CHICAGO (March 17, 2021) – Winners of its last two games and unbeaten over its last five contests, the Loyola University Chicago men's soccer team (3-1-2, 2-0-1 MVC) ventures back out on the road this week when it visits Des Moines, Iowa to battle Drake on Thursday.  Kickoff from Drake Stadium in slated for 2 p.m.
 
Last Time Out: Senior Tyler Biggs scored just over six minutes into the first half, while junior Fabian Becerra added a highlight-reel strike in the early stages of the second half to propel Loyola past Bradley, 2-0, last Sunday at Loyola Soccer Park.  Junior goalkeeper Simon Jillson added a pair of saves as the Ramblers recorded a fifth consecutive shutout.  For his efforts in the win, Becerra was named the MVC Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday.
 
vs. Drake: Drake, which will play just its fourth game of 2021 on Thursday against the Ramblers, sits at 1-1-1 overall (1-1-1 MVC).  The Bulldogs have been idle since a 2-0 road win over Bradley at Shea Stadium in Peoria, Ill. back on March 9.  Cory Pitlik and Istvan Wilhems each tallied goals late in the second half to secure a crucial road result for head coach Gareth Smith's team.  Pitlik and Wilhems' goals were the first this season for Drake, which went just over 284 minutes without scoring this season.  Jared Brown has been impressive in goal, allowing just one goal across his three starts to sport an impressive 0.31 goals against average.
 
Series Stuff: Loyola and Drake will battle for the 20th time on Thursday afternoon in Iowa's state capital.  The Bulldogs own a slim 7-6-6 lead (.526) advantage in the all-time series, but Loyola has gone unbeaten (5-0-5) in the last 10 encounters between the two programs.  Loyola and Drake met just over two weeks ago in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams, battling to a scoreless draw in double overtime at the Mercyhealth Sportscore Two in Loves Park, Ill.  The Maroon & Gold finished with an 8-6 edge in shots in the contest, putting three attempts on target.
 
Up Next: Loyola returns to the friendly confines of Loyola Soccer Park on Friday, March 26 for a showdown with No. 13/23 Missouri State in a 2 p.m. kickoff.