CHICAGO (November 14, 2019) – After earning an opening round bye in the Missouri Valley Conference Quarterfinals on Wednesday, the Loyola University Chicago men's soccer team will face third-seeded Bradley in the Semifinals on Friday at 4 p.m. at Loyola Soccer Park.
Last Time Out: Loyola closed out the regular season with a 3-0 victory over Valparaiso on Saturday, November 9, in Valparaiso, Ind.
Justin Sukow and
Fabian Becerra each found the back of the net to put the Ramblers ahead 2-0 in the first half. Sukow later recorded his second goal of the night as the deciding factor for Loyola.
Chase Wright was credited with an assist on Sukow's first goal, sending him a beautiful pass in the 41st minute despite being surrounded by Valpo defenders.
Marcel Kampman added a pair of saves to record his seventh shutout of the season and earn MVC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Tuesday.
vs. Bradley: Bradley (8-6-4, 5-3-2) claimed a 2-0 win over Evansville in the MVC quarterfinals on Wednesday. The win marked head coach Jim DeRose's 250th win in his 24 seasons at the helm for the Braves. The win also marked the first time the Braves have beat the same team three times in the same season and Bradley's first neutral site win in the MVC Tournament since 2011. Bradley is making its 19th semifinal appearance and will be looking for its 10th title match appearance. Gerit Wintermeyer leads the Braves with nine goals, one assist and 69 shots this season. He leads the Valley in shots and is tied for second in goals with
Aidan Megally. The Braves were chosen third in the 2019 MVC Preseason Poll following a 8-5-4 campaign last season.
Series Stuff: Loyola and Bradley will meet for the 26th time on Friday afternoon and meet for the first time in the MVC Tournament. In their last two matches this season, the Ramblers and the Braves have played to scoreless ties. Bradley leads Loyola 15-8-2 since the teams first met in 1981.
Up Next: With a win on Friday afternoon, Loyola would advance to the final of the MVC Men's Soccer Championship, where the winner of the matchup between top-seeded Missouri State and fourth-seeded Drake would await on Sunday at 1 p.m.
