UIC suffered its first loss of the 2019 campaign, a 1-0 defeat to Indiana in Bloomington Sunday afternoon.  Though the Hoosiers controlled possession for the majority of the contest, the Flames gamely rebuffed attack after attack.  Lena Kurz made five saves, including two well-timed jumps to punch away shots that seemed on course to sneak under the crossbar.

"Hats off to IU," head coach Tom Anagnost commented.  "They were the better team and deserved to win.  We have several areas where we need to improve and that's the plan - to get better every day.  I believe we have individuals that can step up more but I do like our team.  The good news is we have played four times [including exhibitions] and have allowed only one goal."
 
The Flames had trouble assembling extended moments of possession in the final third, let alone creating many credible shots, against their Big Ten foes.  They took just two shots on goal, one by Emily Kavanaugh and the other from Janai Cedeno.

At 0-1-1 on the season, the Flames will continue to search for their first victory of 2019 against Toledo on Thursday.
 
Moments That Mattered

• Indiana controlled the first 20 minutes of the match.  The Hoosiers launched four shots and earned two corner kicks in that span.  UIC cleared both of them, and Lena Kurz made two saves in the early goings to keep the hosts off the scoreboard.
• Emily Kavanaugh provided all the offense for the Flames in the first half hour.  She was responsible for both of the team's shots, one of which went on net for a save.
• Kurz made a big save in the 32^nd minute when the Hoosiers created a breakaway.  Chandra Davidson was ahead of the pack and got off a shot, which Kurz pushed to the side.  IU fouled on the resulting corner kick and the match remained scoreless.
• The Flames earned their first corner of the contest in the 43^rd minute.  Nothing materialized out of it, and the match reached halftime still scoreless.
• Ten minutes in to the second half, Kurz was on point again.  She went high to punch a Hoosier shot over the crossbar, and on the ensuing corner kick Indiana took another shot.  That one went low, and so did Kurz for her fifth save.
• Kurz' official shutout streak ended at 169:19 when the Hoosiers broke through for the game's first goal.  Hanna Nemeth played Melanie Forbes just inside the left edge of the box.  Forbes' cross found Davidson near the far post, six yards out, and she beat Kurz with a one-timer to the right side.
• After scoring, Indiana doubled down on their defensive efforts.  They continued frustrating the Flames' attack with additional numbers back and allowed UIC just one shot in the final 30 minutes – a Janai Cedeno strike that went into the belly of Bethany Kopel.

Facts and Figures

• Anagnost used the same First XI as he did in the season opener Thursday.
• Maeve Riordan made her first appearance with the Flames, coming on as a 27^th-minute sub.  Sophia Olore likewise saw her first action, replacing Riordan late in the first half.
• UIC had just three shots in the match.  Two went on goal.
• Half of Indiana's dozen shots were on target as Kurz made a career high five saves.  As Anagnost noted, she did not allow a goal in 180 minutes against Southern Illinois and Cincinnati in preseason play, nor to Central Michigan in the opener.
• The hosts finished with a 4-1 edge in corner kicks.
• Indiana took the only booking of the match, a 39^th-minute yellow card on Avery Lockwood.
• Six field players played the full 90 minutes: Cedeno, Tamae Douglas, Megan Bowman, Sydney Gratz, Grace Haines, and Jackie Santibanez.

Up Next

• The match was the first in a stretch that will see UIC play three out of four on the road.
• The Flames will take on Toledo on Thursday.
• First kick from Toledo will be at 6 pm Central.