minutes.  She came down the line to grab a loose ball that UIC had not been able to clear.  She made a save of a shot that Douglas tipped but not enough to redirect off target.  Finally, she made the save of the game after a deflection at midfield led to a Milwaukee break.  The cross was one-timed to the right post, but Kurz dove to make the highlight reel save.
• The Flames' offense was out of sync much of the first half.  Crosses were either off target or in a place where no runner was located.  Finding it difficult to penetrate the box, their best shots came from longer distances, including a Valentine try from 20 yards that went wide right.
• Jessica Christmas bodied a Panther just off the ball as she tried to get a shot away in the box.  Keri Birkenhead thwarted a golden chance in the 45^th minute after Milwaukee headed a corner on target.  She cleared it off the line to keep the deficit manageable at one goal.
• Passing was crisper for UIC in the second half.  Christmas had a credible shot on goal after a free kick from the sideline.  Janai Cedeno connected with Autumn Rasmussen, but the latter's entry was cleared.
• Sydney Gratz and Cedeno converged on a runner to prevent a shot in the 67^th minute.  Three minutes later, the Flames were not so fortunate.  McKaela Schmelzer played Haley Johnson into the box.  Johnson, seeing space in front of her, dribbled to the edge of the six and sent a shot past Kurz, inside the far post.
• With a two-goal lead, the Panthers sent numbers back consistently.  They intercepted a through ball by Tina Thorsen and double-teamed any Flame who received a pass within 25 yards of the goal.
• UIC did manufacture a chance to halve the deficit in the 81^st minute.  Awarded a free kick deep down the left flank, Douglas tried to get a header under the bar.  LaMacchia got a fingertip on it to deflect it to the bar and back into play, where Megan Bowman imitated her teammate, but pushed her attempt on top of the net.

Facts and Figures

• Anagnost sent out the same First XI that he deployed in the semifinal.
• Milwaukee took just two more shots than the Flames, 11-9, and UIC had more attempts go on target by a 6-5 margin.
• Kurz made three saves.  Annika Laihanen spelled her for the last 12 minutes.
• Douglas had game highs with three shots, all of which went on goal.
• The Flames took just one corner kick.  Milwaukee had five, becoming only the sixth opponent to have more opportunities from the corner.
• UIC lost by shutout for only the fourth time.  Two of those were at the hands of Milwaukee.
• UIC finished the season a perfect 12-0 when scoring first.  They did not win a match when conceding the first goal.
• The Flames allowed 12 goals all season, an average of 0.63 per game.  Five of those goals were scored by the Panthers.
• Milwaukee improved to 7-0 all time against UIC.
• Emily Valentine will graduate as the program's all-time leading point scorer and assist maker.  Fellow senior Tamae Douglas is UIC's most prolific goal scorer.