Oct. 12, 2011

CHICAGO – The Loyola men’s soccer team fell (2-9-1) to in-state opponent Eastern Illinois (6-5-1) tonight in a 1-0 contest at Loyola Soccer Park. Though the Ramblers put up a great fight, stopping breakaways and establishing counter-attacks, it was a simple set play that won the match for the Panthers.

Offensive pressure forced a corner kick for Eastern Illinois at the 12:10 mark. Will Butler set up the goal with a boot into the box and connected with Mike Picinich for the header.

It took a while for the Ramblers to find a steady rhythm but the team settled into a groove midway through the first half. The offense was able to create a lot of opportunities to cross into the middle and connect for shots, but great net-minding by Panther keeper Tyler Kelley kept Loyola playing catch-up.

Senior Peter McKeown did his fair share of superb play as the starting goalkeeper for the Ramblers. McKeown saw a lot of action in back, playing aggressive and pursuing multiple keeper challenges, to collect three saves.

Despite the loss, Loyola held the 10-9 advantage in shots. Freshman Brian Bement led the Ramblers with four total shots and two shots on goal. Alec King finished with two shots, one on goal, while Eric Nock and Kyle Spoo each added one shot on goal. Rounding out the team total with one shot apiece were Eric Marofske and Erik Warren. Both teams finished with four corner kicks in the contest.

The Ramblers will host Detroit this Saturday, Oct. 15 on Senior Night. The match is set to take place at 7:00 p.m. CST and will feature a pre-game ceremony to honor the graduating players.

http://www.loyolaramblers.com/sports/m-soccer/recaps/101211aaa.html

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