DES MOINES, Iowa (October 3, 2021)
In Short…
The Loyola University Chicago women's soccer team received contributions from across the board en route to a 4-1 rout of Drake (5-4-4, 0-1-2 MVC) this afternoon at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa. Today's result sees the Ramblers continue their perfect start to Missouri Valley Conference play, improving to 4-0 in league action and 8-2-1 overall.
Head Coach Barry Bimbi's Thoughts…
"We got back to some good old habits today and the result of that was a convincing road win. We have positioned ourselves well through the first four conference games, which we should be very proud of, but we still have a lot of work left to do to reach our ultimate goals."
How It Happened
Loyola immediately put Drake goalkeeper Kelsie Stone under pressure, with senior
Bailey Faulkner forcing a stop out of the Bulldogs' netminder just over three minutes in. The Ramblers' early persistence was rewarded in the 11
th minute when senior
Abby Swanson intervened to intercept a pass before unleashing a right-footed blast from 27 yards out that bested Stone at her near post, staking the Maroon & Gold to a 1-0 lead.
Graduate student
Katharine Stephens made a pair of bids to double the lead in the minutes following Swanson's opener, but was denied by Stone on both attempts. Junior
Olivia Knab and freshman
Taylor Harrison were each turned away by the hosts' goalkeeper as the half wore on.
With five minutes remaining in the opening stanza, Loyola found its second. After receiving a feed from sophomore
Madeleine Barone, junior
Megan Nemec dribbled around a sprawling Stone and deposited her shot from close range into the back of the net, giving the Ramblers a 2-0 lead they would carry into halftime.
Loyola went right back to work coming out the break, adding a third four minutes into the second half when junior
Amanda Cassidy fired home a centering feed from Stephens to up the margin to 3-0.
Libby Helverson looked to give Drake an avenue back into the game in the 57
th minute, sending her shot from distance inside the near post to trim Loyola's lead to 3-1.
The two-goal spread would last for all of 13 minutes. Junior
Megan Demski played a ball across the box that was fed on by fellow junior
Kyrsten Pellikan before reaching Harrison, who directed home to reestablish a three-goal lead, 4-1. Senior goalkeeper
Maddie Hausmann added a save before all was said and done, as Loyola extended its win streak to four games.
Looking At The Numbers
- Loyola's four goals scored today are a season-high. Prior to this afternoon, Drake had given up just 10 goals on the year.
- Nemec netted her team-best sixth goal of the season, while Swanson and Harrison each found the back of the net for the second time.
- Cassidy's 49
th-minute strike saw her become the 12
th different Rambler to tally a goal in 2021.
- Barone and freshman
Jaimee Cibulka were credited with assists on Nemec's goal.
- Stephens picked up a helper on Cassidy's goal, while Pellikan and Demski each notched an assist on Harrison's tally.
- The Ramblers finished the day with a staggering 30-6 advantage in shots.
- Hausmann closed her afternoon with two saves in goal.
Up Next
Loyola returns home on Saturday, October 9 when it welcomes Missouri State to Loyola Soccer Park for a 1 p.m. kickoff. A special pregame ceremony honoring the Ramblers' senior class will take place prior to the game.
