EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (Oct. 31, 2021)
 
In Short…
The Loyola University Chicago men's soccer team (9-4-1, 6-2-1) made their way to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (5-9-2, 3-6) for a Missouri Valley Conference match on Halloween. Following 109 minutes of play, the Ramblers did not come out with the win, falling to the Cougars in double overtime with a score of 1-0.
 
This result secures Loyola's No. 2 spot in the conference rankings, which means they will have a bye in the first round of conference play.

Head Coach Neil Jones Thoughts...
"Credit goes to SIUE for playing hard all the way until the end and picking up three valuable MVC points. We didn't execute cleanly or professionally enough today in the final third, and at this level, that's not going to win games. We now must regroup and prepare for the MVC Champions Missouri State on Senior Night back at Loyola."
 
How It Happened…
The game was low-scoring, but it did not lack in excitement. It was a very physical game from the start, with the Ramblers grabbing a yellow card in the first five minutes. Even with all of the physicality, the Maroon & Gold continued to make plays and put pressure on the Cougar defense as they registered nine shots in the first half.
 
The second half started similarly to the first, but this time, it was SIUE who ended up with the yellow early on. Although there were plenty of scoring opportunities, neither team was able to find the back of the net, even with Loyola's seven shots and SIUE's three. With that finish, this Halloween faceoff went into overtime. 
 
The first 10 minutes did not result in a goal, with only one shot attempted by the Ramblers. The two teams still played tough, highlighted by a great deal of throw ins and strong defensive plays. 
 
However, it came down to the final 10 minutes of the game. Although the Ramblers came out strong and outshot the Cougars, it wasn't enough to come out with the win in today's match. SIUE scored in the 109th minute to grab the 1-0. 
 
Looking At The Numbers…

• The Ramblers did not score a goal, but they put  a great amount of pressure on the Cougars' defense. Loyola registered 18 shots compared to SIUE's 10 while also putting seven shots on goal compared to SIUE's four. 
• Freshman Jakob Bookjans has made an impact in his last two games with the Ramblers. In his first start of the season today, he led the team in shots on goal with two. 
•  Despite today's result, Marcel Kampman found success in the net. He made three saves on the day, only allowing one goal.

 
Up Next…
The Ramblers will be in Rogers Park for their final game of the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 6, as they host No. 1 Missouri State for Senior Night. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. with Senior Night activities to happen before the game. Loyola will honor its five seniors in Kampman, Tomas Dias, Tyler Biggs, Giann Magno and Ethan Stoneman. 
 
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