The women’s soccer team saw their playoff hopes officially fade away as they fell 3-1 to visiting Lafayette on Saturday, marking the end of their 2018 campaign.

Although both teams recorded  seven shots, Loyola only managed to get two of them on target. Hannah Hoefs ’20 scored the lone goal for the Hounds in the 68th minute on a free kick. Goalie Sumer Rahe ’19 had a few saves, but her defensive unit did not have a good outing.

The first half was scoreless, as both teams struggled to create scoring opportunities. The drought finally broke in the 60th minute, when Sophie Saldivar tapped in a loose ball in front of the cage.

Lafayette expanded their lead to 2-0 on a free kick strike from Camryn Monfort in the 67th minute. Hoefs responded with a free kick goal of her own on the very next possession to keep her team within reach.

Krista Kessel entered the box hardly contested and made the Hounds pay, netting her shot to expand their lead to two once again in the 77th minute. Loyola started a persistent attack, desperately trying to keep their playoff hopes alive. They had a few  chances, but their shots sailed wide, and the score remained 3-1 as the final minutes of Loyola’s season ticked away.

Men’s soccer soundly defeated American University 4-1 on Tuesday, clinching their spot in the Patriot League tournament and improving their seeding. Four different Greyhounds found the scoring column on their way to the victory. Brian Saramago ‘20 and Sam Brown ’21 each had a goal and an assist, while Nico Brown ’20 and Dan Gunter ’21 each scored a goal. Josh Fawole ’20 assisted on the goals from Brown and Gunter.

Loyola opened the scoring early, as a cross from Saramago resulted in a scrum in front of the net. Brown won the 50/50 ball, and his efforts were rewarded with a goal in the fifth minute.

As the match passed the 20th minute mark, Brown sent the ball into the top of the box to Brown, who had enough space to let one fly. Brown sent a missile to the upper part of the cage that narrowly avoided the goalie’s extended arm, making the score 2-0. Just minutes later, the Hounds earned a penalty kick that was taken by Saramago. The junior effortlessly buried the PK at the 22:45 mark, giving his team a comfortable 3-0 lead.

The Hounds gained another insurance goal from Gunter in the 70th minute, as he took a pass from Fawole and buried the lefty shot to score the first goal of his career at Loyola.

American earned a penalty kick in the game’s final moments to make the score 4-1, but by then it was too little and too late as the Hounds walked away with a comfortable victory.

Loyola returned to Ridley Athletic Complex on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Lehigh Mountain Hawks 1-0 on Senior Day and Greyhound Homecoming Weekend. The win improved their conference record to 6-1-1, earning them a first-round bye in the upcoming Patriot League championships.

The Hounds honored seven members of the Class of 2019: Mohamed Abdourahman, Jake Campbell, Gabriel Carlsson, Sam Carter, Justin Friedlander, Xander Salig and injured captain Mickey Watson. The teams from 2007 and 2008 were also recognized at halftime as a part of Homecoming Weekend.

In a match that was evenly-contested throughout the afternoon, the lone score came from Nico Brown, giving him five goals on the season. His goal came early in the eighth minute, as Saramago sent a cross into the box. Brown gained good positioning on his defender and sent the ball past goalie Will Smith, giving Loyola an early lead.

The score would not change, however, as Brown, Fawole and others saw their shots sail wide or get gobbled up by Smith, who finished the match with four saves. Loyola keeper Chase Vosvick ’21 had a strong outing as well, saving three Lehigh shots in the second half to secure his sixth shutout of the season.

In the end Brown’s early goal was enough, as Loyola held off the Mountain Hawks’ final scoring efforts to close out the win on Senior Day. The Greyhounds play their final regular season match against Lafayette on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. With a win, they would clinch the top seed in the Patriot League and host the conference semifinals and championship game on Nov. 9 and 11.

Feature image courtesy of Craig Chase