CHICAGO (November 4, 2021) – With its regular season slate complete, the Loyola University Chicago women's soccer team (11-2-2, 7-0-1 MVC) will begin its pursuit of a fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament when it opens play in the 2021 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Soccer Championship on Friday against Drake.  The top-seeded Ramblers and fifth-seeded Bulldogs are set for a 6 p.m. kickoff at Loyola Soccer Park.
 
Last Time Out: Loyola secured its fourth straight MVC regular season title last Thursday, downing visiting Valparaiso by a 5-0 margin in Rogers Park.  Five different Ramblers found the back of the net, while the Maroon & Gold turned in a dominant defensive showing, not allowing the Beacons a shot attempt on the afternoon.  
 
vs. Drake: Coming off a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory on the road against fourth-seeded Northern Iowa this past Sunday, Drake arrives in The Windy City at 8-6-5 overall, a mark which includes a 2-3-3 ledger in Missouri Valley Conference play.
 
Led by 14th-year head coach Lindsey Horner, the Bulldogs nearly missed out on the league tournament, using a vital 2-0 win over Northern Iowa on the final day of the season to punch their postseason ticket.
 
The duo of Libby Helverson and Emma Nagel leads Drake in the attacking third.  Helverson has racked up six goals and four assists, both team-high marks, while Nagel has chipped in four goals and three assists.  Veteran goalkeeper Kelsie Stone has started in all but one game this season, posting eight shutouts in addition to a 1.01 goals against average.
 
Series Stuff: Winners of its last six matchups with Drake, Loyola holds a 7-4-3 (.607) lead in the previous 14 meetings between the two programs, all of which have come since the Maroon & Gold joined The Valley prior to the 2013-14 academic year.  When the Ramblers and Bulldogs met back on October 3 at Drake Stadium, Abby Swanson, Megan Nemec, Amanda Cassidy, and Taylor Harrison each found the back of the net in a 4-1 win.
 
The two programs are no strangers to each other in postseason play, having met five times in the MVC Championship, splitting those matchups to a tune of 2-2-1 (.500).   The most memorable of those encounters occurred back on November 4, 2018, with a 76th-minute goal from Katharine Stephens sending Loyola to a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory in the MVC Championship title game at Loyola Soccer Park.
 
Up Next: With a win over the Bulldogs, Loyola would advance to the MVC Championship title game on Sunday, November 7 at Loyola Soccer Park, where the winner of Friday's first semifinal featuring second-seeded Valparaiso and sixth-seeded Evansville will await.