EVANSTON, Ill. – Loyola University Chicago men's soccer battled to a 1-1 draw with crosstown rival Northwestern on Friday night at Martin Stadium. Antonio Pinto's late goal in the 84th minute secured the result, keeping the Ramblers unbeaten on the season at 1-0-2.
"I was really impressed with Northwestern, especially in the first half with the speed and intensity they played with. They put us under a lot of pressure, and it took us some time to adjust," said Loyola Head Coach Steve Bode. "But I was really happy with our second-half performance overall. In particular, the last 20 minutes felt like a standard that, if we can replicate, will make us a really strong team this year,"
How it Happened
After a scoreless first half, the Wildcats broke through in the 55th minute when Joe Suchecki converted off a feed from Alejandro Martinez Santamaria. The Ramblers pushed back with a series of chances, including a Pinto shot on-target in the 79th minute.
Loyola's persistence paid off as Pinto netted the equalizer in the 84th minute, his second goal of the season, off an assist from Jack McFeely to lock the match at 1-1.
"Part of it, too, is still building chemistry each game," Bode continued. "We know we're trying to build while also playing. It's only our third game, and we've only been together for a few weeks. The more chemistry we can build as a team—and you can already see it forming—the better we're going to be overall."
Game Notes
- Gabe Velasco recorded a career-best four saves against 15 Northwestern shots.
- Pinto racked up a career-high five shots with two landing on-goal.
- McFeely picked up his second assist of the season.
- Loyola finished with 11 total shots and three shots on-goal.
Up Next
Loyola returns home Thursday, Sept. 4, to host Wright State at Loyola Soccer Park. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT with live coverage on ESPN+.
Â
