Game Notes (PDF)
Live Stream (TBD) | Live Stats
 
CHICAGO (November 10, 2018) – The Loyola Ramblers men's soccer program has a chance to win the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, and return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016. The Ramblers look to make those dreams a reality in the MVC Championship match on Sunday afternoon (Nov. 11) at 1 p.m. in Evansville, Ind.
 
Last Time Out: It took over 109 minutes, but Aidan Megally found the back of the net for the Ramblers late in double-overtime to give his team the 1-0 edge over Drake in the MVC semifinal matchup. The goal put Megally in the team lead in goals (4) while the tally also set a new single-season high for the Park Ridge, Ill. native. A big piece that got the Ramblers to overtime was the play of goalkeeper Josh Lagudah. The junior keeper made three key saves en route to his ninth shutout of the season, tying him with Sean Bond (2006) for the fifth most in a single campaign. The win was the first postseason victory for the Ramblers in overtime or later since joining the Valley back in 2013.
 
A Look At The Bears: The defending MVC Champions are still alive and defending their title after a thrilling win over Missouri State in Penalty Kicks on their side of the semifinals bracket. UCA made Missouri State pay dearly for the fouls they committed, scoring one goal off a penalty kick in the first half, and another on a free kick in the second half. The regular season champions were well represented on the MVC awards panel, highlighted by the Player of the Year in Niklas Brodacki. Brodacki is now up to eight goals on the season, and added three more shots on goal last time out against Missouri State to push his total to 26.
 
Series Stuff: The two programs are about as even as possible, tied 3-3-1 in the all-time head-to-head battles. The Ramblers have a bad taste in their mouth from their late-season defeat down in Conway, Ark. back on Oct. 27 that removed them from the driver's seat to win the regular season conference championship. Looking for revenge, a win would snap Loyola's two-match losing streak against them, and would be the first win for either team against one-another on neutral turf. Sunday's championship match is the first time Loyola has played Central Arkansas in the postseason, and will be the first time the teams have played twice in the same season.
 
Up Next: The winner of the MVC championship game will earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The tournament conference championship would be the program's first since 2011, and would be the second time the team made the NCAA Tournament twice in a span of three years (2006, 08 the first).
 
#OnwardLU