CHICAGO (October 21, 2022) – Loyola University Chicago (6-2-5, 2-2-2 A-10) prepares to host Rhode Island (6-1-6, 2-1-3 A-10) in the first meeting ever between the two teams for Saturday's pivotal Atlantic 10 fixture. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. with the Ramblers' Senior Day ceremony to take place approximately a half hour before the start of the match.
 
Looking to solidify its chance at a postseason berth in its first A-10 season, Loyola enters the match tied for fifth in the league table and only one point behind Rhode Island. A win Saturday would lift Loyola to fourth place with a chance at hosting a quarterfinal match in the A-10 Tournament.
 
The Ramblers are 6-0-2 on their home pitch this fall, marking the 20th-best home winning percentage (.875) in the country. Since 2018, the Ramblers have registered an impressive record of 27-6-6 (.769) in home games played at Loyola Soccer Park.
 
Entering the week, Loyola ranked second in the A-10 in several categories, including most shots per game (15.67), assists (23), assists per game (1.92) and shutouts (6). The Ramblers are ranked third in fewest goals allowed (10) and goals against average (0.83).

Fifth-year senior midfielder Billy Hency leads the way with a team-high 17 points on five goals and seven assists. He's currently second in the A-10 in points and just one point shy of the league leader Alec Hughes of UMass. Hency is also tied with Saint Louis' John Klein for the conference lead in multiple-point games (4).
 
Among NCAA Division I active career leaders, Hency ranks seventh in assists (24), 11th in points (74) and 21st in goals (25). With an assist in each of the last two games, Hency moved into a third-place tie for most career assists in Loyola men's soccer history.
 
Seniors Oscar Dueso (4-1-9), Fabian Becerra (3-1-7) and Alex Moskal (3-0-6), along with sophomore John Gates (2-4-8), have all scored multiple goals for the Ramblers this season. Graduate student goalkeeper Simon Jillson has registered the third-most shutouts (5) in the A-10, and he is ranked third among conference leaders in GAA (.780) and sixth in save percentage (.750).
 
Last Time Out
A header goal from senior midfielder Marc Torrellas in the 82nd minute pulled Loyola even in a 1-1 draw against Cleveland State last Wednesday. With the win, Loyola extended its home unbeaten streak to eight consecutive games (6-0-2). The Ramblers trailed at halftime for the first time all season after the Vikings scored in the 30th minute. Loyola outshot its opponent for the 10th time in 13 matches, registering a 23-8 shot advantage.
 
Glance at Rhode Island
Under 10th year head coach Gareth Elliott, URI is one of three A-10 teams with one or fewer losses after playing to a scoreless draw at VCU last Wednesday. Redshirt-senior forward Patrick Agyemang currently leads the team with 14 points on six goals and two assists. Junior forward Rafa Villanueva is next with four goals and one assist for nine total points. In total, 11 different players have registered either a goal or an assist for URI this season. Freshman Max Hinke has played all 1170:00 between the posts for URI. He owns a 1.31 goals against average and a .738 save percentage with three shutouts. URI was picked to finish second in the 2022 Atlantic 10 preseason coaches poll.
 
Up Next
Loyola will travel to New York for the regular-season finale against Fordham on Saturday, Oct. 29.