UIC went toe-to-toe with the defending MAC champions Sunday afternoon.  Though Western Michigan got the win, the Flames were in every match, and in a couple of cases, just a game or two away from flipping the result.  "It was a great team effort.  We can build on this," said Hans Neufeld, whose squad jump-started the season with two matches in consecutive days.

Doubles Results

• Western Michigan swept the doubles matches.  They defeated Johan Hedstrom and Kasper Parlklo at #1, and Luiz Dos Santos and Pelle Strandberg at #3, by identical scores of 6-2.
• Niko Wasilewicz and William Wale came up just short in a battle at #2, 7-5.

Singles Results

• Hedstrom found some momentum in the second set before falling 6-1, 6-4 at #1.
• Wasilewicz was unable to get a necessary break in a 6-4, 6-4 loss on the #3 court.
• WMU clinched the team win with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Anthony Nguyen in the #4 flight.
• Like Nguyen, Dos Santos battled to an extra game in his set at #6, but fell 6-2, 7-5.
• Parlklo never said die on the #2 court.  After dropping the first set 6-3, he found himself in a prolonged tiebreaker and pulled out a 7-6 (10) win to force a third set tiebreaker.  His Bronco opponent won that battle, 10-4.
• Strandberg salvaged a point for the Flames at #5 with a 7-6 (5), 3-6, 10-6 win.

Up Next

• The Flames will not have another two-match weekend until the end of February.
• UIC will return to action on Saturday across town at DePaul.
• In a change from the original schedule, the match will start at 5:15.