CHICAGO (Aug. 9, 2023) – After a productive offseason which saw the Loyola University Chicago men's soccer team welcome a group of 11 newcomers, the team is eagerly preparing for a three-game slate of exhibition matches Aug. 11, 15, & 19.

The Ramblers will begin the exhibition action by hosting Western Michigan at Loyola Soccer Park this Friday (Aug 11) at 5 p.m. CT. The match will be free and open to the public.

The squad's second exhibition match will take place Tuesday, Aug. 15 as LUC will head north to take on Marquette at 6 p.m. in Milwaukee. Loyola Chicago will end the preseason schedule with a 6 p.m. match against Wisconsin on Saturday, Aug. 19 in Madison.  

The team, which officially reported to campus Monday (Aug. 7), returns 18 student-athletes from the 2022 roster. Additionally, 15 of the team's 29 players are upperclassman, culminating in a squad with plenty of experience as the regular season draws closer.

"I think that it's a hungry group. We've worked extremely hard in the spring season to improve and get better, both as a team and individually," said head coach Steve Bode. "They're going to use that experience that they got last year to their gain,"

Along with its returners, LUC bolstered its roster with eight freshmen and three transfers hailing from five different states and four separate countries.  

"We're really excited about the recruiting class we have coming in. We have three transfers coming in, as well as eight freshmen - it's a good mix. We have three local Chicago players, some others from the Midwest, and then three international players as well. We feel like [this class] is going to pick up some of the slack the players that we graduated left,"

Loyola commences the regular season on the road Aug. 24 against Michigan State. The Ramblers will then face seven other non-conference foes before Atlantic 10 action ramps up Sept. 16 against George Washington on the road.

"I'm really excited for the A10 schedule. I'm excited to play some of the teams that we played on the road, multiple times, here in Chicago. Saint Louis being one of them - I think we're all excited for that one. We played two games down in St. Louis last year and they'll come to Chicago this year. We played twice in Pittsburgh at Duquesne last year and they'll be coming to Chicago. VCU is a top team that had a little bit of a down year last year but will be very good. This year they come to Chicago we'll play them at Loyola soccer park as well. We open at Michigan State, and I think that's going to be an exciting game. I know our players are really excited for that. I think it's going to be a great, early challenge for us that we're excited for. And then also the local Chicago rivalries I think are always a lot of fun. We have three of those in DePaul, NIU we consider as well, and UIC. Some home, some away. So, I think it's a good balance of a schedule and I think it's going to test us early and often,"

With his mix of experienced returners, promising newcomers, and a schedule which will test his squad, Bode is excited for a transformative 2023 fall season with a resolute commitment to what he terms a 'team-first mentality'.  

"We are really focusing on what we call a 'team-first mentality'. We truly believe that we are stronger as a collective unit than we are individually. I think that's a cliche and I think a lot of people say that, but we may not be the most talented team in Division I, or even in the Atlantic 10, but that doesn't scare us. We feel we have enough talent and if we can be a really collective, cohesive unit that's connected and willing to work together, fight for each other, that is the strength our team and it'll be the key for success for us for 2023 fall."