CHICAGO  – The UIC men's soccer team enters the homestretch in the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference race with another important match lined up at 7 p.m. (CT) Saturday when it plays host to Northern Illinois at Flames Field. Both squads stand at six points (1-0-3) on the MVC table, among a three-team tie for second place and just two points back of current conference leader Evansville with three matches to go in the regular season.  

MATCH #14
Northern Illinois "Huskies" (6-3-4, 1-0-3 MVC) at UIC "Flames" (8-1-4, 1-0-3 MVC)
When: Saturday, Oct. 25th  |  7 p.m. CT
Where: Chicago, Ill.  |  Flames Field
Live Coverage: ESPN+ (Max Anderson, p-b-p)  |  Live Stats
Themes/Promotions:
• Halloween Celebration (free admission for all fans who arrive in costume)
• Sparky's Kids Club match (special giveaways for Club members)
• Pups at the Pitch (special treats for our four-legged friends; owners must sign online waiver upon entry with their pets)

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
UIC and Northern Illinois will be meeting on the soccer pitch for the 25th time during the Flames' NCAA Division I era, with UIC holding a 15-8-1 edge in the all-time series with the Huskies, including an 8-3 mark in Chicago. The Flames have also won the past four meetings in the series, most recently a 4-2 triumph on Sept. 28, 2024, in DeKalb, as well as a 2-0 victory on Oct. 27, 2023, at Flames Field.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The UIC men's soccer team twice came inches away from putting the cherry on top of its Senior Night and Alumni Night celebrations, seeing a pair of bids for insurance goals hit the post in the second half before Evansville pulled back the tying goal with under six minutes to play and the squads would settle for a 2-2 draw on a rainy Oct. 18 at Flames Field. The Flames (8-1-4, 1-0-3 MVC) remain unbeaten in Missouri Valley Conference play, as well as through their seven home matches this year.

Junior midfielder Edouard Nys scored his 14th goal of the season in the 51st minute off assists from sophomore midfielder Sebastian Khoury and freshman defender Daniel Zepeda, a score that appeared poised to stand up as the match-winner until Evansville (4-3-7, 2-0-2) benefited from a late free kick near the midfield stripe that ended up leading to the equalizer. Nys and junior midfielder Darrell Turcios also nearly added to the Flames' lead in the second half, each ringing the right post with shots in the 56th and 70th minutes.

Khoury had put UIC on the board in the 40th minute with his third goal of the season, heading home a right-flank cross from Zepeda, but the Purple Aces drew level just 21 seconds later, setting up the second half fireworks.

UIC ended up with a 13-11 edge in total shots, while Evansville had the 6-4 margin in shots on goal (minus the Flames' two shots off the woodwork). Senior goalkeeper Owen Cornell made four saves in the UIC net. 

ZEPEDA NAMED TO TOP DRAWER SOCCER TOP 100 FRESHMAN LIST
Freshman defender Daniel Zepeda earned national recognition recently when he was ranked No. 24 on the Top Drawer Soccer Midseason Top 100 Freshman List. Zepeda, a native of Aurora, Ill., has started 12 matches for UIC during his rookie season, collecting his first career goal on Sept. 7 against Wright State and adding four assists, most recently setting up both Flames' goals in a 2-2 draw with Evansville last Saturday, Oct. 18. In addition, he has been instrumental in UIC's four shutouts this season.

POLL POSITION
For the fifth consecutive week, UIC is ranked in the United Soccer Coaches West Region poll, checking in at No. 9. The Flames are one of two MVC teams in the regional rankings, just behind Drake at No. 8 — UIC played the Bulldogs to a 0-0 draw back on Oct. 3 at Flames Field.

UIC AMONG THE NCAA STATISTICAL LEADERS
As has been the case throughout the 2025 season, UIC remains among the top 10 nationally in numerous NCAA statistical categories as of Friday morning. The Flames are second in the country in shots on goal per game (8.69), fourth in both points per game (8.15) and shots per game (19.77), fifth in assists per game (3.08), sixth in scoring offense (2.54 goals/game) and total assists (40), seventh in total points (106) and eighth in total goals (33).

Individually, junior midfielder Edouard Nys continues to be among the NCAA leaders in multiple areas, leading the nation in goals per game (1.08), points per game (2.54), shots per game (5.15) and shots on goal per game (2.77), while ranking second in total goals (14) and total points (33). Senior midfielder Rui Reis is seventh in shots per game (3.85), while sophomore midfielder Carlos Nevarez is 15th in assists per game (0.55).

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: BOWLING GREEN
UIC will play its final regular-season road match next Friday, Oct. 31 when it travels east for a 6 p.m. CT/7 p.m. ET conference contest at Bowling Green. The match will be televised live from Cochrane Stadium on YouTube, while live stats will be available through 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