Rochester, Mich. – Still searching for their first win of the season, the Golden Grizzlies came up short in a non-conference matchup against the UIC Flames at home.
Noah Roka started things for the Golden Grizzlies, taking the night's first shot in the third minute after the Flames gave him some daylight to push the pace. Despite the quick start from the Golden Grizzlies, UIC midfielder Rui Reis braced the net to give the Flames an early 1-0 lead in the ninth minute.
As the first half progressed, the Golden Grizzlies continued to have issues on offense, as the Flames' physical defense thwarted many of Oakland's chances. Still, the Golden Grizzlies quickly learned from the early goal, as their defense remained stout at midpoint.
With the first half coming to a close, Oakland turned up the heat and started to see progressively more chances on offense. In the 42nd minute, Lejs Plicanic possessed the ball on the final chance Oakland had to get an equalizer and took the last shot of the half for the Golden Grizzlies, but it was just wide of the goal.
Heading into half-time, Oakland had the higher number of shots despite trailing, with five shot attempts compared to the Flames' three. Plicanic led the Oakland players with the most shot attempts with two.
Early into the second half, the Golden Grizzlies saw their best chance at a goal in the 56th minute as Milan Dajic skyed a ball across the box from a wide angle, nearly finding the back of the net, but Flames' goalkeeper, Oren Asher knocked the ball out with the tip of his fingers.
The Golden Grizzlies turned up the pressure offensively with the clock running out. With numerous Golden Grizzlies crowding the UIC box in the 73rd minute, Jace Foster and Mohammad Jamal Issa rattled off two consecutive shots, but Flames' defenders blocked both attempts.
Oakland's final chance to tie things up came in the 86th minute. Following a free kick off the cleats of Carson Ballagh, Jayden Pinherio got a solid look at the net but missed just high on a header. After Pinherio's miss, UIC took complete possession of the ball in the game's final minutes, cementing a 1-0 win over Oakland.
The Golden Grizzlies finished their duel against the Flames with the most shots taken (15-to-7), and shots on goal (7-to-2), while tying the Flames in corners with four apiece.
Players like Plicanic, Abdul Al-Rashed, and Jace Foster all played hard for Oakland in a tight knit game, creating a bevy of opportunities as Al-Rashed and Plicanic both led the team with two shots on goal each.
Up next, the Golden Grizzlies will look to tally their first win of the season when they take on the Michigan State Spartans on Monday, September 9th, at 7 p.m. at the Oakland Soccer Field.
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