DePaul Opens 2024 Season at UIC

Thursday, August 22

Chicago, Ill.

8:00 P.M.

DePaul University

UIC

8/21/2024 4:47:00 PM | MEN'S SOCCER

Watch (ESPN+)Live Stats

Blue Demons and Flames renew rivalry on Thursday night

CHICAGO – DePaul men's soccer opens the 2024 regular season campaign on Thursday, Aug. 22 with a crosstown showdown at Illinois Chicago. First touch from Flames Field is set for 8 p.m.

Fans can catch the action live on ESPN+ or follow live stats via StatBroadcast.

DePaul Notes

The Blue Demons 2024 squad features 19 letterwinners from last season's squad that posted a 3-7-5 overall record and 11 newcomers including transfers Logan Finnegan (IU Indy), Ryan Thomas (Eastern Florida State) and George Wyatt (Eastern Florida State) who will be relied upon to make an immediate impact.
DePaul welcomes back 2023 BIG EAST Co-Freshman of the Year and All-BIG EAST Third Team selection Noeh Hernandez to be a key offensive contributor in the midfield alongside veteran Callum Watts and a core group of forwards led by sophomores Keagan Pace and Liam Mullins.
Junior center back Ethan Gordon will anchor the back line once again after playing every minute of his sophomore campaign while Christian Baumgartner will play a pivotal role after a strong debut season with the Blue Demons in 2023. Senior goalkeeper Santiago Davila will step in goal with a pair of career starts to his credit.
In a trio of exhibition matches leading up to the opener, the Blue Demons did not concede a goal while finding an offensive spark on their side of the ball against Bradley, Harper and Michigan.
The Blue Demons look to maintain momentum leading into the fall after going unbeaten in four of the last five matches in 2023 before putting together strong results in the spring, earning a second-consecutive Chicago Cup title.
In the 2024 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches Poll, the Blue Demons were selected to finish 6th in the Midwest Division. Akron was picked the preseason favorite in the Midwest while Georgetown was chosen to win the East Division.
Mark Plotkin (DePaul '10) enters his seventh season leading the program in Lincoln Park.

UIC Notes

UIC returns 19 letterwinners from last season's squad that went 11-5-3 and appeared in the Missouri Valley semifinals.
The Flames bring back their top three goal scorers from 2023 including Bart Muns, Jesus De Vicente and Joshua Torres.
In the 2024 MVC Preseason Poll, the Flames were selected to finish third behind Missouri State and Western Michigan.
Sean Phillips is in his 15th season as the head coach of the Flames.

Series Stuff

Thursday will be the 35^th all-time meeting between the two programs. The Flames lead the series 18-13-3 despite the Blue Demons earning wins in the last two matchups.
In 2023, DePaul upended the 25th-ranked Flames 3-1 at Wish Field. Despite falling behind by an early goal, the Blue Demons scored three-unanswered goals to earn the program's first ranked victory since 2018. Hernandez netted a pair while Nathaniel Enriquez scored the go-ahead goal.

Season Openers

DePaul and UIC have met once before to open the fall campaign – a 2-1 Blue Demons victory at Wish Field on August 24, 2012.
The Blue Demons open the regular season on the road for the first time since 2018.
DePaul is 2-2-2 all-time in season openers under head coach Mark Plotkin.

Up Next

The Blue Demons will turn their attention to another local foe in Northwestern for a match in Evanston on Sunday, Aug. 25.
Kickoff from Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium is scheduled for 4 p.m. with coverage on B1G+.

FOLLOW THE BLUE DEMONS
For all the latest information on DePaul Men's Soccer, visit DePaulBlueDemons.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Blue Demons on X,Instagram and Facebook.

TICKET INFORMATION
Join DePaul Men's Soccer at Wish Field this fall! Blue Demon Soccer Supporter Memberships are on sale now, which include access to all regular season men's and women's home matches at Wish Field! Fans can visit DePaulBlueDemons.com/Tickets for more information.