BOWLING GREEN, Ohio  – The UIC men's soccer team finds itself in largely unfamiliar territory heading into Friday's match at Bowling Green, as the Flames are coming off just their second loss (and first conference defeat) of the season. Still, with two matches to play in the regular season, UIC is tied for fourth place on the tightly-bunched Missouri Valley Conference table with six points, just three back of a trio of conference leaders (Drake, Evansville and Northern Illinois). Friday's visit to Bowling Green will kick off at 6 p.m. CT (7 p.m. ET in northwest Ohio) and will be streamed live on YouTube, as well as carried on WBGU-TV in Bowling Green.

MATCH #15
UIC "Flames" (8-2-4, 1-1-3 MVC) at Bowling Green "Falcons" (5-7-3, 1-3-1 MVC)
When: Friday, Oct. 31st  |  6 p.m. CT/7 p.m. ET
Where: Bowling Green, Ohio  |  Cochrane Stadium
Live Coverage: YouTube/WBGU-TV in Bowling Green  |  Live Stats

SERIES NOTES
The UIC-Bowling Green series is a limited one, with Friday's meeting just the fifth time ever between the schools. The Falcons hold a 3-1 series lead over the Flames, including victories in all three prior matches at Cochrane Stadium. Last year, the teams split a pair of matchups, with UIC winning in the regular season (2-1 at Flames Field on Oct. 5) before Bowling Green answered with a 4-1 victory on home turf in the MVC Tournament quarterfinals (Nov. 10).
 
LAST TIME OUT
Junior defender Hector Gil scored his second goal of the season, heading home a corner kick from classmate and backline partner Sota Nakazono, and the UIC men's soccer team threw the kitchen sink at Northern Illinois in the second half, but the Huskies made the most of their goals in the opening seven minutes of each half to claim a 2-1 Missouri Valley Conference win over the Flames on Oct. 18 at Flames Field. It was the first conference and first home loss of the season for UIC (8-2-4, 1-1-3 MVC).

Senior goalkeeper Owen Cornell made five saves, including a stop on a penalty kick in the 75th minute, that helped the Flames stay in contention. UIC outshot NIU, 21-12 for the contest (9-7 in shots on goal), including a 16-6 margin in the second half alone. Gil had one of his first-half shots cleared off the line by the Huskies in the 18th minute, before putting the hosts on the board with 2:49 remaining in the match.

POLL POSITION
UIC has been ranked in every United Soccer Coaches West Region poll this season and that continued this week, with the Flames ranked 10th in the region. UIC is one of two MVC teams in the regional rankings with 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
Throughout the 2025 season, UIC has ranked in the top 15 in eight NCAA statistical categories. As of Thursday, the Flames are second nationally in shots on goal per game (8.71), third in shots per game (19.86), sixth in scoring offense (2.43 goals/game), assists per game (2.93) and points per game (7.79), eighth in total points (109), ninth in total assists (41) and 11th in total goals (34).

Individually, junior midfielder Edouard Nys remains among the top three nationally in six categories — No. 1 in shots per game (5.21) and shots on goal per game (2.64), second in goals per game (1.0), total points (33) and points per game (2.36) and third in total goals (14). Senior midfielder Rui Reis is 10th in the country in shots on goal per game (3.57), while sophomore midfielder Carlos Nevarez is 18th in assists per game (0.5).

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). 

ZEPEDA NAMED TO TOP DRAWER SOCCER TOP 100 FRESHMAN LIST
Freshman defender Daniel Zepeda also earned national recognition earlier this month 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 on Oct. 18. In addition, he has been instrumental in UIC's four shutouts this season.

UP NEXT: WESTERN MICHIGAN
UIC returns home for its regular-season finale at 6 p.m. (CT) Wednesday, playing host to Western Michigan at Flames Field. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN+, with live stats 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).

 
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