CHICAGO (August 30, 2023) - Loyola Chicago returns to its home turf for a three-game home stand kicking off Thursday. The Ramblers host Western Illinois at 7 p.m. Loyola is coming off a split of last week's road trip in Ohio. The first win of the season came against Toledo in a 2-1 nail bitter, while Bowling Green then shutout the Ramblers, 2-0. Western Illinois is fresh off a 0-0 draw with Northern Iowa in its only match last week. Thursdays' match between the Ramblers and Leathernecks can be streamed on ESPN+.

QUICK KICKS
• Loyola's first win of 2023 came against Toledo last week on the road. The Ramblers jumped to a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute with Taylor Harrison's second goal of the year. The Rockets tied it just out of the halftime break before Ansley Cryan netted the game winner in the 74th minute.
• For her efforts, Cryan was award the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors. It marked her first career goal and game winner in the Maroon & Gold. Cryan's award is the first for the Ramblers this season.
• Harrison's second goal of the season made her the team leader in points and goals scored. She ranks fourth in the league with the pair, which is also tied 105th in the NCAA.
• Jaimee Cibulka assisted Cryan on the game winner for her second assist of the season. She's the team's leader in the category. Cibulka is averaging .5 assists per game ranking sixth in the league and 37th in the NCAA. Her total assists is third in the league and 57th in the country.
• Between the posts, Naya Lipkens as logged every minute for the Ramblers. She is one of 83 goalkeepers in the country to be tied first in minutes played. Through four matches, Lipkens has 15 saves ranking 10th in the A10 and 89th in the country.
• Loyola Chicago was selected fifth in this year's Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll earlier this week. The Ramblers earned 158 votes in the poll and sit behind Massachusetts in fourth. UMass earned one first-place vote, while Saint Louis was crowned the preseason favorite with the remaining 14 votes.
• The Ramblers posted an 8-8-3 overall record and a 4-5-1 finish in A10 play last season. They earned the No. 8 seed in the A10 Tournament for their first ever berth as part of the conference. The 2022 season came to an end in the first round to the eventual champs, Saint Louis.
• Barry Bimbi enters his 13th season as head coach of the Ramblers. Bimbi notched his 100th career win last year and sits at 107-93-29 overall ahead of the 2023 season. The women's soccer program is closing in on its 250th win since its inception in 1992 with an overall record of 247-317-45.

SCOUTING WESTERN ILLINOIS
The Leathernecks enter the third week of regular season action 1-1-1 overall. After dropping the season opener 3-0 to Northern Illinois, Western Illinois rebounded with a 1-0 win at Chicago State and tied UNI, 0-0. The Leathernecks switched to the Ohio Valley Conference this fall and were tabbed ninth in the preseason poll. Last year in the Summit League, the Leathernecks finished 4-10-3 on the year and 2-7 in league play.

LEATHERNECKS TO WATCH
• Sachiko Gamo has WIU's lone goal of the season and helped the Leathernecks to a 1-0 shutout against Chicago State. A transfer from Davis & Elkins, Gamo totaled nine goals and seven assists over two seasons.
• Kelsi McThenia has been the most aggressive Leatherneck this season registering three shots through the first three matches. She has made every start at forward and took a season-high two shots vs. UNI.
• Isabel Navas Rodriguez has logged every minute in goal for the Leathernecks this year. She has allowed three goals and made nine saves. She made a season-high six saves between the posts in the draw against the Panthers.

SERIES HISTORY
The Ramblers hold a 7-0-2 edge over the Leathernecks in the all-time series. Corissa Koontz,  Harrison, and Amanda Cassidy all found the back of the net in a 4-1 win at WIU last season.