CHICAGO  – After more than two months of play, the focus of the 2025 UIC men's soccer season has shortened to one final regular-season match, as the Flames prepare to welcome Western Michigan to Flames Field at 6 p.m. (CT) Wednesday in a pivotal Missouri Valley Conference contest for both squads. The conference table is extremely tight with just two points separating second place from sixth place in the Valley standings. A win by UIC on Wednesday night would secure the Flames a berth in the upcoming MVC Tournament, while additional action around the conference on Wednesday (all matches kick off at 6 p.m. CT) will dictate tournament seeding and hosting possibilities for numerous schools.

MATCH #16
Western Michigan "Broncos" (5-8-3, 2-1-3 MVC) at UIC "Flames" (8-2-5, 1-1-4 MVC)
When: Wednesday, Nov. 5th  |  6 p.m. CT
Where: Chicago, Ill.  |  Flames Field
Live Coverage: ESPN+ (Max Anderson, p-b-p)  |  Live Stats

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
The series between UIC and Western Michigan has been a tight one, with the Broncos holding a narrow 7-6-1 edge over the Flames, including a 4-3-1 margin in Chicago. In addition, the results have been just as close, with the past four matches and 12 of the 14 all-time meetings in the series decided by one goal.

WMU has won the past two meetings, the only two since UIC joined the Missouri Valley Conference prior to the 2022 season — in 2023, the Broncos prevailed 1-0 at Flames Field, and last season, they took a 2-1 decision in Kalamazoo. In that most recent contest, current junior midfielder Darrell Turcios scored in the 75th minute to draw UIC level before WMU edged out the Flames in a very evenly played match on a goal with less than 10 minutes remaining.

UIC is seeking its first win over Western Michigan since Sept, 28, 2019, a 4-3 overtime victory in Kalamazoo. The Flames' last regulation win (and home victory) in the series came on Sept. 3, 2018, by a 1-0 score in Chicago.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Junior midfielder Adrian Biaggi netted his second goal of the season in the 70th minute and UIC relentlessly pounded on the door in the second half looking for a winner, but ended up with a 1-1 tie at Bowling Green in Missouri Valley Conference action on Oct. 31 inside Cochrane Stadium.

Biaggi's classmate and fellow midfielder, Darrell Turcios, picked up the assist on the tying goal, poking a loose ball in the box behind the Falcons' defense, where Biaggi cut to a sliver of daylight and drilled a low shot inside the far right post.

UIC outshot Bowling Green by better than a 2-to-1 margin, finishing with a 22-10 edge in that column, including a 10-5 margin in shots on goal. The Flames' defense also rose to the occasion when it mattered, clearing three shots off the line — two by junior defender Jacobo Cruz in the second minute and another by junior defender Sota Nakazono in the 90th minute to preserve the tie.

THE TIES THAT BIND
Last Friday's 1-1 draw at Bowling Green marked a school-record fourth tie in conference play for UIC this season, as well as the Flames' fifth deadlock overall. The only prior time UIC had even recorded three conference ties in a single conference campaign was 2007, when the Flames went 4-1-3 in Horizon League play to finish third (and ultimately advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight). The last time UIC had this many ties in one season was 2009, when it recorded a school-record seven draws (6-6-7 record) in the year prior to current head coach Sean Phillips assuming that title.

UIC AMONG THE NCAA STATISTICAL LEADERS
UIC has consistently been one of the NCAA statistical leaders all season long and is currently in the top 15 in the nation in no fewer than eight categories. The Flames lead the way in shots per game (20.0) and are second in shots on goal per game (8.8), as well as fifth in points per game (7.47), seventh in assists per game (2.8), ninth in total assists (42), 10th in scoring offense (2.33 goals/game) and total points (112), and 13th in total goals (35).

Several Flames have appeared among the NCAA leaders on the individual charts this season, led by junior midfielder and Hermann Trophy candidate Edouard Nys, who is currently No. 1 in the nation in shots per game (5.4) and shots on goal per game (2.73), as well as second in total points (33) and goals per game (0.93), and third in total goals (14) and points per game (2.2). In addition, senior midfielder Rui Reis is 13th in shots per game (3.47).

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 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 13 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 MVC leader Evansville on Oct. 18. In addition, he has been instrumental in UIC's four shutouts this season.

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: TBD
Following the completion of all of Wednesday's matches across the MVC, the conference will finalize the six-team bracket for the 2025 MVC Tournament, which will be played on the campus of the higher seeds throughout the event. The top two seeds will receive a quarterfinal bye and will host the two semifinals, while the No. 3 and 4 seeds will host quarterfinals on Sunday (Nov. 9). The MVC semifinals will take place next Wednesday, Nov. 12 and the championship match is set for Saturday, Nov. 15 — all MVC Tournament matches will be televised live on ESPN+ and live stats for all matches involving UIC 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).

 
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