CHICAGO — Redshirt junior midfielder Alan Alonso and junior midfielder Martin Montoya both found the back of the net for UIC, but Northwestern rallied in the second half for a 5-2 victory on Saturday afternoon at Flames Field. Playing on their Senior Day, midfielder Darrell Turcios and goalkeeper Owen Cornell picked up assists on Montoya's second-half goal, which was his team-leading fourth of the season.
Alonso staked the Flames (2-4-1) to the early lead with the only score of the first half, converting a penalty in the 21st minute. The Wildcats (4-3-1) moved in front midway through the second half before Montoya tallied in the 79th minute to close out the day's scoring.
UIC finished with a nearly 3-to-1 edge in total shots (20-7), while the shots on goal were 6-5 in Northwestern's favor. The Flames, who came into the match leading the nation in corner kicks, ended up with a 5-1 advantage from the flags.
The full box score and play-by-play recap from Saturday's match against Northwestern can be found here.
SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- UIC saw its six-match unbeaten streak against Chicagoland opponents snapped, falling for the first time since a 1-0 home loss to Northwestern on Sept. 2, 2024.
- UIC continues to lead the all-time series with Northwestern, 15-14-2, with the record now 7-7-2 in matches played at Flames Field.
- Alonso scored his second career goal, having also slotted home a penalty kick on Aug. 23 in a draw at Oral Roberts.
- Montoya's four goals this year are one off his career high set last year while playing at Northern Illinois.
- Turcios collected his first assist of the season after tallying four helpers last year.
- Cornell recorded his first career point and the first by a UIC goalkeeper since Nov. 12, 2015, when Andrew Putna recorded the last of his four assists that season to set up Joel Leon's goal in the Horizon League Tournament semifinal against Wright State.
UP NEXT: BRADLEY
UIC will open its 2026 Missouri Valley Conference season next Friday (Sept. 25), when Bradley comes to Flames Field for a 7 p.m. (CT) kickoff. It will be Community Soccer Night as the Flames welcome numerous local organizations and the UIC players will be available pitchside after the match to sign autographs and take photos with all fans. ESPN+ will also have the live broadcast, while live stats will be available at 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 Athletics and UIC men's soccer, visit UICFlames.com. Fans can also follow the Flames on social media through X (@UIC_MSOC and @UICFlames) and Instagram (@uic_msoc and @uicflames).
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