CHICAGO  – The UIC men's soccer team reaches the midpoint of its 2025 Missouri Valley Conference season at 7 p.m. (CT) Saturday when it welcomes current Valley leader (and defending MVC Tournament champion) Evansville to Flames Field. It will be a night full of celebrations before, during and after the match, including a Senior Night ceremony (prematch at 6 p.m. - gates will open at 5:45 p.m.) and a halftime recognition of more than 70 UIC men's soccer alums returning to campus, including members of the Flames' 2000 NCAA Sweet Sixteen team and 2015 Horizon League championship squad.
 
MATCH #13
Evansville "Purple Aces" (4-3-6, 2-0-1 MVC) at UIC "Flames" (8-1-3, 1-0-2 MVC)
When: Saturday, Oct. 18th  |  7 p.m. CT (gates open at 5:45 p.m.)
Where: Chicago, Ill.  |  Flames Field
Live Coverage: ESPN+ (Peter Ferreri, p-b-p)  |  Live Stats
Themes/Promotions:
• Senior Night Ceremony (prematch at 6 p.m. CT)
• Alumni Night Celebration (halftime - special recognition of 2000 NCAA Sweet Sixteen and 2015 Horizon League championship teams)
• UIC Soccer Scarf Giveaway (while supplies last - distributed postmatch for fans as they leave Flames Field)

Tickets
• UIC students/staff/youths eighth grade and under - free
• Adults/youths ninth grade and older - $5 each
• Military veterans/first responders/groups of 10+ adults - $3 each

SERIES NOTES
This will mark just the fourth all-time meeting between UIC and Evansville in a series that didn't begin until the Flames joined the MVC prior to the 2022 season. UIC is 2-1-0 all-time against the Purple Aces, winning both prior matches at Flames Field (2-0 in 2022 and 5-1 in 2023) before Evansville claimed last year's encounter on its home pitch by a 3-1 score.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Junior midfielder Edouard Nys posted his second consecutive two-goal match (and fifth of the season), scoring the winning goal with 6:41 to play as UIC picked up a valuable 2-1 Missouri Valley Conference road win over Belmont on Sunday afternoon at E.S. Rose Park in Nashville. With the victory, the Flames have surpassed their win total from last season and pick up their first conference win this year following a pair of ties.

Sophomore midfielder Sebastian Khoury set up Nys' deciding goal, running on to a long outlet pass from junior midfielder Darrell Turcios near the top of the area, then turning and sliding a pass to Nys, who was crashing from the weak side towards the penalty spot, In turn, Nys calmly slotted a right-footed shot beneath Belmont's onrushing goalkeeper, Grant Calvert, for his 13th goal and 31st point of the season, both now standing fourth on the UIC single-season charts and the most by a Flames' player in either category in a quarter century (Eric Lukin - 15 goals/40 points in 2000).

A pair of juniors collaborated on UIC's first score, with Adrian Biaggi playing a ball ahead for Sota Nakazono, who found Nys in the left channel near the top corner of the box. Nys then lashed a dipping shot inside the left post to put the Flames in front in the 19th minute.

Senior goalkeeper Owen Cornell made five saves (one off his career high), including one final stop just before time expired, to preserve the win.

NYS EARNS FOURTH MVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOD
For a program record-tying fourth time this season, junior midfielder Edouard Nys was selected as the Missouri Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week, the conference announced Tuesday. Nys was also tabbed as the College Soccer News National Player of the Week on Tuesday.
 
Nys previously received the MVC honor on Aug. 26, Sept. 9 and Sept. 16, becoming the first UIC men's soccer player to be a four-time Offensive Player of the Week in any conference since 1999, when Eric Lukin was a four-time selection while the Flames were competing in the Horizon League before going on to earn second-team All-America accolades later that season. Nys is also the first MVC player from any school to receive four Offensive Player of the Week nods in one year since 2016, when Central Arkansas' Niklas Brodacki was a four-time recipient.

