Oct. 11, 2001

Final Stats

Chicago, Ill. - The UIC soccer team kept its unbeaten streak alive and improved to 7-0-1 in its last eight games with a 1-0 win over Northern Illinois Thursday afternoon at Flames Field.

The Flames (7-3-1) also extended their home win streak to nine games while picking up their 21st straight victory over in-state programs. Today's victory, however, didn't come easy.

After a lackluster first half, the Flames found themselves in a scoreless tie at the break. It was the first time in its last eight home games that UIC was shutout in the first half.

"The first half, `What was that?', " Head Coach Sasha Begovic said. "They were playing with no heart and no emotion. The second half was much better. We put more pressure on them and we controlled the game."

Northern Illinois had a great chance for a 1-0 lead just six minutes into the match as midfielder Nick Park found himself all alone in front of the goal. He fired a bullet on goal, but Flames' goalkeeper Jeff Kusiciel (Arlington Heights, Ill./Prospect) grabbed the shot to make the save.

With under eight minutes to play in the first half, UIC had a pair of quality chances of its own to put the ball in the net, but Huskies' netminder Rasih Pala stopped a pair of dead-on shots by Jake Stasko (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way) and Brian Daugherty (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) to preserve the shutout.

In the second half, the Flames picked up their play, controlled the tempo and put more pressure on the visiting Huskies.

Their determination paid off in the 77th minute as a corner kick by Bruno Rasich (Lincolnwood, Ill./Niles West) set up Nate Day (Elgin, Ill./St. Charles) for an absolutely beautiful goal. Day collected the pass, faked to his right and then fired a left-footed shot towards the goal from 20 yards out. The shot,which looked to be heading high and out of bounds, hooked back and beat a frozen Pala into the far left corner of the net.

"He knew that it was going in," Begovic said. "The goalkeeper was just frozen. It was one of the prettiest goals that I have seen in awhile - it was unbelievable."

UIC had a great chance to ice the game with 3:50 to play as Dennis King (Colona, Ill./United Township) worked the ball to set himself up for his third shot of the day from just a few feet out. His attempt, however, bounced off the cross bar and out of trouble for Northern Illinois.

The Flames, who have now won five straight against Northern Illinois, got a superb effort in goal from Kusiciel, who made six saves en route to his seventh win of the year and second shutout of the season.

Next up, UIC plays its first of five straight Horizon League outings on Sunday, October 14, at Cleveland State at 1:00 p.m.