UIC had most of the match during the run of play, but a goal off a set piece gave Cleveland State a 1-0 win on Thursday night.  A 58^th-minute corner kick gave the Vikings the only goal of the match.

David Nikolic's Summary
"We had good stretches of possession in the first half.  We dominated possession about 60-40, we moved the ball well, and created a really good chance late in the first half.  We couldn't punch it in.  The effort was good, some of the decisions we made were good and put us in good spots, we just couldn't capitalize."

Turning Points

• The Flames had a golden opportunity when Cleveland State's keeper was out of position and Megan Bowman had a point-blank shot.  Other defenders were around, however, and one of them saved it off the line.
• Cleveland State scored when a corner kick was headed into a mass of humanity in front of the goal, and then bounced out to Grace Krosky, who sent it through an opening and into the net.
• As the Flames pressed in the final half hour, a credible shot by Yulexi Diaz went to the keeper, who stumbled backwards while making the play, but still avoided disaster on her goal line.

Match Details
UIC relied on its defense in the early going.  The back line set the tone by making plays and keeping Cleveland State from getting off any credible shots.  Jelena Zbiljic held her position and was in place to easily clear a cross, and later Brielle Gomez made a very nice 1v1 play in the box to depossess an attacker.  Lena Kurz was active when necessary, making a play on a cross and later forcing the issue after a corner kick to force a shot to go wide.

After CSU's forays at the outset, the Flames got to work offensively.  A throw-in initiated some action in the box that ultimately afforded Makena Shaw a shot on the center of the goal.  Later, Leah Senese sent in a cross that Kaitlyn Montague played, with the ball eventually reaching Megan Bowman for one of her three shots.  "Our play is always to get the ball to Megan Bowman.  If we get the ball to her in the right spots, we feel really confident about what we can get off it," Nikolic said.  UIC took a season high 21 shots.

Bowman was on the doorstep for the Flames' best chance of the match.  A Montague free kick went into the box, and the keeper came way up to play it.  She whiffed, and a shot went off the crossbar and straight down.  With no keeper nearby, Bowman tried to send the rebound home, only to see it saved by a Viking defender.

"I look at it like, that's the way this season has gone," Nikolic said of the sequence.  "It's been a challenging season.  Opportunities haven't gone our way.  If that goes in, what does it look like with us up 1-0 in the 34^th minute?"

Kurz stayed with a leaning header and deflected it out of play, setting up the sequence that would result in Cleveland State's fateful corner kick.  They scored on one of only five shots allowed in the second half.  "We nullified them a lot, but they had some dangerous corners and scored off one," Nikolic said.

Diaz' shot that forced a stumble came in the 75^th minute as part of a sustained press by the Flames as they searched for an equalizer.  Allie Tefend came close on a shot just a few minutes later, but it skimmed the top of the net.  "Some people stepped up," Nikolic observed.  "I look at the effort and see people who really wanted it.  We pushed more, with greater effort after the goal.  We had more of a sense of urgency to get forward and try to make something happen.  The effort was good; the result isn't."

Diaz had a career best four shots, with two going on goal.  Nikolic praised her 90-minute shift:  "Yulexi did a great job as a holding midfielder.  Naturally the ball got to her a lot with our possession the way it was.  She was a catalyst in getting the ball from one side to another.  She's developing as a holding mid.  She's not used to it but she's doing a great job moving the ball and getting it forward."

Kaitlyn Montague and Kathryn Rutledge also earned accolades from their coach.  "Kaitlyn did a good job finding spaces, especially in the second half when she could be more dangerous.  We brought in Kathryn Rutledge, who did a great job in her shift.  She had some dangerous chances, and created some great crosses and serves."

The Flames will celebrate Senior Day on Sunday.  A ceremony to honor Alexis Weeren, Tina Thorsen, Maeve Riordan, Janai Cedeno, Megan Bowman, and Lena Kurz will take place before the 1:00 pm match against Detroit Mercy.