CHICAGO – With the 2026 regular season winding down, the UIC women's soccer team welcomed the Northern Iowa Panthers to Flames Field. The Missouri Valley Conference contest saw three Flames (2-10-3, 1-5-1 MVC) score their first goals of the season as UIC went on to defeat the Panthers (1-11-3, 1-4-2 MVC) 3-1, earning their first conference victory.
FIRST HALF
UNI took the first shot of the match in the 8
th minute, but
Sidney Lazenby came up with the save to keep the Panthers off the board early.
Jilly Higgins took the Flames' first shot of the contest in the 13
th minute of action.
In the 21
st minute, with the Flames' second shot of the match,
Becca Ruggiero found the back of the net.
Higgins
assisted the play with a through ball into the box for Ruggiero to run onto. Ruggiero took a touch before striking a right-footed shot, sending the ball over the keeper and off the crossbar into the back of the net, giving Ruggiero her first goal of the season and the Flames a 1-0 lead.
Over the next 13 minutes, the Panthers would record chances, with the Flames defense coming up with a blocked save on one in the 27
thminute.
Then, in the 35
th minute,
Jennifer Rodriguez scored her first collegiate goal off a
Delaney Engel assist. Dribbling down the field, Engel found an open Rodriguez about 20 yards out from goal. After taking a settling touch, Rodriguez struck a right-footed shot, chipping the goalkeeper to give the Flames a 2-0 lead.
The Panthers would record an off-target shot in the 44
th minute before halftime. At the half, the Flames led the Panthers 2-0.
SECOND HALF
16 seconds into the half, Higgins took a chance, placing a shot into the bottom right corner of the net. Hailey Luedtke recorded the save.
Both sides continued to take chances throughout the half, with the Panthers outshooting the Flames 12-8 during the second 45 minutes of action.
In the 76
th minute, the Flames once again found the back of the net when
Riley Cunningham recorded her first collegiate goal off a Higgins assist. Winning the ball at midfield, Cunningham and Higgins had a give-and-go, with Higgins playing a through ball towards the box for Cunningham to run onto. Taking a touch into the box, Cunningham composed herself before placing a right-footed shot into the opposite side netting, giving the Flames a 3-0 lead.
Following a foul in the box, the Panthers' Audrey Still converted a penalty kick to put UNI on the board.
At the final whistle, the Flames recorded their first conference victory of the season, defeating the Panthers 3-1.
The full box score and play-by-play recap can be found
here.
UP NEXT
The Flames will play in their final road contest of 2026 on Sunday when they head to Valparaiso to take on the Beacons at Brown Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. CT
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