CHICAGO (September 15, 2021) – Following a grueling stretch that has seen it play five of its first seven games on the road, the Loyola University Chicago women's soccer team (4-2-1) will begin a three-game homestand this weekend at Loyola Soccer Park.
On Friday, the Ramblers will begin their pursuit of a fourth-straight Missouri Valley Conference regular season title when they play host to Indiana State in the MVC opener for both teams at 7 p.m. Eastern Michigan will visit Rogers Park for a 1 p.m. Sunday kickoff in what will serve as the Ramblers' non-conference finale.
Last Time Out: Loyola split a pair of games against BIG EAST Conference opposition last week. In this past Thursday's matchup with DePaul, sophomore
Madeleine Barone headed home her first goal of the season in the 71
st minute, while senior goalkeeper
Maddie Hausmann racked up a career-high five saves as the Maroon & Gold prevailed, 1-0, at Wish Field. The Ramblers gave No. 23 Xavier all it could handle just three days later, falling by a final count of 2-1 at Corcoran Field in Cincinnati, Ohio. Freshman
Jaimee Cibulka netted her first collegiate goal in the 65
th minute against the Musketeers.
vs. Indiana State: Indiana State enters Valley play at 2-5-1 on the year, most recently dropping a 3-0 decision to Saint Louis on September 12 as part of a stretch that has seen it go winless (0-2-1) across its last three games.
Picked third in the MVC Preseason Poll, the Sycamores were one of the league's surprises this past spring, finishing a program-best 6-4-0 (6-2-0 MVC) en route to a runner-up finish in the conference table.
Now in her sixth season in Terre Haute, Ind., head coach Julie Hanley's team is led in the offensive third by Mackenzie Kent, who ranks as the Sycamores' leader in overall points (6) with two goals and two assists to her name. Apart from Kent, six other players have tallied a goal this season. 2020-21 Honorable Mention All-MVC pick Maddie Alexander has featured in goal in each of the last five games for Indiana State and sports a 1.34 goals against average in addition to a 0.741 save percentage.
vs. Eastern Michigan: After dropping its first four games of the 2021 season, Eastern Michigan has gone unbeaten (1-0-1) over its last two contests to move to 1-4-1.
The Eagles, who were voted fifth in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Preseason Poll, visit Western Illinois on Friday before arriving in Rogers Park.
Offense has been tough to come by for 23rd-year head coach Scott Hall's team, which has netted only four goals through the season's first six games. Chloe Chatzis, Jamie Lefebvre, Maddie O'Farrell, and Madeline Olson have all scored this season. Chelsea Abbotts has seen the majority of action between the pipes, starting in four games en route to a 2.13 goals against average.
Series Stuff: Loyola and Indiana State will meet for the 13th time in Friday's Valley opener. The Ramblers have won four straight meetings to open up a 9-3-0 lead (.750) in the all-time series. When the two teams battled earlier this year on March 24, Loyola rattled off five second-half goals to turn a 1-0 halftime deficit into a 5-1 win at Memorial Stadium.
Friday will mark the third time Loyola and Indiana State have met in an MVC opener. The Maroon & Gold, who are 6-0-2 (.875) all-time in Valley openers, picked up their first-ever MVC victory against the Sycamores, a 2-1 triumph back on September 27, 2013 at Loyola Soccer Park.
Sunday's non-conference finale will be just the fourth all-time meeting between Loyola and Eastern Michigan, a series that sits at 1-1-1 (.500). The Ramblers earned their first victory over the Eagles on September 22, 2019, with a
Lindsey Hardiman overtime game-winner sending Loyola to a 1-0 road triumph at Scicluna Field.
Up Next: Loyola is back home next week when it hosts Northern Iowa on Alumnae Day. Kickoff against the Panthers is slated for 4 p.m. from Loyola Soccer Park.
