RICHMOND, Va. (October 23, 2022)
In Short…
Facing a must-win scenario in order to prolong its season, the Loyola University Chicago women's soccer team battled to a 1-0 win over host Richmond (3-10-4, 2-5-3 A-10) this afternoon at President's Field in Richmond, Va. Today's victory sees the Ramblers secure a berth in the upcoming Atlantic 10 Conference Women's Soccer Championship and close the regular season at 8-7-3 overall (4-5-1 A-10).
Head Coach Barry Bimbi's Thoughts…
"We've been playing some really pretty soccer the last few weeks, but today was not one of those days. Today was about heart and guts! I'm so proud of the resiliency of this group. Now we focus on the conference tournament, where anything can happen!"
How It Happened
Knowing that a win would guarantee safe passage into the postseason, Loyola attacked seemingly at will in the first half.
Olivia Rhodes bent a free kick just wide of the near post eight minutes in before
Abby Swanson took aim from 30 yards out in the 19
th minute, forcing an impressive stop out of Richmond goalkeeper Taylor Montague.
After seeing Rambler netminder
Naya Lipkens called into action for the first time in the 22
nd minute,
Sarah Noonan made a bid to put Loyola on top near the half-hour mark, unleashing a blast that was collected by Montague.
Loyola broke through with only 10 minutes remaining in the first half.
Abby Swanson elevated to head a ball towards
Sarah Noonan that went on to find the feet of
Jaimee Cibulka, who saw her right-footed shot directed at the far post deflect off a Richmond defender and past Montague to give the Maroon & Gold a lead it would carry into halftime.
Both teams were forced to deal with a steady rain that began falling shortly after the start of the second half.
Amanda Cassidy came close to doubling the margin with nine minutes gone, only for her point-blank try to be denied by Montague. Knowing it needed a win to keep its own postseason hopes alive, Richmond began to find its footing as time wore on, enjoying longer spells of possession, but was unable to put an attempt on target.
Rhodes again threatened off a free kick in the 72
nd minute, looping an attempt towards goal that rung off the crossbar before being cleared out by Richmond. Jojo McShane made a final bid to put the Spiders on level terms in the 80
th minute, misfiring at Lipkens' near post from outside the box, as Loyola secured a postseason berth for an 11
th straight campaign.
Looking At The Numbers
- For the second time in as many games, Cibulka provided a crucial goal for Loyola, finding the back of the net for the third time this season. Today's tally marks the Woodridge, Ill. native's second career game-winning goal.
- The Ramblers put nine of their 16 attempts on target, with
Megan Nemec recording a team-best three shots on goal.
- Loyola's defensive unit turned in a classic performance, limiting the Spiders to just one shot on goal en route to a sixth clean sheet of 2022.
Up Next
By virtue of today's win, Loyola will be seeded eighth in the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship. The Ramblers will battle No. 11 Saint Louis, the Atlantic 10's reigning regular season champion and tournament's top seed, in a quarterfinal-round clash at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 29 at Hermann Stadium in St. Louis, Mo.
