The men’s soccer team captured their second Patriot League victory in a row Friday night at the Ridley Athletic Complex, defeating Boston University 3-1. With this win, the Hounds jump to second place in the conference with a 3-1-1 conference record and improve to 7-3-1 overall.
Loyola came out of the gate in attack mode, keeping constant pressure on Boston’s defensive third. The Hounds broke through in the 42nd minute when Josh Fawole ‘20 scored the first goal of the match. Boston had a chance to tie the match with a penalty kick just before the half, but goalie Chase Vosvick ‘21 (4 saves), denied the shot from John Siracuse with a fantastic diving save.
Overall, the Hounds dominated the match offensively. They took 11 shots on goal, while the Terriers managed to create 10 shots total. Loyola also more than tripled their opponent in corner kicks, nine to two. Fawole, who tallied his first goal of the season last week against Army, doubled last week’s output by scoring two goals. Nico Brown ‘20, contributed with a goal of his own, while Stephen Nichols, ‘22, made a play in the midfield, which earned him an assist.
Both squads went scoreless for the bulk of the second half. Boston’s defense settled in and managed to corral each Loyola attack, but they failed to create many scoring opportunities of their own. The game broke open late when Nichols finally found space in the middle of the field for Loyola. He connected with a cutting Fawole, who used his speed to beat the Terrier defenders and score his second goal in the 82nd minute.
Just a minute later, a defensive breakdown by Boston left Brown on an island with his defender. Brown took advantage and expanded Loyola’s lead to 3-0, putting the match well out of reach. The Terriers didn’t lie down, as Mana Chavali scored off a lefty rocket in the 85th minute. But it was too little to late, and Loyola went into the weekend with a convincing 3-1 conference victory.
The Hounds stay at home this week, as Cleveland State comes to Ridley for the first time in program history on Tuesday night. This is Loyola’s final non-conference game of the regular season before they face four straight Patriot League opponents, including conference leader Lehigh.
The women’s team suffered another heartbreaking loss up in Massachusetts, falling to Patriot League leader Boston University 1-0 on Saturday night. The Lady Hounds fall to a meager 1-5 in the conference and 5-9 overall.
Sumer Rahe ‘19, was the lone bright spot for Loyola in goal with seven saves, as she made up for defensive breakdowns and stuffed everything the Terriers threw at her. However, the defensive stalemate ended up being broken by an own goal in the 86th minute, which proved to be the difference in the match.
Rahe made four saves in the opening frame to keep the match scoreless. One of those saves came in the 41st minute when she came out of her position to make a sensational sliding save in a one-on-one situation.
Loyola’s offense struggled mightily to create scoring opportunities. Their lone shot on goal came early in the second half, when Jourdan Ziff ‘19, found some space in the box and fired a shot towards the top of the cage, but goalie Morgan Messner knocked it down. The Hounds threatened with a few attacks that got deep in the box, but they couldn’t get a shot on goal as each attempt sailed high or wide.
Rahe continued to keep her team in the match by making a couple full-extension saves in the 66th and 82nd minutes. However, the pressure from Boston’s attack proved to be too much in the end. In the 86tj minute, Boston’s Jenna Oldham spotted a cutting teammate and sailed a dangerous cross into the box.
A Loyola defender slightly deflected the pass, and Rahe watched helplessly as the ball flied past her into the netting, spoiling an otherwise spectacular performance in goal. The Terriers held strong in the final minutes, sending Loyola on the long bus ride back to Baltimore empty-handed.
The Hounds can’t linger on the loss for long, however. They continue conference play in the nation’s capital this Wednesday at 3 p.m. as they face American University at Reeves Field.
Feature Image: Courtesy of Craig Chase
