Blue Demons Thrive, Down Flames

Thursday, September 5

Chicago, Ill.

6:00 P.M. CT

DePaul University

1-4-1, 0-0-0

UIC

1-5-0, 0-0-0

DePaul

UIC

9/5/2024 10:10:00 PM | WOMEN'S SOCCER

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DePaul claims victory in 1-0 decision

CHICAGO – DePaul women's soccer earned its first victory of the season with a 1-0 win over the UIC Flames, Thursday night. The Blue Demons extended their winning streak against UIC to four, having secured victories in each of the last four years.

"Goals win games," said head coach Michele O'Brien. "We've dealt with adversity this season and we are craving that feeling of winning. Overall, I'm just happy for the girls. Despite the injuries, there's always a silver lining, and people stepped up – that was really exciting to see. Players who don't usually play in certain positions took on new roles, and they did really well. I believe that's something we can definitely build on."

DePaul (1-4-1) started strong, scoring in the 5th minute with a goal by senior Schuyler Riese. Riese headed in a set-piece delivered by junior Nahla Dominguez, which proved to be the decisive moment of the match. Goalkeeper Elena Milam recorded a shutout, adding five saves to her season total.

UIC (1-5-0) won the possession battle throughout but failed to score. The Flames had two more total shots and four more shots on goal than the Blue Demons but could not turn the possessions into points.

How it Happened

Just five minutes into the game, UIC committed a foul that awarded DePaul a free kick. Dominguez carefully positioned the ball and sent a cross into the right side of the goal box. Riese found space behind her defender and headed the ball across the box into the left side of the goal, giving the Blue Demons a 1-0 lead.

A Dominguez set piece clears the way for Riese!

What. A. Score.#BlueGrit🔵😈 pic.twitter.com/hg03N0Wz9p
— DePaul Women's Soccer (@DePaulWSOC) September 5, 2024

Milam made her first of five saves in the 9th minute on a shot by Riley Collett.

Both teams were active early, with DePaul and UIC combining for six shots in the first 27 minutes. In the 39th minute, sophomore Mya Gardner took a well-aimed shot, but UIC goalkeeper Lauren Keiser made an impressive save to keep the score at 1-0.

By halftime, the Flames had controlled 60% of possession, while other stats remained nearly identical.

DePaul strikers Briley Hill and Tessa Fageron each took shots in the 46th minute, but the UIC defense held firm, preventing any further goals.

The Blue Demons earned a quick corner kick in the 51st minute, but the possession ended when the Flames intercepted a pass. UIC came out strong in the first 15 minutes of the second half, firing three more shots by the 60th minute.

The match concluded with both teams exchanging shots, but neither could add to the scoreline. UIC's last chance came in the 88th minute with a shot by Emmy Higgins, but DePaul held on to secure the shutout.

Match Notes

DePaul earned its first victory of the season, extending its winning streak over UIC to four
Schuyler Riese collected her first goal of the season
Elena Milam secured her second shutout of the season in goal
Nahla Dominguez picked up her first assist of the season
Six Blue Demons (Devona, Soderstrom, Riese, Milam, Fjeldsted, Jamie) played 90 minutes, the most of any match this season
Riese extends her 90-minute match streak to six games
Katelyn Jamie made her first career start
64% of DePaul's possessions were on its opponent's side of the field

UP NEXT
The Blue Demons return to Lincoln Park for a weekend homestand featuring Lindenwood on Thursday, Sept. 12, and Western Michigan on Sunday, Sept. 15. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. CT and 1 p.m. CT, respectively, with coverage for both matches on FloSports.

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

TICKET INFORMATION
Join DePaul Women'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! Single-game tickets can be purchased at DePaulBlueDemons.com/Tickets.