CHICAGO, Ill. – Sophomore Jan Maertins (Rheinfelden, Germany/Georg-Buechner Gym) scored his fourth goal of the season but the Northern Illinois University men's soccer team fell at UIC, 3-1, on Tuesday night. 

"Obviously this is another disappointing result," said NIU head coach Ryan Swan. "There were spells where I thought we were good but I don't think we really started playing with the intensity we needed until after we conceded the first goal. It is difficult, there are a lot of self-inflicted wounds right now and that is what makes it difficult to take.

"I think the guys are working, I think the desire is there, but there are still a lot of things we need to clean up. 

The first real chance of the evening came in the 16th minute as UIC's Jesus Perez found space just outside of the box and fired a shot harmlessly wide of the NIU goal. 

In the 24th minute, NIU tested UIC goalkeeper Sawyer Jackman for the first time as good buildup play down the right side culminated with sophomore Ethan Pitre (Minneapolis, Minn./Prairie Seeds Academy) finding junior Max Voss (Herten, Germany/Staedtisches Gymnasium Herten) for a shot from a tight angle that was smothered by the Flame goalkeeper. 

UIC (3-5-1) immediately countered the NIU chance as Perez had a shot that Huskie sophomore goalkeeper Konrad Dziedzic (Schiller Park, Ill./East Leyden) had to parry away for a Flames corner; the Huskies cleared the ensuing corner kick. 

Dziedzic finished the match with six saves. 

The Flames had another look at goal from outside the box in the 29th minute as Jose Fuentes sailed a shot wide of the post, but the contest went to the intermission scoreless. 

After the interval, UIC had the first chance of the second stanza as Oscar Gonzalez sailed a shot high of the NIU goal in the 54th minute. 

Just a minute later the Flames opened the scoring. The initial UIC shot was deflected into the box where Gonzalez collected it all alone and fired past Dziedzic to give the Flames a 1-0 lead. 

The Huskies created their first chance of the second half in the 63rd minute as junior Kevin Rodriguez (Pasadena, Texas/Deer Park) whipped in a cross that found the head of senior Luke Read (Ilford, England/Barking Abbey School) but the Huskie center back was unable to direct his header on target. 

NIU (3-6) pulled level in the 67th minute on Maertins' fourth goal of the campaign. The Huskie sophomore forward latched on to a ball played over the top of the UIC defense by senior Giovanni Garcia (Chicago, Ill./Elk Grove) and finished past Jackman to even the contest.  

It took the Flames just 84 seconds to regain the lead. After earning a free kick just outside the NIU box, Max Todd stepped up and placed the free kick low inside the post, giving UIC a 2-1 advantage. 

UIC doubled its advantage eight minutes later. A turnover in the middle of midfield by the Huskies led to a quick counter by the Flames as Gonzalez found Peter Becht who finished past Dziedzic to give UIC a 3-1 lead. 

NIU will return home on Tuesday, Oct. 3, when the Huskies host Valparaiso in their final non-conference match of the season. Game time between the Huskies and Crusaders is scheduled for 7 p.m.