ESPN3 vs. Florida State | Live Stats vs. Florida State | Loyola Game Notes

CHICAGO (November 7, 2018) – Currently riding a stretch that has seen it win eight of its last nine games, including each of the last five, the Loyola University Chicago women's soccer team will make it return to the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship on Friday evening when it takes on Florida State, one of the tournament's four top-seeded teams.  Kickoff from the Seminole Soccer Complex is slated for 6 p.m. (CT).
 
Last Time Out: Loyola earned a thrilling 3-2 win over Drake in the championship game of the Missouri Valley Conference Women's Soccer Championship on Sunday afternoon to claim the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.  Senior Jenna Szczesny gave the Ramblers an early lead from the penalty before consecutive goals from Olivia Bruce sent the Bulldogs in front, 2-1, with just over half an hour to play.  Freshman Abby Swanson put the Maroon & Gold back on level terms with a goal in the 70^th minute, finishing off a feed from Szczesny.  Sophomore Katharine Stephens delivered the afternoon's deciding strike just six minutes later, battling her effort over the line following a scramble in the box to ultimately punch Loyola's first NCAA ticket since 2007.
 
vs. Florida State: Florida State won its fifth Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) title in the past six seasons, defeating top-seeded North Carolina by a final score of 3-2.  The Seminoles, who sit fifth in the latest United Soccer Coaches Top 25, enter the national tournament with a record of 15-4-2.  That mark includes a 5-4-1 ledger in ACC play.  Under the direction of head coach Mark Krikorian, now in his 14th season in charge in Tallahassee, Florida State is led by the duo of Deyna Castellanos and Yujie Zhao.  Castellanos, a First Team All-ACC honoree, has scored a team-high nine goals and shares the team lead with six assists, while Zhao, who was named the ACC's Freshman of the Year to go along with First Team accolades, has found the back of the net six times and dished out three assists.  Krikorian's team boasts one of the nation's top defenses.  Anchored by goalkeeper Brooke Bollinger, who sports a 0.45 goals against average that ranks eighth in the NCAA, Florida State has allowed only 11 goals this season (0.51 GAA).
 
Series Stuff: Friday's tournament opener will serve as the first meeting between Loyola and Florida State in women's soccer.  The Ramblers will be in search of their first victory over a current ACC member after dropping their previous 11 tries.  Loyola and Florida State share a pair of common opponents in Notre Dame and Wisconsin.  The Ramblers dropped 2-1 decisions to both the Fighting Irish and Badgers, respectively, while the Seminoles picked up a 3-0 win over Wisconsin before downing Notre Dame, 4-0, during ACC play.
 
Up Next: The winner of Friday's matchup between Loyola and Florida State will move on to the Second Round of the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship, where a meeting with the winner of the First Round tilt between South Florida and Albany awaits.