ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – It's back on the open road for the UIC men's soccer team, as the Flames continue their four-match season-opening road trip at 5 p.m. (CT) Thursday when they travel to suburban Detroit to take on a familiar foe in Oakland. While the match between to the two former Horizon League rivals is not slated to be televised, live stats will be available through UICFlames.com.

MATCH #3
UIC "Flames" (0-1-1, 0-0-0 MVC) at Oakland "Golden Grizzlies" (0-1-1, 0-0-0 Horizon League)
When: Thursday, Aug. 27th  |  5 p.m. CT
Where: Rochester Hills, Mich.  |  Oakland Soccer Field
Live Coverage: Live Stats

SERIES NOTES
UIC and Oakland are no strangers, having met annually as members of the Horizon League from 2013-21. The Flames hold a 7-4-4 edge in the all-time series against the Golden Grizzlies, including a 4-3-2 record on the road. UIC is also unbeaten in seven of its last eight meetings with Oakland, most recently posting a 1-0 win at OU on Sept. 6, 2024. 

LAST TIME OUT: ORAL ROBERTS
Redshirt junior midfielder Alan Alonso scored his first career goal off a penalty kick in the 27th minute and UIC held the run of the play for the majority of last Sunday's match at Oral Roberts, but the Flames wound up settling for a 1-1 draw with the Golden Eagles at the Case Soccer Complex in Tulsa, Okla. For the second match in a row, UIC held decided advantages in all major statistical areas, including shots (16-5), shots on goal (7-3) and corner kicks (12-2). The Flames had an opportunity to win the match in the final two minutes, but Alonso's second penalty kick try of the afternoon was saved by ORU goalkeeper Cameron Parma.

Alonso finished with a team-high three shots (career-high two on goal), while senior Hector Gil, sophomore Shafi Ibrahim and freshman Semin Razman all had two shots, with both of Ibrahim's tries ending up on net. Graduate student goalkeeper Owen Cornell made two saves in going the distance between the pipes for the Flames.

ON THE FRONT FOOT
UIC had the upper hand for the vast majority of both of its opening-weekend matches at Tulsa (0-1) and Oral Roberts (1-1), having outshot their opponents, 30-14, including a 15-5 edge in shots on goal and 18-7 margin on corner kicks. In fact, UIC has only allowed one goal directly scored by the opposition through the first 180 minutes of play this season (at ORU), with the lone score at Tulsa coming via an own-goal.

2026 FLAMES FACTS
UIC posted a 10-3-5 record last season, going 2-1-4 in MVC play, and advanced to the Valley tournament semifinals for the second time in three years. The Flames also opened last year by going unbeaten in their first 10 matches (7-0-3), including victories over crosstown rivals Northwestern and Loyola, as well as a draw at DePaul.

This season, UIC returns 15 players off last year's squad (10 who started at least one match), including four of its top six point scorers, led by senior midfielder and second-team all-MVC selection Darrell Turcios, who had career highs of five goals, four assists and 14 points last season. The Flames also welcome back starting netminder Owen Cornell, who got the call 15 times between the pipes and posted an 8-2-5 record with a 1.33 goals-against average and four shutouts.

PRESEASON HONORS
Senior midfielder Darrell Turcios was selected to the Preseason All-MVC Team via a vote of the Valley's seven head coaches, the conference announced Monday. In addition, UIC was picked to finish fourth in the preseason coaches' balloting, earning 29 points to place behind Western Michigan (44 pts.), Drake (40 pts.) and Evansville (34 pts.).  

ON THE ROAD AGAIN…
UIC is opening the 2026 season with four consecutive road matches, its longest run away from home since a similar four-match stretch from Sept. 8-19, 2023. It's the longest season-opening road trip for the Flames since 2004, when they opened with five in a row away from Chicago (at Denver, at Air Force, at Northern Illinois, at the UNCW Seahawk Soccer Classic against UNCW and Jacksonville).

…BUT WE'LL BE HOME SOON
After its four-match road trip, UIC will play a school-record six consecutive home matches at Flames Field, covering the entire month of September. Among the visitors to town during that record-setting homestand will be Chicagoland rivals DePaul (Sept. 3), Loyola (Sept. 13) and Northwestern (Sept. 19), as well as Power Four opponent Notre Dame (Sept. 29). A full slate of promotions are also on tap throughout the 2026 men's soccer season, with complete details available here. 

UP NEXT: NORTHERN ILLINOIS
UIC will wind up its four-match road swing at 7 p.m. (CT) Sunday, making the short trip west to DeKalb, Ill., to take on former MVC foe (and new Horizon League member for men's soccer), Northern Illinois. The match is not currently scheduled for broadcast, although live stats will be available through UICFlames.com.

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 night. 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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