CHICAGO (February 26, 2021) – After finishing an abbreviated non-conference schedule, the Loyola University Chicago men's soccer team will lift the lid on its eight-game Missouri Valley Conference slate on Sunday afternoon by playing host to Drake in Loves Park, Ill.  Kickoff from inside the Mercyhealth Sportscore Two is set for 2 p.m.
 
Last Time Out: Loyola outshot DePaul by a 20-10 margin, but was unable to find the back of the net as it settled for a 0-0 draw in double overtime with the Blue Demons last Sunday in Loves Park, Ill.  Junior Billy Hency was named MVC Offensive Player of the Week after tallying five attempts, while senior Liam Woehrle took home MVC Defensive Player of the Week accolades for a second time, helping the Maroon & Gold to its second clean sheet in as many games.
 
vs. Drake: Drake, which finished 8-9-1 (4-5-1 MVC) in 2019, was picked third in the MVC Preseason Poll.  Sunday's clash with the Ramblers serves as the Bulldogs regular season opener.  Sixth-year head coach Gareth Smith's team is led in the final third by forward Leroy Enzuguzi, who scored a team-high eight goals last season en route to being named a First Team All-Valley selection.  Enzuguzi went on to be selected 86^th overall by Nashville FC in last month's Major League Soccer (MLS) SuperDraft.  Drake will look to goalkeeper Jared Brown to anchor its defense.  Brown was a Second Team All-MVC honoree in 2018, closing the year with a 0.94 goals against average, before missing the entire 2019 season due to injury.
 
Series Stuff: Drake owns a 7-6-5 edge (.528) in 18 previous matchups between the Ramblers and Bulldogs.  Loyola has had the upper hand in the series of late though, going unbeaten (5-0-4) across the last nine meetings.  When the two teams met last season in Des Moines, Iowa on September 29, 2019, two Aidan Megally goals, the last of which came with just 1:45 remaining in the second overtime, were the difference as Loyola picked up a 2-1 double-overtime win.  In the return matchup at Loyola Soccer Park on October 27, 2019, the Ramblers found themselves in an early 2-0 hole before Hency, Megally, and Justin Sukow each scored over a 7:04 span in the second half to send Loyola in front, 3-2.  Drake had the last say though, with Austin Smythe scoring the equalizer with just under four minutes remaining to secure a share of the points for Drake.
 
Up Next: Loyola will be idle for nine days before it travels to Evansville, Ind. for a matchup with Evansville at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 9.