SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (Nov. 6, 2024) – For the second consecutive season and fourth time in program history, UIC has reached the semifinals of its conference tournament. The third-seeded Flames will battle No. 2 seed Drake in the first MVC Championship semifinal at 3 p.m. (CT) Thursday from Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium in Springfield, Mo., live on ESPN+.

MATCH INFORMATION
MVC Championship Semifinal
#3 seed UIC "Flames" (8-9-2, 6-2-2 MVC) vs. #2 seed Drake "Bulldogs" (7-6-2, 6-2-2 MVC)
Thursday, Nov. 7 | 3 p.m. CT
Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium | Springfield, Mo.
ESPN+
Live Stats

LAST TIME OUT
UIC erupted for three goals in the second half, including two in a span of less than five minutes, to pull away for a 4-2 win over Illinois State in the MVC quarterfinals on Nov. 3 at Flames Field. Riley Collett had a goal and an assist to lead the UIC attack.

FOUR OF A KIND
UIC had four players earn All-MVC honors this week. Senior Yulexi Diaz became the first three-time honoree in program history, joined on the first team by redshirt senior Shelsea Rigby. Junior Riley Collett was a second-team choice while Sophie Ignatowski was chosen for the All-Freshman Team.

TURNING THE PAGE
The MVC season proved to be a fresh start for UIC, which went 6-2-2 (20 points) in conference games and posted seven shutouts in those 10 Valley contests. The Flames also matched their best conference finish and second-best conference point total and wins in the program's 10-year history.

SCOUTING DRAKE
Drake finished tied with UIC for second in the final MVC standings, earning the No. 2 seed and the double-bye in the tournament via a 2-0 win over the Flames on Oct. 17 in Des Moines. The Bulldogs are unbeaten in their last six games, most recently playing to a 1-1 tie against Murray State at home on Oct. 27. Eve Blakey (6G, 3A) and Layla Kelbel (5G, 3A) are Drake's top scorers this season, while Addie Ford and Kate Hopma have split time in goal, combining for a 1.37 goals-against average and three shutouts with a .687 save percentage.

Drake leads the all-time series with UIC, 4-2 and has won the last two outings. In addition to their win over the Flames earlier this season, the Bulldogs edged UIC, 2-1 in last year's MVC Championship semifinals in Des Moines. Junior midfielder Makenna Maloy scored the lone goal for the Flames in that contest. 

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For more information on UIC women's 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).