CHICAGO (November 11, 2022) – With an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament at stake, fourth-seeded Loyola University Chicago (9-2-6) will play the top-seed and host Saint Louis (11-4-2) in Sunday's Atlantic 10 Championship final. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. CT at Hermann Stadium and will air live on ESPN+. It'll be the fourth appearance in a conference title match in five seasons for an experienced Ramblers squad.
Loyola earned a spot in the trophy match after knocking off the second seed Duquesne 1-0 on the road last Wednesday.
Marc Torrellas scored the 59th minute game-winner as the Ramblers logged their eighth clean sheet. The semifinal victory avenged an earlier road loss to the Dukes, which is something Loyola will try to repeat on Sunday as the A-10 newcomer sets its sight on the reigning league champion.
Peaking at the right time, Loyola has won three straight and extended its unbeaten streak to eight games (4-0-4). The Rambers opened the A-10 Championship with a 1-0 quarterfinal win over George Washington, keeping their undefeated home record intact (7-0-3).
Their last defeat came on the road against Saint Louis back on Oct. 1, which went down as a 2-1 result for the Billikens after Loyola led 1-0 at halftime.
Loyola is ranked eighth nationally in shots per game (16.12) and 11th in shots on goal (7.18). The aggressive attack as also led to the Ramblers ranking 26th in corner kicks (6.41).
A calling card for the Ramblers has been a stalwart defensive prowess, as the Maroon & Gold are ranked 18th in team goals against average (.824) and 21st in shutout percentage (.471).
Fifth-year senior
Billy Hency, who was named the A-10 Midfielder of the Year, finished the regular season leading the A-10 in points per game (1.36), totaling 21 points in 15 matches with seven goals and seven assists. He was also tied with Saint Louis' John Klein for the conference lead in multiple-point games (4). Hency has tallied 17 of his 21 total points this season in home games.
Among NCAA Division I active career leaders, Hency, who is a St. Louis native, ranks eighth in assists (24), ninth in points (78) and 21st in goals (27). With his next assist, Hency will take over sole possession of third place in Loyola men's soccer career history.
Seniors
Oscar Dueso (6-2-14),
Fabian Becerra (3-1-7) and
Alex Moskal (3-0-6), along with sophomore
John Gates (2-4-8) and senior
Marc Torrellas (3-1-7), have all scored multiple goals for the Ramblers this season. Graduate student goalkeeper
Simon Jillson registered the third-most shutouts (5) in the A-10 and ranks third among conference leaders in GAA (.891).
Glance at Saint Louis
Saint Louis made it through to the title match after playing to 1-1 draw against Dayton and winning on penalties. The Billikens, who won six straight matches before the semifinal round, finished the conference portion of the schedule with a 6-1-1 record. Senior John Klein was named the A-10 Co-Offensive Player of the Year, while senior Alberto Suarez was tabbed Defensive Player of the Year and fifth-year head coach Kevin Kalish was named Coach of the Year. The Billikens' lone conference loss came at Rhode Island (3-2), while their pair of home setbacks were against non-conference foes Lipscomb (2-1) and SMU (3-0).
Series Stuff
Loyola and Saint Louis will meet for the ninth time on Sunday, which marks the first meeting in the postseason and second meeting this season. The Billikens have claimed eight of the previous matchups between these two teams. Loyola's only win over Saint Louis came on a 2-1 result in 1996. The two teams have met twice before as league rivals when each was a member of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference (MCC).
Up Next
The winner of Sunday's A-10 championship match receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The 2022 DI men's soccer selection show is Monday, Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. ET on NCAA.com. The 2022 championship field will consist of 48 teams with the tournament running from Nov. 17 through Dec. 12. The College Cup, consisting of the national semifinals and finals will be held in Cary, North Carolina.
