Due to unforeseen circumstances necessitating repairs to the playing surface at Flames Field, the UIC Men's Soccer match against Saint Louis, scheduled for Friday, September 3, will be relocated to the Saint Louis University campus.
Fans interested in watching the Flames take on the Billikens, can see the match on ESPN+. The start time remains 7:00 p.m. Live stats will also be available.
The UIC Women's Soccer match vs. Western Illinois on Sunday, September 5 and the Men's contest on Monday, September 6, will take place at Flames Field as originally scheduled.
"With the unfortunate field issue that was discovered late Wednesday, we had to move the game to St. Louis," Sean Phillips said. "We would like to acknowledge our grounds crew, who have been working on our field since Monday night, and who continue to do so in preparation for our women's game Sunday and our game next Monday. We also send our thanks to [Saint Louis head coach] Kevin Kalish and his staff, who were so helpful in moving the match to Hermann Stadium."
Though the location has changed, the opportunity for Phillips' squad remains the same – to get the first win of the season against a top-20 team.
Saint Louis enters action at 2-0, with wins over Louisville and Creighton springing them to the #16 ranking in this week's poll. SLU will be UIC's second ranked opponent in three matches. The Flames are seeking their first win over a ranked foe since they beat #16 Western Michigan, 1-0 at home, on Sept. 3, 2018.
"We're really looking forward to it. Both staffs have been trying to find a window to play each other for a long time," Phillips said. "You're looking at two teams that have long been known for playing an attractive brand of soccer while getting results. I expect the game to be an entertaining and competitive affair."
Both teams have amassed 32 shots and 18 corner kicks in their first two games. Defensively, each team is allowing just eight shots and less than two corner kicks per match, which are the statistics that get Phillips' attention. "Both programs strive to be good defensively," he said. "This could be a game where one team has a bout of possession, and then the other team gets a chance. Both teams are also good in transition, and both staffs and teams are comprised of people who know how to win."
The history between UIC and Saint Louis is a brief but important one. They have evenly split three all-time meetings, 1-1-1. The teams met in the first round of the 1999 NCAA Tournament, which SLU won 3-2. The Flames got postseason revenge with a shootout win in the first round of the 2007 tourney, on their way to the Elite Eight. Current Billikens assistant coach Kevin Stoll was a member of that 2007 Flames squad, and went on to receive First Team All-Horizon League honors as a junior.
Coverage of the match will be on ESPN+ and at the links in the blue box above.
