MIAMI - Just moments after being reduced to 10 men, No. 18 Illinois-Chicago scored on a Toni Skroce penalty kick in the 70^th minute as the Flames defeated Florida International, 1-0, Friday night at University Park. 

UIC (5-0-2) defender Mike Giffin had just been sent off on a straight red card in the 69^th minute following a hard challenge on sophomore forward Levi Coleman (Broken Arrow, Okla.) in front of the FIU (2-3-2) bench.   

Any momentum for the Golden Panthers was short lived when senior goalkeeper Shawn Crowe (Aurora, Colo.) came out to challenge Flame midfielder Pavle Dundjer on the left side of the penalty area, just clipping the UIC player enough for the referee to point to the penalty spot.  Skroce then scored with a low shot to the left corner of the goal to give the Flames the lead. 

UIC goalkeeper Jovan Bubonja made a game-high five saves, while Crowe had four for the Golden Panthers.  The Flames had a 16-12 advantage on shots and a 7-3 edge on corners for the match, although FIU did outshoot its opponents 8-5 in the second half.  

Senior David Hope (North Tyneside, England) led the Golden Panthers with three shots, which was matched by UIC's Dundjer, Cesar Zambrano and Pawel Otachel. 

A total of seven cards were issued during the match, with three yellows to each side in addition to the red card for the Flames. 

The teams played a scoreless first half, although UIC did generate a few chances.  The best of which came on an Eric Cervantes strike from 10 yards out that bounced back off the far post and was cleared by the FIU defense in the 19^th minute.   

Just four minutes earlier, junior defender Raoul Voss (Mulheim, Germany) made a last-ditch sliding tackle on a run by Cervantes as the Flames forward would have otherwise been through on goal. 

The Golden Panthers did threaten the Flames defense in the second half.  Junior Richard Martinez (Hialeah, Fla./Barbara Goldman) eluded a defender along the right touchline and sent a long through ball from midfield in front of Hope who dribbled into the penalty area and yet was not able to get a shot off before being tackled by a UIC defender in the 55^th minute. 

Martinez again provided a dangerous ball in the 71^st minute, this time on a cross to the near post which was met with a header by Coleman only to be directed straight into a Flames defender and cleared away. 

Junior Dadi Kristjansson (Akureyi, Iceland) took a free kick from 35 yards out in the 75^th minute which was just high and wide of the upper left corner of the goal. 

UIC nearly added to its lead in the 78^th minute when Dundjer, who had just been booked for time wasting on a free kick, quickly received the ball back on the left side of the area and sent a low cross in front of goal which Brodey Simkins was barely able to get a foot on as the ball continued to sail well wide. 

Hope had an opportunity a minute later when he found himself in space to the left of goal, yet his effort from a tight angle went high.

FIU continues its eight-game home stand when they take on Central Connecticut as part of a Sunday doubleheader with the women's soccer team at 2:00 p.m.  The women will play host to Mount Saint Mary's (Md.) at 11:30 a.m.