DES MOINES, Iowa – The UIC men's soccer team heads back on the road for its final away match of the regular season at 6 p.m. (CT) Friday as the Flames travel to Des Moines, Iowa, to take on Drake at Mediacom Stadium. ESPN+ will carry Friday's match live, with live stats available at UICFlames.com. UIC comes into the contest tied for fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference standings on five points with two matches remaining — the top six squads on the final Valley table will earn a berth into the MVC Tournament that will be played Nov. 8-14 at campus sites across the conference.

MATCH #15
UIC "Flames" (4-5-4, 1-1-2 MVC) at Drake "Bulldogs" (4-7-4, 0-4-1 MVC)
When: Friday, Oct. 30th  |  6 p.m. CT
Where: Des Moines, Iowa  |  Mediacom Stadium
Live Coverage: ESPN+  |  Live Stats

SERIES NOTES
UIC and Drake are slated to square off for the 14th time in their series history, with the record deadlocked at 6-6-1, although the Bulldogs have earned points in five of the past six matchups (4-1-1 record; 2-1-1 in MVC play). Drake is also 4-2-0 all-time in Des Moines, with Friday marking just the second time the teams have met at Mediacom Stadium, which debuted in 2023.

Last year, UIC and Drake played to a tense 0-0 draw on Oct. 3 at Flames Field, one of only two times in the past 34 matches that UIC has been held scoreless (the other coming in this year's season opener, 1-0 at Tulsa on Aug. 20). The Flames and Bulldogs last played in Des Moines on Oct. 26, 2024, when Drake made an early goal stand up for a 1-0 win at Mediacom Stadium in a match that saw both sides finish with 10 men after nine yellow cards and two reds were issued.

UIC's last victory in the series came on Sept. 23, 2023, a 4-0 decision at Flames Field, and its last win in Des Moines was on Sept. 8, 2014 (a 1-0 double-overtime verdict by the then-No. 24 Flames on a goal by Jorge Alvarez in the 106th minute).

LAST TIME OUT: EVANSVILLE
UIC took an early 1-0 lead on a goal by junior midfielder Sebastian Khoury, but Evansville responded with three unanswered goals to claim a 3-1 victory over the Flames in Missouri Valley Conference action on Oct. 24 at Flames Field. It was UIC's first home loss in conference play this season and first defeat of any kind in more than a month.

Khoury put UIC in front in the 26th minute, heading home a left-wing cross from senior defender Sota Nakazono, who was sprung with a lead pass from senior midfielder Darrell Turcios. It was Khoury's career-high fifth goal of the season, while Nakazono and Turcios both earned their second assist of the year.

Evansville answered back with a goal in the 38th minute, but the teams went to the dressing room all square. The Purple Aces then broke through with the deciding scores in the 50th and 68th minutes.

The team stat lines were virtually even across the board - tied 13-13 in total shots, while UIC had a 7-5 margin in shots on goal and corner kicks were even at 5-5.

TURN THE BEAT AROUND
Starting with a 2-0 win over Western Illinois in its Sept. 10 home opener, UIC is unbeaten in seven of its last nine matches, going 4-2-3 in that span (the only losses coming at home on Sept. 19 vs. Northwestern and Oct. 24 vs. Evansville in matches the Flames led 1-0). UIC is also averaging just shy of two goals per match in this nine-match run, including a season-high four goals in a Sept. 25 win over Bradley.

READY, SET, DRAW
Finishing with a share of the spoils has become a regular occurrence for UIC in the past two seasons (2025-26), as the Flames have recorded nine draws in that time (five last year, four this season). By comparison, UIC had nine draws combined in the six prior seasons (2019-24), including none in 2024 and one apiece in 2019 and 2020 (the latter a COVID-abbreviated season rescheduled to the spring of 2021).

ON THE FRONT FOOT
During all 13 matches this season, UIC has had the upper hand for large portions of each contest, making its 4-5-4 record quite deceiving. In fact, the Flames have outshot their opponents by nearly a 2-to-1 margin (238-136), including similar spreads in shots on goal (110-62) and on corner kicks (91-53).

NCAA RANKINGS
UIC ranks second in the nation in both shots per match (18.31; NJIT is first at 19.53) and shots on goal per match (8.46; defending national champion Washington is first at 8.47), as well as eighth in corner kicks per match (7.00; Washington also leads at 8.00, tied with Akron). Individually, Sebastian Khoury is sixth nationally in shot accuracy (.658) and ninth in shots on goal per match (MVC-leading 1.92), while Carlos Nevarez is 24th in assists per match (conference-best 0.5).

A PRICELESS POINT
At No. 13 in the United Soccer Coaches poll coming into its Sept. 29 draw at UIC, Notre Dame was the highest-ranked opponent UIC tied or defeated since Sept. 6, 2014 (0-0 vs. No. 7 Michigan State). It was also the Flames' first result of any kind against a Top 25 team since Sept. 3, 2021 (2-2 double-overtime draw at No. 16 Saint Louis). In addition, UIC captured its second-ever point against a current Atlantic Coast Conference school and first since Sept. 13, 2009 (1-1 in double OT at Louisville in the UofL Invitational).

UP NEXT: BOWLING GREEN
UIC returns home next Wednesday, Nov. 4, for its final match of the regular season, playing host to conference leader Bowling Green at Flames Field with the match sponsored by UI Health. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. (CT), with the contest airing live on ESPN+ and live stats available at UICFlames.com. A post-match Teddy Bear Toss is planned, with fans who bring a new, wrapped stuffed animal having the chance to toss those gifts onto the pitch after the match and they will be donated to pediatric cancer patients at the University of Illinois Cancer Center on UIC's West Campus. Fans bringing those stuffed animals also will have the opportunity to take home a special UIC Soccer Scarf (while supplies last).

FOLLOW THE FLAMES
Once again this season, UIC students, staff and youths in eighth grade and under are admitted to all home soccer matches free of charge, while adults and youths in ninth grade and above can purchase tickets for $5 each at the northwest (Morgan St.) or southeast (Granderson Stadium home plate) entrances to Flames Field on match day. Discounted tickets for groups of 10+ adults, are on sale for $3 each. In addition, fans can buy the 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 2026-27 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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