UIC will return to the courts after a two-week break with a pair of road matches this weekend.

On Saturday, the Flames will venture just north of town to face Northwestern.  The first of two matches this year against the Wildcats will start at 5:30.  Then on Sunday, a trip to Milwaukee is in store with a showdown against Marquette scheduled for 1 pm.

The Leap Day match against Northwestern, who is 34^th in the latest ITA national rankings, will be just the team's third match in February.  Two off weeks this month have given Hans Neufeld a chance to shuffle his doubles lineup – a move that paid dividends against Illinois State – and work closely with his squad on everything from conditioning to strategy to mental toughness.

The Flames will not play two matches in a weekend again until Horizon League play starts in late March.

Last Time Out

• UIC won the doubles point against Illinois State.  Kasper Parlklo and Pelle Strandberg won at #1, and Johan Hedstrom and William Wale won at #2.  It was the first time each pair had played together this dual season.
• Parlklo won his singles match with a strong finish in three sets.
• Anthony Nguyen was also a singles winner.

Flames to Watch

• Strandberg has a team high five singles wins in dual match play.
• Parlklo has won four straight singles matches, all in the #2 flight.
• Strandberg and Nguyen each have singles wins in multiple flights.

Scouting the Opposition

• Northwestern is 6-4 on the season.  They will play Columbia Saturday before taking on the Flames.
• Dominik Stary is the UTR/ITA National Player of the Week, after earning wins over Vanderbilt and Harvard at #1 singles.
• Stary and Chris Ephron won both of their doubles sets against the Commodores and Crimson.
• Parlklo faced Stary in the main draw of the ITA Regionals in October.  Stary was a straight-sets winner.
• Marquette enters the weekend 5-4.  They will play Xavier Saturday.
• Marquette's top three singles players – Luke Smrek, Luis Heredia Gomez, and Brett Meyers – each boast a 6-3 record.
• Meyers and Fran San Andres are 7-1 at #2 doubles.
• Parlklo defeated San Andres in singles play at ITA Regionals, and he teamed with Hedstrom to take down San Andres and Meyers in doubles action.