UIC dropped its regular season finale at Drake by a 3-1 score Wednesday night.  Drake scored twice in three minutes to extend a one-goal lead, before Andres Moreno headed in his third goal of the season to avoid the shutout.

"Drake is undefeated and untied at home, and there's a reason for that," Sean Phillips said.  "They are able to get numbers around the ball defensively and make it hard to play.  That being said, I thought we created enough chances, even down 1-0, that we could still have gotten a result.  Our guys kept fighting, and even when it was 3-1, there were moments that I thought it could become 3-2."

The Flames finished with 10 points in Valley play, and will be the #4 seed in the conference tournament thanks to winning the goal differential tiebreaker with Belmont.  UIC will host the Bruins in the quarterfinal round on Sunday.
 
Scoring Summary

• Drake scored first in the 56^th minute.  A cross was well-placed close to the goal, where it took just a touch to redirect into the net.
• Andres Vasquez moved to the edge of the six to challenge an attacker, and was whistled for a foul.  The penalty kick was good to make it 2-0 Drake in the 68^th minute.
• Vasquez was away from his net again, but recovered to get in position as Drake played the ball into the box.  An unmarked player shot past a diving Vasquez.
• Preston Huitron received a through ball on the right edge, and wasted no time in centering it for Andres Moreno.  Moreno had beaten his man into the box, and was open for a well-struck header that went into the net.

Drake had the first moments of pressure, but Andres Vasquez was up to the task in the first 15 minutes.  He went out to the edge of the box to slide and stop a chance at a cross, and later hit the ground going to his left to save a rolling shot.  After that, the Flames got organized on the offensive end with Ezau Millan lining up a couple of shots.  Leading scorer Josh Torres was well marked, at one point attracting five defenders after making a turn at the top of the box.

Late in the first half, the final moment was just off when Andres Lemus sent a cross into the box that just missed its target.  Then, on a corner kick, Manny Cerritos put a head on the ball but nudged it high over the bar.  Just one of the Flames' eight first-half shots went on goal.

UIC went on to take 13 shots in the second half.  Torres took a shot from the corner of the box that went wide, and Preston Huitron's close shot went wide, in sequences that were emblematic of the team's frustration in getting off shots that would threaten the frame.

Pau Mateo had a game high five of the Flames' 21 shots.  Huitron and Torres had four shots each.  Four Flames and three Bulldogs were shown yellow cards. 

The winner of Sunday's quarterfinal will advance to the Valley semifinals, against a to-be-determined opponent after the bracket is reseeded, at the home of #1 seed Missouri State.