OXFORD, Ohio (August 19, 2021)
In Short…
Graduate student
Katharine Stephens and junior
Kyrsten Pellikan each netted goals as the Loyola University Chicago women's soccer team (1-0-0) picked up a 2-1 win over host Miami (Ohio) (0-1-0) in the regular season opener for both teams this evening at Bobby Kramig Field in Oxford, Ohio.
Head Coach Barry Bimbi's Thoughts…
"I'm very proud of the team for grinding out a victory under tough circumstances today with a delayed kickoff of almost two hours after we had already completed our warmup and for playing on a soggy grass field, which is always tough for a team that prefers turf. I think we learned a lot about our team today, and hope to improve for Sunday's game against a quality opponent."
How It Happened
Following a nearly two-hour delay to kickoff due to inclement weather, Pellikan looked to put the Ramblers on the board just two minutes in, but sent her attempt from inside the 18-yard box wide of goal.
Freshman
Taylor Harrison made a bid for her first collegiate tally just past the half hour mark, only to see her effort turned away by Miami goalkeeper Izzie Vaccari. On the other end of the field, senior goalkeeper
Maddie Hausmann kept things all square as the first half entered its closing stages, turning away a pair of efforts inside the final quarter of an hour.
The pairing of Stephens and junior
Megan Nemec joined forces to provide Loyola its breakthrough in the 40
th minute. Nemec squared a ball to the center of the box for Stephens, who directed past Vaccari to send the Ramblers into halftime with a 1-0 advantage.
After seeing Hausmann notch her third stop of the night in the 56
th minute, Pellikan made the most of another opportunity inside the penalty area less than two minutes later, firing into the back of the net from just in front of the penalty spot to double the Maroon & Gold's advantage, 2-0.
Loyola continued to control the pace of play as the second half wore on, routinely pinning Miami back in its own third. A Haley Anpasch goal with just over a minute remaining in regulation added some late drama, but proved to be the final attempt of the night for either team as the Ramblers closed out a season-opening road win.
Looking At The Numbers
- Loyola closed the night with a 9-5 edge in shots, with each team putting four attempts on target.
- Nemec and Harrison were credited with assists on Stephens' opener, while senior
Aly Kilburg picked up her first career helper on Pellikan's game-winning tally.
- Hausmann made three saves to lead Loyola's defensive efforts.
Up Next
Loyola opens the home portion of its 2021 schedule on Sunday, August 22 when it welcomes SIUE to Loyola Soccer Park for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
