Flames fight to double OT win

Jorge Alvarez scored his first goal of the season against MSU. Photo: Timothy Nguyen/UIC News

For the third time in its young season, the No. 24 UIC men’s soccer team (3-0-1) played extra minutes Monday night and came away with a 1-0 double-overtime victory at Drake (1-2-1).

The win follows a 0-0 draw versus Michigan State Sunday at Flames Field.

The Flames resume competition Friday, heading to DeKalb for a 7 p.m. matchup with Northern Illinois.

Junior Jorge Alvarez, who led the Flames with six shots on the night, scored his first goal of the season and the game-winner in the 106th minute off a cross from redshirt-junior Piotr Lagowski.

UIC recorded 17 shot attempts in the contest, with most coming off of 11 corner kicks, a mark that had not been met since 2010.

Alvarez took the first shot for the Flames in the 23rd minute, which spearheaded their attack. In the final 20 minutes of the first half, UIC took seven of its corners and fired off four shots, with two from sophomore Kyle Hamann and freshman Jose Fuentes, resulting in saves by the Bulldogs’ goalkeeper Darrin MacLeod.

Redshirt-junior Zack Judickas got the Flames off to an early start in the second half when he took a shot in the 47th minute, with MacLeod coming up with his third save of the night. Alvarez, redshirt-junior Thomas Villamil and freshman Roberto Torres all took shots in the half, but were off target.

In overtime, the Flames continued to work off the corner as Torres took the kick in the 98th minute and Villamil attempted a header that was blocked to Hamann, who had his shot blocked as well.

Fuentes had his shot go high in the 104th minute, but Alvarez came up with the goal in the 106th minute on a pass from Lagowski for the win.

UIC held Drake to nine shots, with sophomore goalkeeper Andrew Putna not needing to make a save until the 83rd minute, then coming up with two more stops.