CHICAGO (October 10, 2019) – The Loyola University Chicago women's soccer team will put its current five-game win streak on the line at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon when it battles Missouri State in a matchup of two of the Missouri Valley Conference's hottest teams. The Ramblers and Bears currently sit as part of a three-way tie for the top spot in The Valley table, alongside Illinois State.
Last Time Out: For the second time in as many games, Loyola used a three-goal second half to break a scoreless game wide open, as it defeated UNI, 3-0, last Saturday in Rogers Park.
Abby Swanson,
Megan Nemec, and
Amanda Cassidy each registered tallies for the Maroon & Gold, while
Grace Droessler notched a pair of saves en route to recording her second consecutive shutout.
vs. Missouri State: Missouri State, which is coming off a 1-0 win over Drake last Saturday in Springfield, Mo., finds itself sitting at 8-2-1 overall (2-0-0 MVC), having already matched its win total from a season ago. Veteran head coach Rob Brewer's team closed the 2018 season with a final record of 8-9-2 (2-3-2 MVC) and was picked fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll. The Bears feature a balanced attack in the offensive third, with six different players having at least two goals to their name this season. Leading the charge for that group is the duo of Jordan Eickelman and Unnur Bergsdottir, who have each found the back of the net three times. Backstopped by reigning MVC Goalkeeper of the Year Kaitlin Maxwell, Missouri State boasts The Valley's top defensive unit. The Bears' 0.73 goals against average leads the MVC and ranks in the top 50 nationally. Maxwell ranks first in The Valley in goals against average (0.711), save percentage (0.846), and shutouts (4).
Series Stuff: Loyola and Missouri State will meet for the ninth time on Saturday afternoon in Rogers Park. The Ramblers hold a 5-3-0 edge in the all-time series, having won four of the previous five meetings, including the last two at Loyola Soccer Park. In last season's clash in Springfield, Mo,
Madison Kimball scored with less than two minutes remaining in the first overtime to send Loyola to a thrilling 1-0 victory over Missouri State at Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium.
Up Next: Loyola wraps up a three-game homestand when clashes with Valparaiso at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 16.
