Final Stats

CHICAGO - Two goals over a six and a half-minute span carried Milwaukee to a 2-1 victory this evening over the Loyola University Chicago women's soccer team at Loyola Soccer Park. With the win, the Panthers move to 3-6-0, while the Ramblers fall to an identical record.

"There are definitely a ton of things to take out of tonight," Loyola head women's soccer coach Barry Bimbi commented. "The girls executed what we worked on in training. We were able to turn them over a lot and they're a very good team that is very good with the ball. It's disappointing to go up a goal and then give up two but they came out with belief in the second half and up until the last 30 seconds, we were pushing, sliding and trying to get that tying goal."

Both teams attacked from the onset on a cool evening on Chicago's north side. Krissy Dorre headed high of Monica Gonyo's net in the sixth minute before Valerie Gonyo responded at the other end for the Ramblers in the seventh minute by forcing a save out of Panther goalkeeper Paige Lincicum from a set piece. Fellow senior Allison Shimer looked to head home a Shelby Koch delivery from 30 yards out in the ninth minute but Lincicum managed to tip it over the crossbar to keep the game scoreless.

Koch would take the ensuing corner, which produced a scramble in the box that resulted in a handball by the visitors. Valerie Gonyo stepped up to take the penalty kick for the Maroon & Gold and calmly slotted it past Lincicum to put Loyola on top with less than ten minutes gone. Gonyo has now scored twice in the last three games.

The game would turn quickly in favor of the Panthers, beginning in the 16th minute when Kelly Lewers was on the receiving end of a diagonal ball from Cassidy Blanchard that she curled around Gonyo at the far post to level the game at 1-1. Just over six minutes later, Krissy Dorre put Milwaukee on top with a blast from the top of the arc that Gonyo was unable to stop. Loyola continued to attack in search of an equalizer before the break in what was a wide open first half but found itself down by a goal to its former league rival.

Both teams looked to find their footing on the defensive end in the second half, as chances were much harder to come by. Gonyo made her only save of the half in the 52nd minute when she smothered Amy Kauffung's attempt to double the Panther lead. It took the Ramblers until the 73rd minute to force a stop out of Lincicum at the other end when Jessica Bean ripped a one-timer from 25 yards out that Lincicum tracked into her sternum.

With time ticking away, Valerie Gonyo made a pair of attempts to force overtime. In the 84th minute, the New Berlin, Wis. product had her shot turned away by Lincicum. The senior's last ditch attempt with just over a minute left floated high as Milwaukee hung on for a 2-1 victory.

Loyola will look to bounce back from tonight's defeat when it travels to Fort Wayne, Ind. for a meeting with the IPFW Mastodons on Sunday afternoon at 2:30 p.m., Central Time.