PEORIA, Ill. (March 31, 2021)
 
In Short…
Redshirt sophomore Michael Hong scored his first goal as a Rambler just over a minute into overtime to secure a 3-2 win for the Loyola University Chicago men's soccer team over host Bradley (2-5-1, 1-5-1 MVC) this evening at Shea Stadium in Peoria, Ill.  Tonight's victory moves the Maroon & Gold to 4-3-2 on the year and 3-2-1 in Missouri Valley Conference play.
 
Head Coach Neil Jones' Thoughts…
"Huge credit must go to our guys tonight for digging in and finding a way to win.  Bradley is tough, resilient, and full of players who will always fight.  We allowed them to grow in the game, and full credit to them for earning their two goals.  Now we prepare to our honor our graduating seniors who've given everything to this program on Sunday against Evansville."
 
How It Happened
Loyola set the tone early on, with sophomore Marc Torrellas forcing a pair of saves out of Bradley goalkeeper Bryce Logan in the opening four minutes.  The Ramblers' persistence was rewarded in the 13^th minute when, following a Braves' foul inside the 18-yard box, junior Billy Hency converted from the penalty spot, giving the Maroon & Gold a well-deserved 1-0 lead.
 
The Ramblers continued to push forward as the half wore on, searching for insurance.  After redshirt sophomore Andrew Schweinert saw his headed effort cleared out of play by Logan in the 20^th minute, Torrellas sent a corner kick into the box that was flicked on by Hency before falling to junior Andrew Mitchell, who redirected into the back of the net to double the Loyola lead, 2-0.  Gerit Wintermeyer recorded the hosts' lone attempt of the first half just past the half-hour mark, heading wide of goal, as the Ramblers took a two-goal edge into the intermission.
 
Loyola looked to pick up right where it left off to start the second half, as Torrellas and senior Tyler Biggs both were turned away by Logan before Hency saw his header ring off the post.  Bradley's first sustained pressure of the night produced its breakthrough in the 53^rd minute.  A loose ball in the box found the feet of Saadiq Mohammed, who tapped in from close range to cut the margin in half, 2-1.
 
Bradley forged ahead with time winding down, looking to find an equalizer.  That moment arrived with just under four minutes remaining.  A cross into the box connected with Jack Douglas, who finished from 10 yards out to put the hosts back on level terms, 2-2.  Hency looked to have turned it back around with only 70 seconds to go, putting a header on target, only to see it cleared off the line by a Bradley defender, as the two in-state rivals headed to overtime.
 
Hong removed any suspense only 68 seconds into the first extra session.  Following a Bradley foul, Torrellas lofted a free kick into the box that ultimately found its way to the redshirt sophomore, who directed home to give Loyola only its third win in Peoria in program history.
 
Looking At The Numbers
- Hency scored his second goal of the season, moving into a tie for the team lead, while both Mitchell and Hong opened their respective accounts.
- Torrellas was credited with assists on each of Loyola's last two tallies.  His five helpers on the year lead the Rambler roster and have him tied for the MVC lead in the category.
- Loyola finished the night with a 23-7 lead in shots and racked up a season-high 14 attempts on goal.
- Junior goalkeeper Simon Jillson closed the game with three saves, all of which came during the second half.
- Logan finished with 10 saves to lead Bradley on the evening.
 
Up Next
Loyola returns home for the final time on Sunday, April 4 to host Evansville at 2 p.m.