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UIC Athletics

thevalley
Jacobo_Cruz_EIU
Mark Black
3
Winner UIC UIC (6-0-1, 0-0-0)
1
Loyola Chicago LUC (2-2-3, 0-0-0)
Winner
UIC UIC
(6-0-1, 0-0-0)
3
Final
1
Loyola Chicago LUC
(2-2-3, 0-0-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UIC UIC 1 2 3
Loyola Chicago LUC 1 0 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Men's Soccer Rallies Past Loyola, 3-1

UIC is off to its best start since 1997 after erasing its first deficit of the season.

CHICAGO – UIC junior defender Jacobo Cruz picked the perfect time to score his first two goals in a Flames' uniform, twice heading home corner kicks in the second half to power UIC past Chicagoland rival Loyola, 3-1 on Monday night at Loyola Soccer Park. With the victory, the Flames (6-0-1) are off to their best start since 1997, when they were also 6-0-1 out of the gate, and they improve to 2-0-1 against Windy City opponents this year, all on the road (wins at Northwestern and Loyola, tie at DePaul).

Junior midfielder Edouard Nys added a goal and an assist, finding the back of the net for the sixth consecutive match (the longest streak by a UIC player since at least 2014, with further research pending). Nys now leads the country in goals (8) and points (21) this season, and is among the NCAA pacesetters with five assists. Junior defender Sota Nakazono delivered a pair of assists, while sophomore midfielder Carlos Nevarez dished out his nation-leading sixth assist of the 2025 campaign.

UIC found itself facing a rare deficit on Monday, trailing for the first time all season when Loyola (2-2-3) scored in the 27th minute. However, it took less than eight minutes for Nys to find the equalizer, setting the stage for Cruz's second-half heroics. Senior goalkeeper Owen Cornell made the lead stand up with two saves, including a kick save off a potential game-tying Rambler shot just over a minute after Cruz had put the Flames on top in the 56th minute.

The full box score and play-by-play recap from Monday's win at Loyola can be found here.
 


SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
 
 
 


UP NEXT
UIC winds up its pre-conference schedule and its circuit of Chicagoland opponents Thursday with a 7 p.m. (CT) match against Chicago State at Flames Field. It will be Hispanic Heritage Night and UIC Faculty/Staff Night, with the match also televised live on ESPN+ and live stats available at UICFlames.com.
 
HOME MATCH TICKET INFORMATION
  • UIC students/staff and youths eighth grade and under - Free
  • Adults/youths ninth grade and older - $5 each
  • Groups of 10+ adults - $3 each 
 
FOLLOW THE FLAMES
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 on Instagram (@uic_msoc and @uicflames).
 
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