POLL POSITION
For the fourth consecutive week, UIC is ranked in the United Soccer Coaches West Region poll, checking in at No. 7. The Flames are among a group of three MVC schools in the top 10 of the latest West Region rankings, with Drake at No. 6 and Belmont at No. 9. UIC played Drake to a 0-0 tie on Oct. 3 at Flames Field, and earned a 2-1 road win at Belmont last Sunday (Oct. 12).

UIC AMONG THE NCAA STATISTICAL LEADERS
UIC continues to rank among the top 10 in the NCAA in numerous statistical categories, according to Friday's NCAA report. The Flames are No. 2 in the nation in shots per game (20.33) and shots on goal per game (9.08), third in points per game (8.25), fourth in scoring offense (2.58 goals/game), fifth in total goals (31), assists (37) and points (99) and sixth in assists per game (3.08). The Flames are also No. 17 in the country with a +16 goal differential this season.

On the individual charts, junior midfielder Edouard Nys leads the nation in total points (31), points per game (2.58), shots per game (5.25) and shots on goal per game (2.92), while standing second in total goals (13) and goals per game (1.08). Senior midfielder Rui Reis is sixth in the country with 4.0 shots per game and 15th with 1.58 shots on goal per game, while sophomore midfielder Carlos Nevarez is 12th in assists per game (0.6) and 19th in total assists (6). 

CHICAGO'S COLLEGE TEAM
The Flames finished 3-0-1 against Chicagoland opponents this season, defeating Northwestern (3-2) and Loyola (3-1) on the road, and Chicago State (2-0) at home, while tying 1-1 at DePaul. Collectively, the UIC men's soccer, women's soccer and volleyball programs went 7-0-2 against Windy City teams this fall, the best intracity record by any of Chicago's Division I schools.

NYS NAMED TO HERMANN TROPHY MIDSEASON WATCH LIST
UIC junior midfielder Edouard Nys is among 31 NCAA Division I players who have been selected for the 2025 Hermann Trophy Midseason Watch List, it was announced Oct. 10 by United Soccer Coaches. The Hermann Trophy is college soccer's most prestigious award, having been presented annually since 1967 to the nation's top player. Nys is the first UIC player to be named to the Hermann Trophy Watch List since Jesus Perez in 2019.
 
Nys is the only Missouri Valley Conference player on this year's Hermann Trophy Midseason Watch List. The MVC has had two players (none from current Valley member schools) receive the Hermann Trophy during its history — Creighton's Johnny Torres (1997) and SMU's Luchi Gonzalez (2001). 

UP NEXT: NORTHERN ILLINOIS
UIC is back at home on Flames Field next Saturday night when it plays host to MVC rival Northern Illinois at 7 p.m. (CT). It will be the Flames' early Halloween celebration (free entry for all fans arriving in costume!), as well as the annual Sparky's Kids Club match and the final Pups at the Pitch promotion for the 2025 men's soccer season, with fans able to bring their four-legged friends to Flames Field (if they haven't previously done so, owners will be asked to fill out this online waiver before bringing their pups to the pitch). For those who cannot make next weekend's match with NIU, ESPN+ will broadcast the contest, with live stats provided at UICFlames.com.
 
FOLLOW THE FLAMES
UIC students, staff and youths in eighth grade and under are admitted to all soccer matches free of charge, while adults and youths in ninth grade and above can purchase tickets for $5 each at the northwest entrance to Flames Field (off Morgan St.) on match night. Discounted tickets for military veterans, first responders and groups of 10+ adults, are on sale for $3 each. In addition, fans can buy the new Flames Fast Pass, a one-time $50 purchase that will provide the bearer with access to all UIC home athletics events (except men's and women's basketball) during the 2025-26 academic year.
 
For more information on UIC men's soccer, fans are encouraged to visit UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (@UIC_MSOC and @UICFlames) and Instagram (@uic_msoc and @uicflames).

 
#FireUpFlames | #ChicagosCollegeTeam