Eduardo Garcia started and ended the match with goals, completing the brace in overtime to give UIC a 4-3 win over Western Michigan Saturday.
The exciting, back and forth match saw the lead change hands twice, including when the Flames scored right before and right after halftime to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead. The Broncos quickly found an equalizer, and then play settled until overtime became necessary. Late in the OT session,
Jesus Perez served in a corner kick that Garcia was in position to tap into the net.
"I'm really proud of this group,"
Sean Phillips said. "To give everything we had to give on Tuesday and come so close to getting result, having to turn around and travel to Western Michigan, a team that will be at the top of the MAC, is not an easy task. For us to emotionally manage all the lead changes and ties, and still find it in ourselves to make the plays, says a lot about our group.
"Good times find a way to win and we did that tonight."
Moments That Mattered
- UIC took the early lead thanks to continuous play by Eduardo Garcia. He had an initial shot saved quite nicely, and later sent one off the post. "Those shots were a precursor to the impact he was going to have offensively," Phillips noted. Garcia cashed in when Josiah Ash played a beautiful 1-2 back to him, and he chipped the keeper for the goal.
- Bar Hazut nearly doubled the Flames' lead six minutes later when he was put through on goal by Jesus Perez. Keeper Isaac Walker made a fantastic save to keep the Broncos down by one.
- WMU drew level in the 24th minute. They earned a corner kick, which the Flames cleared. The Broncos volleyed the clearance back toward the goal and Eric Conerty made a great finish to beat Sokratis Vasilas.
- Pau Mateo sent a rocket off the crossbar from 30 yards. Ash headed a volley on goal as the Flames threatened to retake the lead. Western Michigan instead took the lead for the first time on a 34th-minute goal by Max Keenan.
- In the first half's last minute, Jose Perez Flores made his imprint on the match with an amazing cross in the final third. Elias McCloud was on the receiving end, where he volleyed it in to the back post.
- UIC bunched two goals around the interval, wasting no time getting back out in front once the second half started. Hazut sent a pass forward, which was further played by Cristian Sanchez to Ash over the top. Ash beat his man and scored past Lukas Von Lienen, who had entered in goal at half.
- The Flames' lead did not last two minutes. Brennan Creek played Charlie Sharp to a position where he could send a shot past Vasilas.
- Shots were hard to come by for both squads the rest of the second half. Western Michigan had a moment of attack where they took two shots in succession around minute 70. Both of them missed the target. UIC took two 81st-minute shots, with one by Jesus Perez requiring a save.
Postgame Reaction
Facts and Figures
- Josiah Ash and Elias McCloud both returned to the starting lineup. Both started the first two matches of the season but had not appeared in the First XI since.
- Garcia's brace was the Flames' fifth of the season. It was the first of his career, and accounted for his second and third goals of the campaign.
- Three Flames scored a goal for the third time this year.
- McCloud's goal was the first of his career.
- Western Michigan entered the game as the NCAA leader in shot on goal percentage. Though they put 57% (8-14) of their shots on target, the Flames were even better with a 69% mark (11-16). UIC's previous best SOG percentage was .533 against Western Illinois.
- The Flames played overtime for the third straight match. It is the longest such streak since the first three games of the 2017 season all went to extra time.
- UIC is 3-1 in overtime games.
- The Broncos were shown four yellow cards. Pau Mateo earned the only one for UIC.
Up Next
- UIC returns home for another non-conference tilt.
- Northern Illinois will visit Flames Field on Tuesday night.
