Flames Will Face Local Rivals and All 10 Valley Opponents
7/13/2022 12:08:00 PM
The historic 2022 UIC Women's Soccer schedule will feature a host of regional opponents, the Flames' maiden season in the Missouri Valley Conference, and the opening of the rebuilt Flames Field. The schedule, which head coach David Nikolic released today, begins with an August 18 regular season opener at Louisville, and also includes matches against DePaul, Marquette, Miami (Ohio), and all ten Valley opponents.
"We are excited to get going in 2022," said Nikolic, who will enter his second season at the helm. "With the move to the Valley, and the new Flames Field to come online in August, there are smiles around the office and team to get going! The plan was able to create a more balanced schedule with solid home matches and we did that with DePaul, Eastern Illinois, and Miami (OH), while also finding high quality non-conference road games to prepare us for our first Missouri Valley Conference experiences. This schedule again goes to provide the best competition experiences for the Flames Women's Soccer program."
The Flames opened last season with four straight, and six of the first seven matches, on the road. In 2022, UIC has an even split of three home and three road non-conference matches, and will never play more than three consecutive matches away from Flames Field.
This will be the second straight year that UIC will open against an ACC opponent. "I am motivated by playing against top opposition, anywhere, anytime; and while I expect all of the games to motivate our team, these games against an ACC opponent are special opportunities," Nikolic stated. "The University of Louisville has been a program with great history of success and led by a top coach and motivator that continues to keep them in the discussion come November. We look to enjoy the experience."
The Flames will host crosstown rival DePaul in the first regular season match at the renovated Flames Field on August 25. Eastern Illinois will visit the following Sunday, before matches at Marquette, at home against Miami (Ohio), and at Eastern Kentucky round out the non-conference slate.
A new era of UIC Soccer will begin on September 18, when the team plays its first-ever match as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference. Illinois State will be the Flames' first conference foe, and will mark the last home game for nearly three weeks.
Trips to MVC members Valparaiso, Belmont, and Murray State will take the calendar into October. Matches against Evansville, Drake, and Northern Iowa will all be played within eight days; with the Purple Aces and Panthers visiting Chicago. A long trip to Missouri State will be the final road match of the season. Home contests against Indiana State and Southern Illinois will bring the regular season to a close. The Flames will be able to establish a predictable routine, as all matches are scheduled for Thursdays and Sundays.
"Our soccer program, and the whole athletic department at UIC, is eager to start competition in the Missouri Valley Conference," Nikolic said. "The MVC has added new teams to the league, and more than half of the Women's Soccer coaches are new as well, so I expect the unexpected going into these games! The schedule has been drawn up with the student athletes' health and well-being a priority, and having multiple weeks with one match is extremely important."
Four of UIC's non-conference opponents will appear on the Flames' schedule for the first time ever. The Flames have a broad history against their new conference mates, as the program has played six of the ten Valley foes at least once in its history.
For only the second time in conference history, the MVC tournament will feature an eight-team field. The first round will take place October 27, with quarterfinal matches set for October 30. The regular season champion will host semifinals on November 3 and the final on November 5. "The MVC Conference tournament will expand to eight teams this fall and helps our players solidify goal-setting for the season. To reach the MVC tournament in our first season will be the focus," Nikolic said, aiming for a return to the postseason for the first time since the Flames made consecutive trips in 2019 and 2020.
UIC will gear up for the regular season with three preseason exhibitions. The Flames will visit Toledo August 8, and will host Southern Indiana on August 10 and Central Michigan on August 12.
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