CHICAGO (Oct. 28, 2023) –
Markus Maurer netted his sixth goal of the season in the 85
th minute, propelling the Loyola University Chicago men's soccer team to a 1-0 shutout win over Fordham Saturday afternoon at Hoyne Field. With the win, the Ramblers greatly increased their chances of hosting the quarterfinal round of the upcoming Atlantic 10 Tournament.
"I thought it was a really even game overall," said head Loyola Chicago coach
Steve Bode. "You know, it was kind of like a defensive stalemate. It was going to be whichever team could come up with a big play down the stretch. Fortunately, it was us and we're very proud of that,"
How it Happened
Keeper
Aidan Crawford snuffed two Fordham
(6-3-7, 3-3-2 A10) chances with a pair of brilliant saves in the first few minutes of action, keeping the match at 0-0. The Loyola
(8-2-4, 4-1-3 A10) backline fended off five more first half shots from the Rams.
The Ramblers sent off five shots through the first frame, including a nice shot on-goal from
Lukas Ender, but his attempt was saved by Carter Abbott.
In the second half, the Ramblers logged a shot to the bottom left side of the net from
Julian Cisneros, but it was again saved.
With time running out, the Maroon and Gold needed something quick to keep its chances of hosting in sight. Maurer delivered in the 85
th minute with a picture-perfect header after
Jack McFeely crossed it to him in the box, giving Loyola a 1-0 lead.
Loyola Chicago kept the Rams in check for the remainder of the match and earned the 1-0 decision.
Notes
- The 'Blers end the regular season with 15 conference points, its most since joining the A-10.
- McFeely's assist was the second of his career.
- Maurer's game-winner was his second and sixth goal of 2023.
- Loyola Chicago was out-shot, 11-8. It's only the second time Loyola's been out-shot all season.
- Crawford ended the match with five saves.
- The Maroon and Gold led in corner kicks, 3-2.
Up Next
LUC will wait and see how the rest of the A-10 teams fare in the final Saturday of regular season action to learn their postseason seeding.
"We talked about really wanting to try to secure a top-four spot, not having to travel, and play at least one more game here. I think in this conference, the parity is so high, that there could end up being some upsets. And then maybe if you take care of business, you're getting another game at home because maybe one of the top seeds gets beat. So, it's a massive, but just the ability to get a win, play well, and get momentum going into the playoffs was good to see."
