UIC fell to Ohio State, 1-0, Sunday afternoon in the concluding match of the Wolstein Classic.

Playing down a man for the last 56 minutes, the Flames nevertheless held possession for long stretches.  The Buckeyes' goal came on a counter attack in the 57^th minute.

"This is a tough one to swallow," Sean Phillips said.  "The expected work rate and determination was there not just tonight but over the course of the whole weekend.  In a few key moments tonight, however, we lost our concentration, put ourselves in harm's way and got punished."

The start of the match was delayed by about 75 minutes due to thunderstorms.  Play was halted at minute 53 after more lightning struck.  Despite the adversity, Phillips thought his team handled themselves well.

"The initial response to the referee issuing a red card in the 34th was good. We kept our shape, had good possession and created some chances.  This carried into the start of the second half before the weather delay," he said.

"Coming out of the weather delay though we lost a bit of focus and Ohio State took advantage to go ahead 1-0.  While we continued to create enough quality opportunities, that final moment was not there this evening."

Jacob Graiber was named to the All-Tournament Team.  UIC finished 1-1 in the event with a win over Dayton Friday.

Moments That Mattered

• Ohio State started on the front foot.  They took three shots in the first 10 minutes, though none threatened the goal.  By the 15^th minute they had sharpened their efforts, forcing Sokratis Vasilas to make two saves.
• Elias McCloud earned his first yellow card at the 24^th minute.  He was booked again at 33:52 and subsequently disqualified from the rest of the match.  Between his fouls Ohio State continued to have the better of play as they finished the half with an 8-1 advantage in shots.
• Neither team mounted much of an attack in the second half before the weather struck.  Continued lightning threatened to render the match a no-contest, but the storms subsided in time for the match to resume within the competition window.
• Vasilas made another save just after play resumed.  Within three minutes, Jack Holland got past the Flames' defense and sent a cross into the box, where Devyn Etling one-timed it to Vasilas' right.
• The undermanned Flames kept their poise.  Bar Hazut got off a couple of shots, and Roberto Alonzo and Bukola Abdulwahab each unleashed one that forced a save.
• In the final three minutes, UIC had a final quality approach.  Jesus Perez had a shot deflected over the line.  On the ensuing corner kick, Eduardo Garcia sent a shot out over the crossbar, and the Flames would not threaten again.

Facts and Figures

• Ohio State doubled up UIC in the final shots tally, 14-7.
• Half of the Buckeyes' shots were on goal.  The Flames managed just two attempts on target.
• Hazut was the lone Flame to take more than one shot.
• Vasilas made six saves to set a new career high.
• Jesus Perez was booked with a yellow card.  Ohio State had two cautions.
• The Flames had seven corner kicks to Ohio State's six.
• Each team wrapped the weekend with a 1-1 record.  Ohio State took second place by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker, behind 2-0 CSUN.
• The Buckeyes' goal was their first in the last five matches between the programs.
• The result snapped a three-match winning streak for UIC at Jesse Owens Stadium (including Friday's win).

Up Next

• UIC will play their home opener Friday.
• After nearly a week off, the Flames will welcome Valparaiso to Flames Field.
• The 27^th renewal of the rivalry will begin at 7 pm.