CHICAGO (September 7, 2022) – Coming off a split last week, the Loyola University Chicago women's soccer team (3-2-1) will close out the non-conference portion of its 2022 schedule with two matchups against in-state foes.
DePaul will make the short trip up from Lincoln Park on Thursday for a 7 p.m. tilt with the Ramblers at Loyola Soccer Park in the next chapter of the Red Line Rivalry. Loyola will head back out on the road to wrap up the weekend, venturing downstate to battle Illinois at 1 p.m. on Sunday from Demirjian Park in Champaign, Ill.
Last Time Out: After dropping a hard-fought 1-0 decision to No. 19 Xavier last Thursday that featured a Musketeers goal in the 90
th minute, Loyola rebounded with a 4-1 win on the road at Western Illinois on Sunday afternoon.
Corissa Koontz, who was named the Atlantic 10 Conference's Co-Rookie of the Week on Monday, scored her first collegiate goal in the 36
th minute to erase an early deficit for the Maroon & Gold. Goals from
Megan Nemec,
Taylor Harrison, and
Amanda Cassidy over a 6:51 span in the second half propelled the Ramblers to a third road victory in four tries this season.
Naya Lipkens was also honored for her efforts last week, highlighted by a six-save showing against Xavier, taking home A-10 Defensive Player of the Week honors.
vs. DePaul: Under the direction of second-year head coach Michele O'Brien, DePaul enters the week sitting at 1-3. The Blue Demons are coming off a 3-1 setback at the hands of Northwestern last Thursday at Wish Field.
Picked ninth in the BIG EAST Conference Preseason Poll, DePaul finished last season at 7-11 overall, a mark that included a 4-6 ledger in league action.
Kristin Boos will look to spearhead the attack for O'Brien's side in 2022. Boos, who has started in all four games this season for the Blue Demons, closed last season with three goals and three assists to rank second on the team in overall points (9). Along the backline, hard-nosed defender Sydney Parker returns after playing in all 1,636 minutes of game action last season. Parker also made her presence felt in the final third, adding a goal and an assist.
Mollie Eriksson is back in goal to anchor DePaul following a 2021 campaign in which she started in all 18 games en route to posting a 0.94 goals against average and six shutouts.
vs. Illinois: Illinois currently sits at 4-2 on the young season after snapping a brief two-game slide with a 3-2 win over Indiana State this past Sunday at Demirjian Park.
Led by head coach Janet Rayfield, who is now in her 21st season in charge in Champaign, Ill., the Fighting Illini are led in the offensive third by the pairing of Kendra Pasquale and Sarah Foley, who each have a pair of goals to their name this season. Pasquale was one of three Fighting Illini to be named to the Big Ten Players to Watch list prior to the start of the season, joining Ashley Cathro and Eileen Murphy.
Illinois is backstopped by goalkeeper Julia Cili, who has played in every minute of all six games this season and sports a 1.33 goals against average.
Series Stuff: Loyola and DePaul will battle for the 22nd time on Thursday evening in the latest installment of the Red Line Rivalry. Following a 1-0 win back on September 9, 2021 at Wish Field courtesy of a
Madeleine Barone goal in the 71st minute, the Ramblers hold a slim 10-9-2 (.524) lead in the all-time series.
Loyola will be in search of its first win in five tries over Illinois on Sunday after dropping the previous four matchups (0-4-0), the last of which came back on August 22, 2019, a 3-1 Fighting Illini triumph. The Ramblers have gone just 3-41-7 (.127) against current Big Ten Conference members, most recently batting then No. 24 Wisconsin to a 1-1 draw on August 25 at the McClimon Soccer Complex in Madison, Wis.
Up Next: A new era begins on Sunday, September 18 when Loyola entertains La Salle in its Atlantic 10 Conference opener. Kickoff from Loyola Soccer Park is slated for 1 p.m.
