CHICAGO (September 27, 2022) – Following back-to-back games on the road, the Loyola University Chicago women's soccer team (6-3-2, 2-1 A-10) returns to the friendly confines of Loyola Soccer Park this week for matchups against a pair of surging Atlantic 10 Conference sides.
 
The two-game homestand opens on Thursday evening when Davidson makes its way to Rogers Park for a 7 p.m. kickoff.  Dayton, one of the A-10's last two remaining teams with an unblemished record, will provide the opposition on Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
Last Time Out: Loyola split a pair of matchups last week, dropping a hard-fought 3-2 decision to No. 10 Saint Louis before rolling past George Washington, 3-0.  Madeleine Barone and Abby Swanson tallied goals against the Billikens, with Swanson's 81^st-minute tally putting the Ramblers back on level terms before a Caroline Kelly strike three minutes later decided the game.  In Sunday's matchup in the nation's capital, the Maroon & Gold jumped out to a two-goal lead in the first half behind strikes from Megan Nemec and Jaimee Cibulka.  Amanda Cassidy added a goal in latter stages of the second stanza to provide the final 3-0 scoreline.
 
vs. Davidson: Davidson makes its way to The Windy City at 9-2-1 overall and 2-2 in Atlantic 10 Conference play.  After opening the year on an eight-game unbeaten run, the Wildcats have responded well following a pair of defeats to open league play, picking up wins over Rhode Island, 1-0, and St. Bonaventure, 3-0, last week.
 
Sixth-year head coach Adam Denton's team is led in the final third by the trio of Aleia Gisolfi-McCready, Brooke Ditcham, and Remi White.  Gisolfi-McCready has a team-high three goals to her name this season, while both Ditcham and White have each registered two tallies and an assist.  Hailey Braemer has also proven to be a vital cog in the attack, dishing out a team-best four assists.
 
The Wildcats are anchored by Mary Grace Bunch in goal, who leads the Atlantic 10 in goals against average (0.53) and shutouts (7).
 
vs. Dayton: Dayton enters the week as one of the Atlantic 10's hottest teams, having ripped off seven straight wins to run its record to 10-1-1.  The Flyers, who host George Washington on Thursday, dispatched George Mason, 4-0, and Massachusetts, 2-1, last week to move to 4-0 in A-10 play.
 
Head coach Erik Golz, who spent two seasons at former Missouri Valley Conference rival Illinois State prior to arriving at Dayton, boasts one of the Atlantic 10's premier offensive threats in Itala Gemelli.  Gemelli has found the back of the net a staggering eight times this season, a mark that ranks second in the A-10.  In addition to Gemelli, four different Flyers have tallied two goals this season.
 
Batoul Reda has emerged as Dayton's first choice goalkeeper, owning a 0.82 goals against average and a 0.813 save percentage.
 
Series Stuff: Loyola will battle Davidson for the first time on Thursday evening.  The Ramblers have a limited history against teams that call North Carolina home, owning a 1-0-1 (.750) mark versus Tar Heel State opposition.
 
Sunday's matinee will mark the seventh meeting between Loyola and Dayton in women's soccer.  The Flyers have dominated the all-time series to a tune of a 6-0 (1.000) record, but the two teams haven't met since a 3-0 Dayton win back on August 26, 2011 as part of the Lakeside Classic in Evanston, Ill.
 
Up Next: Loyola visits Philadelphia, Pa. on Saturday, October 8 for a 12 p.m. (CT) tilt against Saint Joseph's.