CHICAGO (AUGUST 31) – Fresh off a pair of wins to open the season, the Loyola University Chicago men's soccer team returns to action when it travels to local rivals Northwestern and UIC this weekend. The Ramblers (2-0-0) will play NU (0-1-1) Friday night in Evanston for a 7 p.m. matchup scheduled to air on the Big Ten Plus Network. On Monday night, Loyola heads south to take on UIC (0-2-0) in another 7 p.m. kickoff that will air on ESPN Plus. The Ramblers, who are 2-0 for the third time in four seasons, are receiving votes in national polls released by the United Soccer Coaches and College Soccer News this week.
 
Last Time Out: Loyola came out strong in the season opener to defeat Bucknell 4-1 last Friday for head coach Steve Bode's first win. Billy Hency led the attack with two goals on three shots on frame, along with goals scored by John Gates and Marc Torrellas in the opener. Two days later, the Ramblers knocked off 25th-ranked Bowling Green 1-0 in front of a record crowd (1,163) at Loyola Soccer Park, as Benni Hoffman netted the 85th-minute game-winner. Goalkeeper Simon Jillson totaled five saves and earned both wins in net last week.
 
vs. Northwestern: Under the tutelage of second-year head coach Russell Payne, NU enters Friday's match seeking its first win of the season. The Wildcats fell 1-0 at Florida Gulf Coast last Sunday after surrendering a first-half goal to the Eagles. Northwestern opened the season with a hard-fought draw (3-3) against Chicago State when Dahn Tran scored the match-tying goal in the 85th-minute. Both matches for the Wildcats have endured a lightning delay. Tran and Justin Weiss lead the way offensively with three points with each recording one goal and one assist.
 
vs. UIC: The Flames will have a full week of rest heading into Monday's match and also seek their first win. With long-time head coach Sean Phillips at the helm, UIC traveled to eighth-ranked Kentucky last Thursday and fell 2-0 to the Wildcats. The Flames returned for their home opener on Monday and let a halftime lead slip away in a 2-1 setback to Cleveland State. Brian Perez scored the first goal of the season for the Flames with assists by Eduardo Garcia and Andres Lemus.
 
Series Stuff: NU spoiled the Ramblers' undefeated start last season in a match decided by a 71st-minute goal at Loyola Soccer Park. The Wildcats hold the all-time series lead, 21-8-6, but the series has been split evenly in recent years with a 3-3 ledger over the past six meetings, dating back to 2014. In fact, half of those previous six games required extra time. Loyola won back-to-back meetings in the series for the first time in 2014 and 2015, with both of those played on its home turf. NU won the next two matchups before the Ramblers captured its most recent win in the series, a 2-0 decision played in Evanston three years ago when current head coach Steve Bode was an assistant on the Loyola coaching staff.
 
Against UIC, Loyola holds a 7-2-1 advantage in the previous 10 matchups. Monday's game will serve as the first meeting between the two sides since 2019, when Loyola claimed a 3-1 home victory as Billy Hency and Fabian Becerra each scored a goal. The Flames hold the slight edge in the all-time series with an overall record of 17-15-3. The series is tied at 9-9-1 in matches played on UIC's home field.
 
Up Next: Loyola returns home for the 40th installment of the Red-Line Rivalry against DePaul on Friday, Sept. 9. The match is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Loyola Soccer Park and will air on NBC Sports Chicago.