CHICAGO – UIC turns its attention to Missouri Valley Conference play this weekend, as the Flames begin their fifth season in the MVC by playing host to Bradley Friday at 7 p.m. (CT) on Flames Field. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Conor Clingen describing the action, while live stats are available at UICFlames.com. 

All UIC home matches are free to attend for UIC students, staff and youths in eighth grade and under, while tickets for adults and non-students (in ninth grade and above) can be purchased at the gate on match day, and discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more adults.

MATCH #8
Bradley "Braves" (2-1-5, 0-0-0 MVC) at UIC "Flames" (2-4-1, 0-0-0 MVC)
When: Friday, Sept. 25th  |  7 p.m. CT
Where: Chicago, Ill.  |  Flames Field
Live Coverage: ESPN+  |  Live Stats
Promotions: Community Soccer Night; UIC men's soccer "Shirseys" giveaway; Post-match autographs with UIC players 
Tickets: Free for UIC students, staff and youths 8th grade and under; adults and youths 9th grade and older are $5 each; discounted tickets ($3 each) for groups of 10 or more adults.

SERIES NOTES
Friday will see the 23rd meeting all-time between UIC and Bradley with the Flames maintaining a 12-8-2 series lead over the Braves. UIC is also unbeaten in its last nine matches against Bradley (7-0-2), a run that dates back to the 2006 season. UIC is also 7-2-0 all-time against Bradley at Flames Field, winning its last seven home matches against the Braves since they won the first two in Chicago in 1990 and 1992.

Last year, UIC and Bradley played to a 1-1 draw in Peoria, with Edouard Nys' 58th-minute goal coming just 62 seconds after Bradley's Mitch Coughlon had broken the ice. In their most recent meeting at Flames Field, UIC posted a 2-0 Senior Night win on Nov. 1, 2024, scoring twice in the second half in what was an evenly-played affair.

LIFTING THE LID
UIC is 1-2-1 in conference openers since joining the Missouri Valley Conference in 2022. Last year's draw at Bradley opened the Flames' Valley slate, while UIC's first win in a MVC opener came on Sept. 16, 2023, a 2-0 victory at Belmont. All-time, the Flames are 18-19-6 in their first conference match of the season, including prior memberships in the Horizon League from 1994-2021 (known as the Midwestern Collegiate Conference from 1994-2000) and the Mid-Continent Conference from 1983-93 (now known as the Summit League).

LAST TIME OUT: NORTHWESTERN
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 Sept. 19 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. For Cornell, it was his first career assist and the first by a UIC goalkeeper since 2015 (Andrew Putna vs. Wright State).

Alonso staked the Flames to the early lead with the only score of the first half, converting a penalty in the 21st minute. The Wildcats 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.

ON THE FRONT FOOT
During all seven matches this season, UIC has had the upper hand for large portions of each contest, making its 2-4-1 record quite deceiving. In fact, the Flames have recorded almost as many shots on goal (59) as their opponents have total shots (64) to date. Overall, UIC has outshot its opponents by more than a 2-to-1 margin (131-64), including a similar spread in shots on goal (59-31) and almost a 3-to-1 advantage on corner kicks (64-22).

NCAA RANKINGS
UIC ranks second in the nation with 9.14 corner kicks per match (defending national champion Washington is first at 9.22), while ranking fifth in the country in shots on goal per match (8.43) and sixth in total shots per match (18.71). Individually, Sebastian Khoury is 11th nationally in shot accuracy (.684) and 12th in shots on goal per match (1.86).

UP NEXT: NOTRE DAME
UIC wraps up its five-match homestand next Tuesday, Sept. 29 with a 7 p.m. (CT) against No. 10 Notre Dame at Flames Field. It will be Hometown Heroes Night at UIC, as the Flames honor those who have served and continue to serve our community and our country. It will be Notre Dame's first visit to UIC since 2022 (and just the second all-time) and if the Fighting Irish hold their current rank, they would be the first top-10 opponent to come to Flames Field since Sept. 6, 2014, when UIC played No. 7 Michigan State to a 0-0 draw. 

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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