UIC suffered its first loss of the season at Green Bay Saturday afternoon.  Ben Hughes' second goal of the match, a shot in the action off a corner kick at 69:32, proved to be the decisive score.

"Green Bay is always a tough place to play.  Their staff had a plan and to their credit they executed it," Sean Phillips said.

The Flames outshot the Phoenix, 13-7, but a packed-in Green Bay defense did not allow any of UIC's last five attempts to go on goal.  Meanwhile, the hosts made the most of their chances, putting five of their seven total shots on the target.

"They took advantage of two opportunities and created a few others," Phillips continued.  "Sok made a save on one of them and our pressure forced a miss on their other chance.  They were better than we were on a couple of restarts, and often in this game that's the difference."

It was only UIC's second loss in the last 10 matches going back to last season.

"Are we a better team than last time we played?  Yes," Phillips noted, "but on the road versus a team of Green Bay's quality we have to be better on defensive restarts.  They were, to their credit, very difficult to break down.  We created some near-opportunities but weren't clean enough to take full advantage."

Phillips saw improvement in his team's possession and buildup, but said he wants to see more of an attacking mentality in the final moments.

"While we had good chunks of possession and got into dangerous areas, the final piece was missing today.  The guys fought, worked hard, gave a good effort, and showed improvement in a lot of areas.  We're just not playing with enough conviction on the final pass.  We have to play with more conviction as we approach the box and make the final cut."

Match Highlights

• The Flames got out on the front foot, earning three corner kicks in the first eight minutes.  On the second, Eddie Garcia put a shot on goal that had to be cleared by the Phoenix defense.  The resulting corner was headed toward the frame by Jacob Graiber, but sailed high.
• Green Bay drew first blood in the 13^th minute.  A free kick went into the middle of the box, where Hughes stayed with the play and put a well-placed strike into the left 90.
• UIC pulled the goal back just seven minutes later.  On a restart of their own – an area in which Phillips was particularly pleased with his team's offense - Christian Crespo sent a free kick to near the penalty spot, where Graiber shot inside the right post.
• The second half started in an eerily similar fashion as the first – UIC took three corner kicks in quick succession, this time in the first three-plus minutes after the break.
• Alwin Seitz took two shots eight minutes apart from the same area of the field.  Taking aim from near the right corner of the box, he sent one wide left and one wide right of the goal.  Green Bay's counter after the second resulted in a long-range shot that Sokratis Vasilas went high to save.
• Christian Crespo's 61^st-minute shot got through traffic and to Jamison Yoder, who scooped it off the turf.  Shortly later, Roberto Alonzo took a shot from a similar distance on which Yoder made his third and final save of the game.
• UIC's back line was front and center when a low shot eluded Vasilas.  They cleared the ball and conceded a corner kick, which was played back in front from beyond the far post.  Hughes flicked it into the net for the Phoenix' second lead of the match.
• The Flames had a barrage of shots in the dying minutes.  Nkusuwila Zulu and Garcia each had one blocked by a packed-in Green Bay defense.  Crespo had an attempt that missed the target, and Zulu had the best chance to tie the match on a shot from inside the six that went wide of the far post.

Facts and Figures

• Roberto Alonzo returned to the starting lineup, making his second appearance in the First XI.  The starters were otherwise unchanged from last week's match against IUPUI.
• Graiber's goal was his first of the season.  He took a season high two shots.
• Crespo had an assist for the second straight match.  He has impacted the scoreline in each of the last three, as he had the game-winning goal against Milwaukee.
• Zulu's three shots were the most by anyone in the game.
• Both teams put five shots on goal.  Green Bay only attempted seven shots, the least of any Flames opponent to date.
• UIC's 10 corner kicks were a season high.
• Juan Gutierrez and Diego Mendoza, along with one Phoenix, received yellow cards.
• Senior David Gorniak played a career high 50 minutes.

Up Next

• The Flames will return home next week.
• UIC will host Horizon League newcomer Robert Morris Friday at 1 pm.
• The match will take place indoors in Rockford.  Spectators are not allowed.