EVANSTON, Ill. (September 2, 2022)

In Short
The Loyola University Chicago men's soccer team (2-0-1) played to a scoreless draw against Northwestern (0-1-2) on Friday night inside Martin Stadium. The Ramblers had many chances and tallied a 15-5 shot advantage, including a strong look from Billy Hency that ricocheted off the crossbar in the 89th minute. The hard-earned result is the seventh draw between the two teams in 36 meetings, and the first since 2008.

Head Coach Steve Bode's thoughts...
"The effort and energy our team displayed tonight against a cross-town rival was outstanding. Unfortunately, we could not find the back of the net tonight. Credit to Northwestern's goalkeeper who was the star of the night, making several fantastic saves through the game. We are not a finished product yet as a team, but we continue to learn improve every game."

How it Happened
Loyola found early momentum in the first couple minutes with a shot on goal from Bryan Silver and a cross in the box that nearly found a successful header from John Gates.
 
The first half featured steady back-and-forth play as the two teams worked to feel each other out.
 
Goalkeeper Simon Jillson was tested in the seventh minute with a shot from NU's Vincente Castro from the top of the box, which Jillson handled with ease. There were a few more moments with chaos in the box, but that would end up as the lone shot on goal for the Wildcats as the Ramblers' back line continued its early-season dominance.
 
Play shifted in Loyola's favor toward the end of the opening stanza as Oscar Dueso and Fabian Becerra recorded shots on goal near the 30-minute mark. The Ramblers would carry that momentum into the second half with nine more shots.
 
After halftime, NU's Justin Weiss nearly broke the stalemate with his first of two shots in the opening minutes bouncing off the crossbar. Things calmed down from there as the Ramblers settled in and produced great work ethic.
 
Benni Hofmann's free kick in the 60th minute found Marc Torrellas in front of the keeper but the header attempt was saved over the bar. That close call was just one of the many opportunities for Loyola, including a free kick from the top of the box in the 75th minute and a clean look for Lukas Ender in the 86th minute that was blocked in mid-air. NU tried to counter attack on that blocked shot, which saw a header go off target for the Wildcats.

Then, the Ramblers maintained possession as the clock ran down, working to get Hency's final shot attempt that rattled the crossbar.
 
Inside the Numbers
• Loyola outshot Northwestern 15-5, including a 6-1 margin in shots on target
• The Ramblers have logged double-digit shot attempts and outshot their opponent in each match this season
• GK Simon Jillson had one save, running his save percentage to .857, and remains unbeaten in net this season
• NU's keeper Christian Garner finished with six saves between the pipes
• The Ramblers held a 2-1 edge in corner kicks as all three were taken in the second half
• NU had 13 fouls compared to nine on the Loyola side
• Hency led the Ramblers with three shots and two on goal while Torrellas tallied four shots and one on target
• Quinton Blair played strong over 62 minutes and recorded a pair of shots
• Loyola has prevented its opponent from scoring in back-to-back games for the first time since early October last season, with wins over Bradley and SIUE.
 
Up Next
Loyola will rest up for Monday's showdown on the South Side when the Ramblers take on UIC. The match at Flames Field is scheduled to air live on ESPN Plus. UIC (0-2-0) is off this weekend after falling 2-1 to Cleveland State in its home opener last Monday.