In Short…
Senior
Sienna Cruz and junior
Lindsey Hardiman each found the back of the net as the top-seeded Loyola University Chicago women's soccer team secured its second straight Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Title, defeating second-seeded Illinois State (14-6-0, 6-1-0 MVC) by a final scoreline of 2-0 this afternoon in the final of the 2019 MVC Women's Soccer Championship at Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium in Springfield, Mo. Today's victory, the Ramblers' 12
th-straight, sees Loyola improve to 14-4-1 (7-0-0 MVC), tying the program record for wins in a season, and punches its ticket to next week's NCAA Tournament.
Coach Barry Bimbi's Thoughts…
"You know you have a special group when they save their best performance for the championship match. When the opening whistle blew, there was a focus and determination that was unmatched."
How It Happened
Loyola came out on fire, with both junior
Katharine Stephens and senior
Aleksa Tataryn hitting the crossbar in rapid succession just three minutes in. Freshman goalkeeper
Grace Droessler was called into action for the first time in the 13
th minute, stepping up to bring in Mikayla Unger's shot from distance.
The Ramblers continued to pepper the Illinois State goal as the half wore on. Tataryn went just high in the 21
st minute before Hardiman targeted the near post shortly after, only for Redbird goalkeeper Haley Smith to stone her attempt. Freshman
Megan Nemec used a great bit of individual skill to find space in the 34
th minute before forcing a leaping stop out of Smith.
Loyola was rewarded for its persistence in the 40
th minute. Freshman
Madi Rosen delivered a corner kick to Smith's near post that ultimately landed at the feet of Cruz, who rolled her try inside the far post to give Loyola a 1-0 lead at halftime.
With its season potentially down to its last 45 minutes, Illinois State quickly looked to push Loyola back to open the second half. Natalie Vaughn-Low, who scored the game-winner in Friday's semifinal-round win over Missouri State, saw her attempt blocked two minutes in.
Hardiman provided the Maroon & Gold with some insurance in the 55
th minute. Sophomore
Abby Swanson swung a cross through the box that connected with Hardiman, who unleashed a one-time rocket that banged off the far post and over the line to double the Loyola lead, 2-0. The Ramblers would not allow Illinois State an avenue back into the game for the remainder of the afternoon, frequently pinning the Redbirds back in their defensive third, en route to a second straight tournament title.
Looking At The Numbers
- Cruz capped off an impressive weekend with her second game-winning goal in as many contests, upping her season total in the category to four.
- Hardiman's second-half goal was her third of the campaign, while Swanson was credited with her first assist of the year on the strike.
- Loyola's defensive unit turned in arguably one of its top performances of the season today, holding the Redbirds to just five attempts as it posted its ninth shutout of the season. The Ramblers are the first team to hold Illinois State scoreless since Ball State on August 29, snapping a streak of 16 straight matches with at least a goal.
- For their efforts throughout the weekend, Cruz, Hardiman, Swanson, and senior
Madison Laudeman were named to the MVC All-Tournament Team, with Cruz taking home Most Valuable Player accolades.
Up Next
Loyola will learn its opponent and destination for the upcoming NCAA Women's Soccer Championship during Monday's NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Selection Show at 3:30 p.m. (CT).
