On an evening when UIC formally dedicated the new Flames Field, and played its first-ever Missouri Valley Conference match, Drake spoiled the party with a 1-0 win Saturday night.  A 32^nd-minute penalty kick was the only score of the game.

"It was a disappointing night," Sean Phillips said.  "With the ribbon-cutting for our new facility and all the alumni that came back, we had a great atmosphere and we wanted to get a result.  While Drake was well organized and difficult to break down, we did that multiple times over the course of the game.  We weren't sharp enough in the final moments again."

UIC opened the match with momentum on its side.  Eleven minutes in, Eduardo Garcia sent a cross into the box trying to connect with Christian Crespo.  But in the next 11 minutes, Drake found its footing and offered a few host of its own, all of which went off target.

Brian Perez and Andres Moreno ignited the next several Flames advances.  Perez took a run down the sideline and earned a corner kick, and later put a shot on goal, cashing in a long Moreno run.  Moreno himself was saved late in the half, marking one of Bulldog keeper Jonathan Burke's nine stops on the night.

The penalty, drawn and converted by A.J. Franklin, was called when Paul Brauckmann and Franklin locked arms chasing down a 50/50 ball in the edge of the box.  Andres Vasquez, who had his three-match shutout streak snapped, guessed right but the shot was high to the corner, over his dive.  It put the Flames down by one at the half, and they fought for an equalizer with 11 shots in the second half.

"While we did go down early on the penalty, we created enough opportunities to draw even and pull ahead," Phillips reiterated.  "Our chances on goal need to challenge the goalkeeper more and force him into more difficult saves.  We didn't do that tonight."

Ricardo Avalos put two shots on goal in a six-minute span.  After the hour mark, he got in past the defense and fed Josh Torres for a clean look at a shot that went high.  Torres and Brian Perez had great interplay in the box, resulting in a Torres shot that was blocked to Perez for a try that was saved.

Andres Lemus made a winning defensive play in the final 10 minutes when Drake had a dangerous run to the edge of the box, and Vasquez only saw one shot go on his frame from the run of play.  "When a visiting team as well organized as Drake gets a goal, you're chasing.  We chased and we had good moments.  At the end of the night, I'm just disappointed with all the possession and opportunities we carried that we couldn't take advantage of," Phillips said.

Pau Mateo, Torres, and Avalos each had a team-high three shots.  Four Bulldog players were shown yellow cards, and the team committed 13 fouls to UIC's six in a physical affair.

The Flames will return to action Tuesday evening at Flames Field against crosstown rival DePaul.