CHICAGO (September 2, 2021)
In Short…
Spurred on by a stout defensive effort, the Loyola University Chicago women's soccer team battled visiting Wisconsin (3-1-1) to a 0-0 draw in double overtime this evening at Loyola Soccer Park. Tonight's result moves the Ramblers to 3-0-1 on the year, marking the best start through four games in program history.
Head Coach Barry Bimbi's Thoughts…
"Any time we get the opportunity to play a power five school, our girls really look forward to it. With both of us and Wisconsin getting off to good starts this season, this was a pretty big game. The belief that we're starting to have that we can beat anyone on our schedule is great. Our girls showed up tonight and gave Wisconsin all they could handle. I thought it was a really good game from beginning to end."
How It Happened
Both sides struggled to generate chances in the opening 45 minutes of play, with quality scoring opportunities coming at a premium. Junior
Amanda Cassidy headed wide of goal in the 11
th minute, before the Badgers' Natalie Viggiano skied her attempt at the other end of the field eight minutes later.
Fresh off tallying her first career goal in last Friday's win over Florida Atlantic, junior
Megan Demski hoped to give the Ramblers the lead in the waning stages of the first half, but saw her effort from 20 yards out corralled by reigning Big Ten Conference Goalkeeper of the Year Jordyn Bloomer, keeping the game deadlocked heading to halftime.
Wisconsin looked to gain a foothold on the proceedings coming out of the locker room, with tries from Lauren Rice and Izzy Verdugo both going off target. Cameron Murtha's header in the 71
st minute cleared a leaping senior goalkeeper
Maddie Hausmann, but struck the crossbar before being cleared away from danger by graduate student
Jenna Ross.
Cassidy had a golden opportunity to snag a late winner in the 83
rd minute, but headed narrowly wide of the far post from the top of the six-yard box, as the two teams headed for overtime to determine the outcome.
The two netminders were both called into action during the extra sessions. Hausmann stepped up to keep things all square in the 96
th minute, turning away another shot from Murtha. With just under four minutes to play in the second overtime, senior
Bailey Faulkner, a native of Whitefish Bay, Wis., took aim at the near post from the edge of the 18-yard box, but Bloomer intervened to collect the last attempt on goal of the night for either team.
Looking At The Numbers
- After dropping its first six meetings with the Badgers, Loyola has now played Wisconsin to back-to-back draws.
- Wisconsin closed the night with a 13-8 advantage in shots, with each team putting two attempts on target.
- Cassidy and Faulkner both notched two shots to pace the attack for the Maroon & Gold.
- Hausmann registered a pair of saves en route to her third shutout in as many games. Loyola's defensive unit has now held opposing teams scoreless for just over 271 consecutive minutes of game action.
Up Next
Loyola takes on another Big Ten Conference foe to close out the week, traveling to Nebraska on Sunday, September 5. Kickoff from Hibner Stadium in Lincoln, Neb. is set for 1 p.m.
