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CHICAGO - The Horizon League's most potent offense and preseason favorite UIC outgunned one of the league's top defenses on Saturday night as the Flames cruised past the Jaguars' 4-0 at Flames Field. UIC scored two goals in each half and limited IUPUI to just three shot attempts to improve to 6-1 overall and 2-0 to start league play. IUPUI slipped to 1-3-2 overall and 1-1 in Horizon League play.
UIC's Oscar Gonzalez tallied the game-winner in the seventh minute and Jesus Perez netted a pair of insurance goals in the win. Josiah Ash added a goal and an assist and Markell Saddler assisted on UIC's first two goals of the contest.
The loss snapped the Jaguars' modest three-game unbeaten streak, which included a 1-0 win over Detroit Mercy in the Horizon League opener last weekend.
IUPUI, which had yielded just four goals all season coming in, ran into a buzzsaw on Saturday night as the Flames unloaded a 22-shot onslaught at rookie goalkeeper
Quinn McCallion and the Jaguars' defense. Gonzalez broke the ice just more than six minutes into the contest, driving a shot just inside the near post past McCallion.
In the 29th minute, Perez headed a shot past McCallion after a nice cross from Saddler into the Jaguars' 18-yard box.
IUPUI made adjustments at the break and were decidedly more positive at the start of the second half.
Redshirt freshman
Fernando Borges put a strike on frame in the 61st minute in an attempt earmarked for the near post before UIC keeper Sawyer Jackman dove to his right to make the pick. IUPUI's best build of the game came in the 65th minute when
Trevor Semakula and
Sean Siasia worked the left side to set up
Cameron Petersen, stationed just inside the box. Petersen hit a left-footed shot, but pushed it just outside of the post, wide left.
The hosts finally buried the Jaguars late in regulation, scoring twice in 31 seconds to end any suspense. The first came via a penalty kick as Ash went high and left for the score. Then, Perez added a late tally from in close to cap a nice UIC passing sequence.
McCallion finished a busy night with six saves, while also playing a number of UIC crosses in traffic. Jackman finished with two stops to blank the Jaguars.
IUPUI will be back in action on Tuesday evening (Sept. 18) when the Jags trek to Macomb, Ill., to face Western Illinois in a non-conference match. That game is slated for a 4:00 p.m. Central (5 Eastern) kickoff.
