Sept. 28, 2011
CHICAGO -
Last Time Out...
The Loyola men's soccer team continued to struggle on offense as it fell to Green Bay in the Horizon League opener on Sept. 24. The Phoenix (4-2-1) defeated the Ramblers (1-6-1) with a 2-1 decision to begin conference play. After a game filled with defensive blocks and saves on both ends, all three goals in the match were scored within a four-minute period to highlight the offense.
The combined efforts of James Howe, Emilio Benbassat, and Eric Schoendorf fought off constant offensive pressure to hold Green Bay scoreless in the first half. Eric Nock started the potential comeback with a goal at the 71:18 minute mark. The junior forward sent a shot from within the box past the goalkeeper to set the score at 2-1, but the Ramblers were unable to tally the equalizer before time ran out.
Nock finished with two shots in the match while sophomore Kyle Spoo also tallied two shots for the Rambler offense. Senior Peter McKeown earned the start at goalkeeper and finished with a personal-best 10 saves.
Loyola Scouting Report...
Head coach Brendan Eitz returns five starters to this year's roster, including 2010 standouts Eric Nock, James Howe, and Alex Wynne. Nock led the Ramblers last season with four goals and nine points, and has already gathered a team-high 17 shots this season. Howe saw action in every game last fall, tallied one goal and three assists, and was named to the 2010 Horizon League All-Newcomer Team. Wynne, along with fellow senior Erik Warren, will anchor the Rambler defense this season.
Senior goalkeeper Peter McKeown has been splitting time between the posts with junior Christian Krueger. McKeown, who recorded 45 saves and five shutouts last season, has tallied 28 saves in 520:36 minutes of playing time for a .718 percentage. Krueger has collected 13 saves so far this season and owns the Ramblers only shutout after starting against Portland.
Eitz added eight newcomers to the Rambler roster, bringing the total to 31 players. Brian Bement comes to the roster from Waterloo, Ill., and has produced early. Bement currently leads the team in goals with two and is second in shots with 15. Bryan College transfer Reed Patterson has been a welcome addition to the Rambler defense while David Masolak, from Downer's Grove, Ill., added an assist to his resume in the match against Portland.
Butler Scouting Report...
Picked to finish first in the Horizon League Preseason Poll, Butler returns four starters and 11 letterwinners to the 2011 roster, including three Horizon League All-Newcomer Team selections Adekunle Oluyedun, Jordan Burt, and Austin Oldham. Oluyedun, who was Butler's second-highest scorer last season, also earned second-team honors with the Horizon League. Oldham currently leads the squad with five goals and 12 points on the season. Veteran sophomore goalkeeper Jon Dawson has spent most of the time between the posts for the Bulldogs and has collected 12 saves in five matches. Freshman Andy Holte has started the remaining three matches in goal and has tallied 14 saves while allowing only four goals for a .778 save percentage and a 2-0-1 record.
Under the guidance of first-year head coach Paul Snape, last season's Horizon League Regular Season Champions have started the 2011 season with a 4-3-1 record. Most recently, the Bulldogs dropped a 3-1 decision in its League opener against Milwaukee on Saturday Sept. 24, snapping Butler's 10-match Horizon League regular season unbeaten streak.
Around The Horizon League...
As conference play begins to pick up, take a look around the Horizon League to see how the competition has started the 2011 season. Here is how the teams rank overall as of Sept. 27:
1. Wright State (6-2-1)
2. UIC (5-2-2)
3. Green Bay (4-2-1)
4. Milwaukee (4-4-0)
5. Butler (4-3-1)
6. Valparaiso (3-3-2)
7. Detroit (3-5-0)
8. Cleveland State (2-6-1)
9. Loyola (1-6-1)
Statistical Leaders...
The combined efforts of the Rambler defense and its goalkeepers have earned Loyola a few high-ranks in statistical categories among its Horizon League opponents. As of Sept. 27, Loyola is tied for first with a total of 43 saves on the season and is also tied for second in the Horizon League with a team-high of 10 saves in last week's match against Green Bay. On offense, Loyola has had the second-least amount of offsides calls in the conference, only committing 13 infractions in eight matches.
Individually, junior Eric Nock finds himself ranked tenth in shots with a team-high total of 19, while senior goalkeeper Peter McKeown has emerged on multiple leaderboards after his career-best performance against Green Bay. In addition to the team-high accolade, McKeown ties Milwaukee's keeper John Shakon for the top spot with 10 saves in a single game. He also sits in third with an average of 4.67 saves per game, in seventh with both a .718 save percentage and 28 saves, and in ninth for goals-against average with a 1.90 statistic.
Seniors Score...
In the upset over portland, two of the three goals were a long time coming for their scorers, as seniors Tanner Nebbia and Justin Koehler notched the first goal of their respective careers in the 3-0 victory. Nebbia tallied the game-winner in the fortieth minute when he sent a shot from inside the box off of David Masolak's assist. The ball deflected off of a Portland defender, past goalkeeper Justin Baarts, and into the net. Koehler made it 3-0 with the final goal off of a corner kick from Eric Marofske two minutes into the second half.
Familiar Faces...
Four of this year's recruits are no strangers to playing as teammates. Brookfield, Wis., native Andrew Raymonds and Delafield, Wis., native, Eric Schoendorf played together on the same club team during their high school tenure. In addition, Brian Bement was the high school teammate of Richie Hoffman while they attended St. Louis University High School in St. Louis, Mo. Together, Bement and Hoffman led their team to a third-place finish in the state tournament in 2010 and a second-place finish in 2009.
Rambler Recognition...
Freshman Brian Bement was named Loyola University Chicago's Male Athelete of the Month after his impressive collegiate debut on Aug. 27 when the Ramblers opened the 2011 campaign versus Drake. The forward/midfielder recorded his first career goal, scoring at the 26:38 mark of the first half, to even the contest at 1-1 in Loyola's eventual 2-1 loss to Drake. Bement finished the contest with three shots, two of which were on goal. Bement has since added one more goal to his total with a bullet in the match against Portland.
Keeping Up With The Keeper...
Senior goalkeeper Peter McKeown will be writing a blog all season long, giving fans an in-depth look at the Loyola Ramblers men's soccer team. Make sure to follow along at loyolaramblers.cstv.com as McKeown shares stories, videos, and reflections of the 2011 season.
Gehrig In MLS...
Former Rambler Eric Gehrig continued his soccer career after graduation by signing with the Columbus Crew. This season, Gehrig has tallied 474 minutes of playing time as a defender, becoming the first member of the Loyola men's soccer program to play in a MLS contest. He has appeared in eight games, earning four starts and firing three shots. Most recently, Gehrig has taken over the center-back position after veteran Chad Marshall was injured in the match against the Houston Dynamo. Gehrig kick-started a come-from-behind effort to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-2 draw when he sent a cross into the box and drew a penalty kick on a handball. The kick was converted for Columbus' first goal to start the comeback.
World Wide Webcasting...
Good news Rambler Fans! This fall, select men's soccer matches, including tonight's match-up against the Bulldogs, will be streamed live at www.horizonleague.com.
The following remaining contests will be featured on the HLN webcast schedule:
Nov. 2 UIC 1:00 p.m. CST
