Loyola Game Notes | The Valley on ESPN vs. Evansville | Live Stats vs. Evansville
CHICAGO (October 24, 2018) – The Loyola University Chicago women's soccer team will look to clinch its first Missouri Valley Conference regular season title when it returns to Loyola Soccer Park on Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. to host Evansville in the regular-season finale for both teams.
Last Time Out: Senior
Madison Kimball found the back of the net with less than two minutes remaining in the first overtime to propel Loyola to a crucial 1-0 road victory over Missouri State this past Sunday at Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium in Springfield, Mo. Junior goalkeeper
Kate Moran added six stops between the posts to help lead the Ramblers to their fourth shutout of MVC play.
vs. Evansville: Evansville enters Thursday's regular-season finale at 4-10-2 on the year following a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Illinois State last Sunday at Arad McCutchan Stadium. The Purple Aces, who are safely in the field for the upcoming conference tournament, are mired in a four-game winless stretch that has seen them slip to sixth in the Valley table at 2-3-1. Veteran head coach Krista McKendree's team is led in the offensive third by Montana Portenier and Emily Ormson. Portenier currently sits atop the team's scoring chart with two goals and three assists to her name, while Ormson has provided a spark off the bench, racking up a team-high three goals. Michaela Till has been a fixture between the posts, starting in all 16 games for McKendree's side this season. The Purple Aces' netminder holds a 1.36 goals against average and a 0.800 save percentage.
Series Stuff: Loyola and Evansville will meet for the 11th time on Thursday afternoon in Rogers Park. The Ramblers have a 5-1-4 advantage in the previous 10 encounters, having gone unbeaten in the last nine meetings. Since arriving in The Valley prior to the 2013 season, Loyola owns a 4-0-3 record against the Purple Aces, including a perfect 2-0-0 mark in games played within the friendly confines of Loyola Soccer Park. When the two teams met last season, Loyola earned a heart-stopping 3-2 road victory behind goals from
Avalon Senn-Raemont,
Lindsey Hardiman and
Emily Lange, with Lange's 88th-minute strike serving as the game-winner.
Postseason Update: Loyola can capture its first MVC regular season title in program history with a win over Evansville. A draw would guarantee the Maroon & Gold no worse than a split of the league crown. A top-two finish in the final league table would also give the Ramblers an automatic bye to the semifinals of the conference tournament.
Up Next: The 2018 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Soccer Championship will get underway on Sunday, October 28 with opening-round play at campus sites. The action will then shift to Loyola Soccer Park for the semifinals (November 2) and championship game (November 4).
