CHICAGO (Oct. 20, 2023) – With playoff seeding at stake, the UIC women's soccer team (5-7-4, 4-3-2 MVC) returns home to take on MVC rival Valparaiso Sunday in the regular-season finale for both schools.

LAST TIME OUT
The Flames secured a dominant 4-1 victory over Illinois State on the road Thursday evening, securing a spot in the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Soccer Championship. Sophomore Sophia Jaime (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso) contributed two goals and an assist. Her impressive performance tied her with fellow sophomore Makenna Maloy (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville) for the team lead in goals (three) assists (four) and points (ten). Senior Makena Shaw (Fontana, Calif./Los Osos) and redshirt sophomore Madison Ferris (Bellevue, Wash./The Bush School) each scored goals of their own, propelling the Flames to a crucial conference victory in their second to last game of the regular season.

SCOUTING VALPARAISO
Valpo currently holds the fifth position in the MVC standings with 13 points and is one point behind UIC in the conference standings. The Beacons have an overall record of 7-4-6 overall and 3-2-4 record in the MVC. Valparaiso recently secured a 2-0 victory over Northern Iowa Thursday. The team has wins against Southern Illinois, Indiana State and Drake and has draws against Evansville, Missouri State, Murray State and Illinois State.

UIC enters the upcoming match with an all-time record of 1-4-1 against Valpo. The series dates back to UIC's inaugural season in 2014, with their last encounter taking place last season, a 4-0 Flames loss in Indiana.

PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS
After winning Thursday's match, UIC moved into fourth place in the MVC standings and clinched a spot in the 2023 MVC Women's Soccer Championship with one match remaining. Depending on Sunday's results during the final day of the regular season, the Flames can finish as high as third in the conference standings. The No. 3 and No. 4 seeds playing host to first-round and quarterfinal matches in the MVC Tournament.




MATCH INFORMATION
Sunday's match is scheduled to kick off at noon at Flames Field. Fans will have the opportunity to stream the event on ESPN+, while live stats will be available on the Flames' website.

This game marks the final "Pups at the Pitch" promotion of the season. All dogs in attendance will be treated to a complimentary UIC-branded bandana and dog treats. Additionally, there will be the annual Sparky's Kids Club match, and the first 100 Club members in attendance will receive a mini soccer ball. After the match, fans can meet the Flames' women's soccer team for autograph sessions. As always, admission is free.

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL
For more information on Flames soccer, fans are encouraged to visit UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (@UIC_WSOC and @UICFlames) and Instagram (@uic_wsoc and @uicflames).