Valparaiso scored 19 minutes in, and added two more goals in the last seven minutes of the first half, and handed UIC their first Valley loss, 3-0 Thursday night.

"I give Valpo a lot of credit.  They came out with a clear game plan, and we weren't able to maintain enough intensity in transition defensively," David Nikolic said.

"Going forward, we were fine, but defensively we gave them too much space and too much time, and they punished us for it."
 
Scoring Summary

• The first goal of the match came off a corner kick.  Valparaiso sent the kick past the far post, where it was headed back across the face of goal.  Lauren Keiser moved to her right to make a play, but was bodied up by a Beacon, preventing her from getting to the ball.
• Valpo made it 2-0 on a 38^th-minute goal, scored from inside the corner of the box to the far post.
• Less than two minutes before the break, it was 3-0 via a laser of a shot taken from 25 yards out, whizzing over Keiser's shoulder inside the far post.
• The Flames yielded their season high fourth goal in the 74^th minute.  A Beacon bodied a Flames defender to the ground along the right sideline, getting herself open to make a pass into the box.  A runner had position eight yards out and one-timed the ball high into the net.

The first 20 minutes were played evenly.  The Flames proved to be dangerous on set pieces.  They set up nicely for a free kick that sprung an open runner, and shortly later had another free kick find the head of Kaitlyn Montague just to go wide of the net.  Meanwhile, Lauren Keiser made a nice save of a high header, and twice interrupted plays by attacking the ball in various regions of the box.



After Valparaiso's first goal, UIC continued to attack and came close to scoring an equalizer.  Makena Shaw and Madison Ferris took the ball into the final third, setting up Montague for a low shot that was saved.  In the 31^st minute, yet another free kick turned into one of the Flames' best chances of the match.  Yulexi Diaz lined up the kick 28 yards away, straight on, and laced her shot on goal where it would have tucked right under the crossbar if not for a terrific save.

"We worked hard, but when you're down two or three goals, you have to put in so much more work just to get one back," Nikolic pointed out.  "If we get the one from Yulexi, it's 1-1 and that changes things."
 
The Beacons built momentum with their second goal, and carried it through the end of the half.  They added two more shots on goal, one of which became their third score.

The chances continued for the Flames after halftime, starting just three minutes into the second half.  Diaz sent a free kick from near the sideline into the box, with Brielle Gomez heading it just wide of the net.  Later in the half, Riley Collett made two inspiring runs down the right sideline that led to hopeful moments in front of the net.

Kaysey Castro, like Collett a sub who played important minutes off the bench, took a free kick right in front of the Flames' bench, and sent the ball on goal.  UIC had one final close call on yet another free kick, sent in by Montague and headed by Ferris over the crossbar.

Montague had a game-high four shots.  Shaw led the Flames with two tries on goal.  Valpo was whistled for 22 fouls, but the Flames were shown five yellow cards to the Beacons' one.  Both teams totaled 14 shots, though Valpo put nine on goal to tie the most by any UIC opponent.

UIC's road trip will continue in Nashville, when the Flames face Belmont next Thursday.  "It's conference season," Nikolic stated.  "Every game is important.  From start to finish, with and without the ball, the same intensity required.  We have no game Sunday so we'll get ready to make our next road trip and play the other two newcomers to the Valley in Belmont and Murray State."