RICHMOND, Va. (October 13, 2022)
In Short…
VCU (7-1-7, 5-0-2 A-10) extended its unbeaten run to 13 games as it held off the Loyola University Chicago women's soccer team, 1-0, this evening at Sports Backers Stadium in Richmond, Va. Tonight's result sees the Ramblers drop to 6-7-2 overall (2-5 A-10).
Head Coach Barry Bimbi's Thoughts…
"I'm so incredibly proud of this group of players for their grit and belief in what we are doing. We had a very good performance tonight against a talented team, but sometimes soccer is cruel. The team left everything on the field tonight, so we have no regrets."
How It Happened
Reigning Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Week Kanna Matsuhisa nearly put the hosts on top inside eight minutes, driving a cross towards goal that deflected off the crossbar before being cleared to safety. After misfiring in the 11
th minute,
Abby Swanson found herself back in the mix at the quarter-hour mark. Swanson directed a corner kick from
Olivia Rhodes back to the top of the box to
Ava Metaj, who fired just high of goal.
VCU found the night's opening goal in the 21
st minute, as Isadora Gajdobranski volleyed an Anna Bagley free kick back across the face of goal to make it 1-0.
Megan Nemec looked to provide an immediate response, forcing a stop out of Rams' goalkeeper Whitney Horton 39 seconds later.
Amber Diorio came dangerously close to doubling the margin just minutes before the intermission, sending her close-range try off the post.
Amanda Cassidy looked to put the Ramblers back on level terms in the last 90 seconds, but sent her try wide of the near post as VCU took a 1-0 lead into halftime.
Loyola came out as the aggressors in the second half. Strong combination play between
Jaimee Cibulka and Nemec five minutes in led to the latter member of the duo drilling a shot from just inside the box at the near post, only for Horton to make the save. The Ramblers continued to ask questions of the Rams' netminder in the 65
th minute, with Nemec seeing her shot from 15 yards out collected by a diving Horton.
Despite multiple good spells of possession in the evening's closing 20 minutes, the Maroon & Gold were unable to find a way past Horton, who entered the night with seven clean sheets to her name, and a well-organized VCU defensive unit as the Rams closed out a fifth straight win.
Looking At The Numbers
- Nemec put three of her four attempts on target as Loyola finished the night with a 3-2 edge in shots on goal.
- Swanson added two shots of her own.
- Horton posted three saves in goal to lead VCU on the defensive end.
Up Next
Loyola opens its final homestand of the 2022 season on Sunday, October 16, welcoming Duquesne to Loyola Soccer Park for both Senior and Alumnae Day. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
