In Short…
Two goals in the second half send No. 14/8 Western Michigan by Loyola, 2-0. Junior
Josh Lagudah notches three saves in his debut with the Ramblers.
How it Happened
After a couple of corner kicks for the Broncos, four consecutive fouls were assessed to begin the first half – one on Western Michigan and three on Loyola. The first shot of the night came in the 14
th minute off the foot of Kosti Moni, with Lagudah there to make the save.
Moments later, Lagudah stood tall again and turned away a header from the edge of the six-yard box to keep the match scoreless. Lagudah made one more save in the half, ultimately getting credit for a stop for three of Western Michigan's five shot attempts. The Ramblers managed to tally three shots, most notably a
Fabian Lifka look from about 30 yards that sailed wide.
The host-team broke the ice in the 50
th minute with a free kick goal that beat Lagudah and put the Broncos up 1-0. The best chance to tie it up in the immediate aftermath came when freshman
Bradyn Knutson recorded a shot in the 64
th minute that was turned away.
After a red card was assessed to
Tucker Stephenson in the 68
th minute, forcing the Ramblers to play a man down for the remainder of the match, the Broncos took advantage in the 74
th minute when Cameron Sipple got a feed and scored to double the score at 2-0.
The Maroon and Gold had a couple of corner kicks down the stretch, as well as a Lifka shot attempt that sailed over the cross bar, but Western Michigan held on and took the match, 2-0.
Looking at the Numbers
-Bradyn Knutson,
Josh Lagudah,
Oskar Gustafsson,
Billy Hency,
Fabian Becerra and
Ethan Stoneman all made their collegiate debuts for Jones. Knutson posted the lone shot on goal for the Ramblers.
-The physical match saw 41 total fouls assessed (24 for WMU, 17 for LUC), as well as two yellow cards and a red to Loyola.
-The loss drops Jones to 3-3 in season openers at the helm of the men's soccer program.
Up Next
Loyola is off the rest of the weekend and returns home in preparation for its home opener on Monday. The quick-turnaround opponent will be Cleveland State with first kick scheduled for 4 p.m. at Loyola Soccer Park.
