Final Stats

CHICAGO - A goal with only eight seconds remaining in the first half by Sammy Gage was all the Loyola University Chicago women's soccer team needed to down Evansville tonight, 1-0, at Loyola Soccer Park. With the win, which sees the Ramblers improve their record to 5-12-1 (2-3-1 Missouri Valley), Loyola clinches a spot in the upcoming Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Evansville slides to 10-5-3 (3-2-1 Missouri Valley) with the loss.

Loyola entered the night knowing that only a win would guarantee itself a spot in the six-team field for the conference tournament and it showed from the onset. Gage was active from the first whistle for the Maroon & Gold. The senior out of St. Charles, Ill., playing in her final game at Loyola Soccer Park, forced Simone Busby, the Evansville goalkeeper, into her first save of the night in the ninth minute. Bronwyn Boswell, Evansville's leading scorer coming into the evening, notched the first shot of the game for the visitors when she pulled her attempt wide of the near post from 20 yards out in the 14th minute.

The Ramblers continued to press forward as the opening stanza wore on. Jessica Bean fired high of goal in the 16th minute before Monika Lee had her shot blocked in the 25th. Loyola was rewarded for its persistency in the dying seconds of the half when Valerie Gonyo served a free kick from near midfield into the box that Gage headed off the crossbar and in at the near post to put the Ramblers on top just short of halftime. Along with having a 1-0 lead on the scoreboard, Loyola held a 5-2 advantage in shots and did not allow Evansville an attempt on net in the opening 45 minutes.

Evansville seemed to find its footing as the second half began as it started to ask questions of the Loyola backline. Monica Gonyo recorded her first save of the evening in the 54th minute when she tipped Olivia Shafer's header over the crossbar. Nicki Baham looked to have leveled it up off the ensuing corner when her shot got past Gonyo, only for Lee to clear it off the line at the far post to preserve the 1-0 lead for the Ramblers.

With time ticking away, the Purple Aces continued their pursuit of a tying goal. Kayla Smith had a shot blocked in the 71st minute before missing wide just over two minutes later. Gonyo made a pair of saves over a ten-minute span, with the second of the two coming on Allie Arguello's shot in the 87th minute. That turned out to be the final chance of the evening for either side as Loyola held on for a 1-0 victory to punch its postseason ticket.

By virtue of its win this evening, coupled with other results from around the league, Loyola will open the 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Soccer Tournament on Sunday afternoon against the Drake Bulldogs. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. from Des Moines, Iowa.