Women’s Soccer Kicks Off Road Trip at UIC

 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont University women's soccer (2-7-6, 1-2-4 MVC) travels to UIC (4-7-3, 3-3-1) Thursday night for an MVC match. The match marks the start of Belmont's longest road trip of the season, with a match at Valparaiso on Sunday afternoon. The Bruins looks to bounce back after a 1-0 loss Sunday at home against Northern Iowa. UIC returns to Flames Field following a 1-0 loss to Evansville on Sunday afternoon. With the opening round of the MVC Tournament just a few weeks away, both teams look to set themselves in better positions entering the postseason.
 
Kickoff from Flames Field is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT. The match will be broadcasted on ESPN+, and live stats are available at belmontbruins.com.
 
What's Bruin?

• Belmont didn't allow a shot in the second half of their match against UNI on Sunday.
• In their last three matches, Belmont has outshot opponents 32-25.
• Belmont is 1-5-3 on the road this season, and 1-1-1 in conference play.
• Maci Pekmezian leads the team in goals (4), points (9), and shots (16). She ranks top-10 in the MVC in goals and points.
• Avery Nowak's three assists are tied for eighth in the conference.
• Three of Belmont's eight goals have come in the last four matches.
• Sarah Doyle remains atop the MVC leaderboard in saves (87) and saves per game (5.8).  She's ranked sixth in the nation in saves.
• The Bruins are tied for seventh in the MVC, with a 1-2-4 conference record and seven points. Their final three matches are against teams either they're tied with or are higher in the league standings: UIC (T-5^th), Valparaiso (T-7^th), and Drake (T-1^st).

Records to Watch

• Avery Nowak has played in 78 matches and made 75 starts for the Bruins. She's three appearances shy of breaking Jamie Bullok's ('05-'08) record of 80 appearances. Nowak is also one start shy of tying the program record for matches started, set by Jessica Rix ('07-'10) with 76.
• Loren House in her fourth year as a Bruin is ten minutes away from becoming top-10 in minutes played. The graduate student has started in all 59 matches played.
• Sarah Doyle is ranked top-10 in two goalkeeper categories: shutouts and saves. Doyle, who recorded her 200^th save earlier this season against Kentucky on Sept.7, currently sits sixth all-time with 264 saves. She's 10 saves away from tying Lily Herman ('16-'19) for fifth all-time in program history. Doyle's five shutouts this season boosts her career total to 15, which is tied for the fourth most in program history. The current record is 17 shutouts set by Micaela Crowley ('04-'07).

Scouting the Flames

• The Flames are 3-2-1 at home this season.
• UIC owns the lowest amount of saves in the MVC (39).
• The Flames are tied with UNI for the most corner kicks in the MVC (65).
• UIC has been shut out in their last three matches.
• Eight different players have scored a goal this season. Makenna Malory (3) and Bella Baker (2) are the only two with multiple goals.
• Malory has scored two of UIC's three game-winning goals in conference play.

Matchup History

• The Bruins are 1-0-2 all-time against the Flames.
• Belmont's lone win was on Sept. 8, 2023, at E.S. Rose Park, by a score of 3-0.
• The first meeting between these teams on Aug. 21, 2016, is the only time the teams have played in Chicago. The match resulted in a scoreless draw after double overtime.

Up Next
Belmont remains on the road for a Sunday matinee match against Valparaiso. Kickoff from Brown Field in Valparaiso, Indiana is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT. The match will be available for streaming on ESPN+, and live stats can be found at belmontbruins.com.
 
Follow Belmont women's soccer on social media - @BelmontWSoccer on Twitter, @belmontwsoccer on Instagram and @belmontWsoccer on Facebook - for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.