Oct. 12, 2016

Final Score: Illinois State 2, Loyola 1
Records: Illinois State (8-5-2, 2-0-1 MVC); Loyola (4-8-2, 2-1-0 MVC)
Location: Loyola Soccer Park -- Chicago, Ill.
Goalkeepers of Record: W: Haley Smith (7-5-2); L: Maddie Ford (4-4-2)
Stats: Box Score | Season Stats

In Short...
Freshman Ari Banks scored her first collegiate goal but it wasn't enough as Illinois State defeated the Loyola University Chicago women's soccer team this evening by a final count of 2-1 at Loyola Soccer Park. With the win, the Redbirds improve to 8-5-2 (2-0-1 MVC), while the Ramblers slip to 4-8-2 (2-1-0 MVC).

Coach Bimbi's Thoughts...
"It's definitely a little disappointing. We were able to go ahead with 10 minutes to go in the first half and then gave up two goals within a short period of time so to go down a goal right before halftime was a little demoralizing. I thought the girls responded well in the second half. We made a couple of adjustments to try to slow them down a little bit and created enough good chances to get the tying goal."

How It Happened
The visitors came out firing on a cool, overcast night in Rogers Park. Lauren Koehl and Mikayla Unger forced saves out of junior goalkeeper Maddie Ford inside the opening ten minutes of play. The Bloomfield Hills, Mich. native was at it again shortly after as she denied Koehl and Kelli Zickert in short order just before the 20th minute.

Loyola looked to find its footing as the half wore on and was rewarded in the 35th minute. Sophomore Jenna Szczesny sent a cross into the box that Banks headed back across the face of goal and in off the post to give the Ramblers a 1-0 advantage. That lead would be prove to be short-lived as Zickert knotted the game up at 1-1 in the 36th minute before Brianne Richards put the Redbirds in front only 60 seconds later to give Illinois State a 2-1 lead that it would carry into halftime.

The Ramblers came out of the intermission and quickly went in search of an equalizer. Senior Ashley Bovee headed wide off of a corner kick by junior Emily Lange in the 54th minute. Loyola looked to have tied it up only six minutes after when junior Avalon Senn-Raemont sent a blast for the far post that forced a diving save out of Haley Smith, the Redbird netminder.

Ford continued her solid work between the pipes to keep the deficit at one when she turned away Kiley Czerwinski's try in the 82nd minute. Freshman Sienna Cruz had an opportunity to score her second goal in as many games with time running out but fired just high of the crossbar from the middle of the box in the 88th minute as Illinois State escaped with a 2-1 win.

Looking At The Numbers
- Tonight marked the ninth straight game between Loyola and Illinois State that has been decided by a single goal. That streak dates back to a 3-2 overtime victory by the Ramblers during the 2005 campaign.
- Banks became the 12th different Rambler to tally a goal this season after opening her account this evening.
- Despite giving up a pair of goals, Ford was strong again in goal for Loyola as she added seven saves.

Up Next
Loyola is back in action on Sunday afternoon when it travels to Cedar Falls, Iowa for a 1 p.m. meeting with Northern Iowa.