In Short…
Senior Kyle Thomson headed home the night's deciding goal in the 85^th minute as the Loyola University Chicago men's soccer team defeated SIUE this evening by a final score of 1-0 at Loyola Soccer Park.  With the win, the Ramblers climb back up to the .500 mark at 4-4-0 overall (0-2-0 MVC), while the Cougars drop to 3-5-0 (0-0-0 MAC).
 
How It Happened
Both goalkeepers were called into action early on in a first half that saw limited scoring opportunities.  Freshman Aidan Aylward turned away Mohamed Awad in the 10^th minute before senior Elliot Collier suffered the same fate at the hands of Kyle Dal Santo 10 minutes later.  Redshirt freshman Lucas Bartlett headed high of goal with just over a minute remaining in the first half as the two former conference rivals entered halftime in a 0-0 stalemate.
 
Junior Alec Lasinski wasted little time in looking to send the Ramblers in front following the intermission as he forced a stop out of Dal Santo in the 48^th minute.  The second half quickly took on a physical tone, with three yellow cards being shown in an 11-minute span during the frame's middle stages.
 
Loyola found its breakthrough goal via the combination of Thomson and junior Fabian Lifka with just over five minutes remaining in regulation.  Following an SIUE foul, Lifka sent a free kick into the box that connected with a leaping Thomson, who flicked his attempt just inside the far post from 12 yards out to put Loyola on top, 1-0.  The Ramblers would not allow the Cougars another shot on target for the remainder of the night as they picked up a shutout win.
 
Looking At The Numbers
- Thomson's goal was his second of the season, a mark which ties his previous career-high from both his freshman and sophomore seasons.
- Lifka was credited with his team-best third assist on the goal.
- Aylward finished the evening with a pair of saves en route to picking up his second shutout of the year.
 
Up Next
Loyola is back home again next Saturday (Sept. 30) when it takes on Central Arkansas at 7 p.m.