MILWAUKEE  – The UIC men's soccer team will step out of Missouri Valley Conference play one final time in the 2025 regular season when the Flames travel north to Milwaukee on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. (CT) matchup with Marquette at Valley Fields. ESPN+ will broadcast the match, while live stats can be viewed through UICFlames.com.
 
MATCH #11
UIC "Flames" (7-0-3, 0-0-2 MVC) at Marquette "Golden Eagles" (4-3-2, 0-3-0 BIG EAST)
When: Tuesday, Oct. 7th  |  7 p.m. CT
Where: Milwaukee, Wis.  |  Valley Fields
Live Coverage: ESPN+ (Matt Menzl, p-b-p)  |  Live Stats

SERIES NOTES
This will be the 12th matchup between UIC and Marquette, with the series tied 5-5-1 (MU leads 3-1-1 in Milwaukee). Tuesday marks the back end of a home-and-home series between the Flames and Golden Eagles, with UIC claiming last year's contest, 2-0 at Flames Field, on the strength of first-half goals by Rui Reis and Darrell Turcios. Prior to that match, the two schools had not met on the soccer pitch since Sept. 1, 2017 (UIC's last visit to Marquette's Valley Fields, which ended in a 2-2 double-overtime draw). 
 
LAST TIME OUT
On a night that carried the intensity of a postseason match, the UIC men's soccer team stood toe-to-toe with one of the other unbeatens in the Missouri Valley Conference, ultimately sharing the spoils with Drake following a tense 0-0 draw before 535 fans at Flames Field. It was the fourth shutout of the season and second in the past three matches for UIC. Friday was also the Flames' second consecutive draw, the first time UIC has had back-to-back deadlocks since 2021, the last season before the NCAA rules changed to eliminate overtime periods in the regular season.

UIC outshot Drake by nearly a 2-to-1 margin (15-8), including a 4-1 spread in shots on goal. The Flames had a handful of tantalizing chances during the evening, the closest coming in the 72nd minute when junior midfielder Edouard Nys drilled a shot from the top of the box that Bulldog 'keeper Tomas Butkovic knocked down and UIC senior midfielder Rui Reis put home the rebound, but he was judged to be just slightly offside. Senior goalkeeper Owen Cornell made one save in earning his third shutout of the season and first since Sept. 7 against Wright State.

A HOT START
At 7-0-3, UIC is unbeaten through 10 matches for just the third time in the program's 45 NCAA Division I seasons (1981-present). The others came in 1997 (started 9-0-1; finished 13-6-1 and reached Midwestern Collegiate Conference/Horizon League Tournament semifinals) and 2008 (started 8-0-2; finished 12-4-6, won the Horizon League regular season title and advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen). 

POLL POSITION
Last week, UIC rose to a season-best No. 6 in the United Soccer Coaches West Region poll (the updated version will be released Tuesday afternoon). The Flames led a group of three MVC schools in the top 10 of the Sept. 30 West Region rankings, with Drake at No. 7 and Belmont at No. 9.

UIC AMONG THE NCAA STATISTICAL LEADERS
As of Monday, UIC ranks among the top 15 in nine NCAA statistical categories. The Flames remain No. 1 in the country in shots per game (21.8), while standing second in shots on goal per game (9.1), seventh in total assists (29), eighth in points per game (7.9), ninth in scoring offense (2.5 goals/game), assists per game (2.9) and total points (79), and 10th in total goals (25), as well as 14th in goal differential (+16).

Individually, UIC junior midfielder Edouard Nys continues to lead the nation in shots per game (5.4) and shots on goal per game (2.8), is third in total points (23), fourth in total goals (9) and points per game (2.3) and fifth in goals per game (0.9). Senior midfielder Rui Reis is sixth in shots per game (4.2), while sophomore midfielder Carlos Nevarez is No. 9 nationally in total assists (6) and 12th in assists per game (0.6).

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.
 
UP NEXT: BELMONT
UIC resumes its Missouri Valley Conference schedule on Sunday, venturing to Nashville for a 1 p.m. (CT) match against Belmont. ESPN+ will carry the contest live from E.S. Rose Park, while live stats will also 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