Oct. 18, 2013
Final Stats
MACOMB, Ill. - Junior Moriah Schwarz's first goal of the season and superb goalkeeping by junior Monica Gonyo helped Loyola end a three-game slide this afternoon as the Ramblers played to a 1-1 draw in double overtime against the Western Illinois Leathernecks. Gonyo recorded a season-high eleven saves on a cool day in Macomb, Ill.
"I think that we showed a lot of character today in coming from a goal down, on the road, against a quality team like Western Illinois," said Loyola head women's soccer coach Barry Bimbi. "Moriah (Schwarz) scored her first goal of the year so we hope that will jump start her season heading into our final three conference games."
The Leathernecks tallied the first shot of the afternoon when Sarah Hall's attempt was blocked by the Loyola backline. The Ramblers cleared the resulting corner to keep the game scoreless in the opening minutes.
Junior Allison Shimer had a golden opportunity to give Loyola an early lead in the 10th minute when she broke loose for a one-on-one with the Western Illinois goalkeeper, Laura Atkinson. Atkinson proved to be up to the task as she turned away Shimer's shot. She would do the same to senior Tricia Stonebraker in the 17th minute.
The home side started to find a rhythm as the first half wore on. Hall fired high of the Loyola goal before Kristin Becker forced Gonyo into her first save of the game in the 21st minute. It turned out to be only a matter of time before the scoreless deadlock was broken. Hall fired a shot past Gonyo less than seven minutes later following a scramble in front of the goal off of a cross that the Ramblers were unable to clear. The New Berlin, Wis. native responded well, making her final save of the half in the 41st minute to ensure the halftime deficit was only one for the Ramblers.
Loyola returned to the field following the break and immediately began to press for the equalizing goal. Schwarz and Shimer both had shots saved by Atkinson in the opening fifteen minutes of the half. Gonyo continued to keep her team within one, denying Jordan Walgren's scoring attempt in the 64th minute.
A miscue by Atkinson provided Loyola with an opportunity in the 67th minute. The Western Illinois goalkeeper mishandled a ball that was passed forward by Stonebraker, allowing Schwarz a clear look at her net. The Rockford, Ill. native refused to let that chance slip by and hammered home the game-tying goal. Today's tally is the first of the season for Schwarz, who led the Ramblers in scoring last season with three goals.
With the game now tied and both teams searching for a late winner, the pace of the game picked up significantly. Senior Alex Brown's shot was saved by Atkinson in the 83rd minute before Gonyo made her seventh and eighth saves of the game in rapid succession as the two teams headed to overtime following a spirited 90 minutes.
Both sides had chances during the two extra sessions. Atkinson stepped up to make a huge save on junior Monika Lee's shot in the closing stages of the first overtime. Laura Mick looked to have surely found the game-winner in the opening minutes of the final overtime but Gonyo made her finest save of the afternoon to secure a draw for the visiting Ramblers.
Loyola will now turn its attention to the final three games of its Missouri Valley Conference schedule. The first of those three takes place on Wednesday night in Des Moines, Iowa when the Ramblers go up against the Drake Bulldogs at 7 p.m.
