CHICAGO (September 16, 2021) – After completing its non-conference slate last week, the Loyola University Chicago men's soccer team will begin Missouri Valley Conference play on Saturday evening when it battles Evansville in a 5 p.m. kickoff at Arad McCutchan Stadium in Evansville, Ind.
 
The Ramblers, who have made three straight appearances in the MVC Championship title game, are 3-3-2 (.500) in Valley openers since joining the league prior to the start of the 2013 season.
 
Last Time Out: Bolstered by a pair of goals late in the first half, Loyola cruised to a 3-0 win over visiting Western Illinois last Saturday in its non-conference finale.  Redshirt junior Michael Hong opened the scoring in the 37^th minute, while senior Billy Hency fired home his team-best fourth goal of the season only four minutes later.  Junior Oscar Dueso added a tally in the 62^nd minute as the Maroon & Gold closed out its first shutout of the season.
 
vs. Evansville: Evansville (0-5-0) enters Missouri Valley Conference play mired in a season-opening five-game slide.  The Purple Aces, who fell on the road at Air Force, 5-1, last Sunday, have been outscored by a count of 14-4 this season.
 
Coming off a spring campaign in which it went 0-9-1 (0-7-1 MVC), Evansville, led by head coach Marshall Ray, was picked sixth in the MVC Preseason Poll.
 
Pablo Guillen spearheads the attack for Ray's side in the offensive third.  Guillen, the reigning MVC Freshman of the Year, has a team-high two goals to his name.  Carlos Barcia and Davis Peck have also found the back of the net this season for the Purple Aces.  Matt Bryant and Jacob Madden have split time in goal, with Madden starting in both of Evansville's games last week.  Bryant sports a 2.67 goals against average, while Madden holds a 3.00 mark.
 
Series Stuff: Saturday's conference opener in The River City will mark the 27th meeting between Loyola and Evansville, a series in which the Purple Aces own a 17-8-1 (.673) advantage.  The Ramblers have dominated the series of late though, winning five straight meetings, including a season sweep this past spring.
 
Prior to becoming Valley rivals, Loyola and Evansville met 12 times as members of the former Midwestern Collegiate Conference (MCC) from 1982-1993.
 
Up Next: Loyola returns home on Saturday, September 25 at 7 p.m. to host Drake on Alumni Night at Loyola Soccer Park.