UIC will welcome Purdue Fort Wayne to Flames Field for the first time as Horizon League members Saturday night.  Admission to the match is free.  A special pregame reception will be held for all men's soccer alumni.  Attendees will also be honored on the field at halftime, with special recognition of the 2006 NCAA Tournament team on their 15^th anniversary.  Registration for the alumni event will be open through Saturday at this link.

The Flames defeated Wright State on Wednesday to keep pace with the top teams in the league standings.  With 12 points in conference play, UIC is tied for fourth place and just one point behind a pair of teams tied for second.

"I fully expect a tough game.  Not only is it a Horizon League opponent, they have a tremendous coaching staff," Sean Phillips said.  "Their record does not reflect the quality in this team.  They have put in solid performances across large parts of the season.  The results just haven't fallen their way.  We will have to be the sharpest we've been all year in order to get a result."

Younes Dayekh had a brace against the Raiders to move into third place in the Horizon League in goals.  Josiah Ash's first goal of the season was the game-winner.  The Flames unleashed 22 shots and are now second in the nation in shots per game.

The teams met last year in Fort Wayne, in the Mastodons' first season in the Horizon League.  UIC took a 5-0 win behind a brace from Nkusuwila Zulu and two assists by Jose Perez Flores.  The only other time the teams have met previously was a 4-0 Flames win at home in 2013.

Purdue Fort Wayne pushed league-leading Cleveland State to overtime, only to lose 2-1 earlier this month.  That kicked off their current four-match losing streak.  They have been shut out in each of their last three matches.  The Mastodons have ventured into the Land of Lincoln three times already.  They lost to Northern Illinois, and defeated Eastern Illinois and Western Illinois, both by shutout.