Friday night the Loyola University Maryland women’s soccer team laced up and hit the field at Howard University to play what ended up being a very close and competitive game for both teams at Greene Stadium. It was not until overtime that the Hounds topped the Bison and came out with the win.
The game was filled with numerous shots, blocks and saves, and overall, Loyola came out strong from the beginning with some aggressive plays. A few minutes into the game, junior Charlotte Miller fired two shots to start off a series of other solid opportunities Loyola had to score.
Even under the pressure, they continued to execute and get the ball toward the goal. The Greyhounds held a 17-12 lead in shots, and both goalkeepers, Loyola senior Colleen Folan and Howard’s Kyra Dickinson, did a phenomenal job defending and keeping the ball from the net. If it weren’t for such strong defense, the game could have ended earlier with a much different score. Freshman Alyssa Bonnesen had three goal attempts during the game, including an intricate play in the final few minutes before overtime.
With both teams deadlocked with a score of 0-0 by the end of the game, it was time for the Greyhounds to make some moves. Once overtime began, it wasn’t long before the ball met the net for the first time all night. Six minutes into overtime play, sophomore Nicole Wahlig made a quick pass to redshirt junior Jessica Van Dyke, who in return fired a shot that finally got past the goalie. With that goal, Loyola walked away with a victory and a better record of 2-3. Howard still searches for a victory with a record of 0-3.
After a home showdown against Saint Joseph’s on September 7, the Greyhounds will be back at it again to play Towson in the Battle of Baltimore at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, September 12 at Ridley Athletic Complex.