CHICAGO (September 21, 2022) – The Loyola University Chicago women's soccer team (5-2-2, 1-0 A-10) will put its excellent run of form to the test this week as it ventures away from Rogers Park to battle a pair of stout opponents.
 
The two-game trip opens on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. inside Hermann Stadium against perennial Atlantic 10 Conference power No. 10 Saint Louis.  A trip to the nation's capital follows on Sunday, as the Ramblers clash with George Washington in a 12 p.m. (CT) kickoff at the GW Soccer Field.
 
Last Time Out: Corissa Koontz scored in the 71^st minute of play as Loyola picked up the University's first Atlantic 10 Conference win in any sport, defeating visiting La Salle, 1-0, this past Sunday at Loyola Soccer Park.  With the win, the Ramblers improved to 9-0-2 (.909) in conference openers since 2012.
 
vs. Saint Louis: Currently slotted at No. 10 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25, Saint Louis has rattled off seven straight wins since a 2-0 setback to Notre Dame back on August 25, running its record to 9-1 overall (2-0 A-10).
 
Tabbed as the preseason favorite in the Atlantic 10 Conference, the Billikens have opened league play with road wins over La Salle, 4-1, and Richmond, 2-0.
 
Piloted by two-time A-10 Coach of the Year Katie Shields, Saint Louis features one of the nation's most prominent attacks, putting up 3.3 goals per game, a mark that ranks eighth in all of Division I.  Spearheading the aforementioned attack is the pairing of Emily Gaebe and Caroline Kelly, who each have six goals and four assists to their respective ledgers this season.  Emily Groark has added five goals and two assists for a Billiken offense that boasts 11 different goal scorers.
 
Emily Puricelli has been a rock in goal for Shields, putting up five shutouts and an impressive 0.61 goals against average.
 
vs. George Washington: George Washington, which visits La Salle on Thursday night, enters the week as the Atlantic 10's lone remaining unbeaten, sitting at 3-0-5 (0-0-2 A-10) on the year.
 
The Colonials have opened league play with back-to-back draws, battling George Mason, 1-1, and Fordham, 2-2, to stalemates.
 
Rachel Sorkenn has wasted little time in charging to the top of George Washington's scoring chart, putting up six goals and an assist across eight appearances this season.  Grace Crowe has taken the reins of the Colonials' starting goalkeeper job to begin A-10 play, backstopping George Washington in each of its first two league contests.  Crowe sports a 0.67 goals against average on the year.
 
Series Stuff: Thursday's showdown in The Gateway City will mark only the third meeting between Jesuit rivals Loyola and Saint Louis in women's soccer.  The Billikens prevailed in the two previous tilts, which occurred during the 1996 and 1997 seasons, by a combined 9-1 scoreline.
 
Loyola and George Washington will battle for the first time in Sunday's weekend finale.
 
Up Next: Loyola is back home next week when it welcomes Davidson (September 29) and Dayton (October 2) to Loyola Soccer Park.