Oct. 5, 2011

CHICAGO – The Loyola men’s soccer team notched their second win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Oakland tonight at Loyola Soccer Park. In a highly physical match, the Ramblers exhibited crisp ball control, aggressive offense, and combative defense to rise over the Golden Grizzlies and claim the victory.

“It was great to get the W. It is part of getting back into a good swing during the season,” said head coach Brendan Eitz. “I think we came out ready and played well in the first half especially. And we had a lot of pressure in our defensive zone at the end which we were able to absorb.”

The first half weighed heavily in favor of Loyola, who executed a near-perfect passing game, while Oakland struggled to find a steady rhythm. Freshman Brian Bement scored his third goal of the season midway through the first half to put the Ramblers on the board. At the 27:32 mark, Bement trapped a cross from Andrew Raymonds near the penalty kick line, spun around an opposing defender, and launched a shot to the upper left corner of the net for the game-winner.

Oakland picked up their line of attack in the second half to maintain the majority of possession and keep Loyola under pressure, continually working to fend off the Golden Grizzlies. Veteran defenders Justin Koehler and Reed Patterson combined with usual non-starters Alex DeZeeuw and Sean Dotson to ensure the shutout.

“I think it was important for us to have some new guys play. They stepped in to help with the game and did a great job,” said Eitz.

Oakland finished with the 10-8 advantage in shots while Loyola took the slight 4-3 edge in corner kicks. In addition to his goal, Bement attempted two other shots in the match to lead the Rambler offense. Kyle Spoo finished with two shots while Eric Nock, Eric Marofske, and James Howe each added an attempt to round out the team total. Peter McKeown started in goal for the Ramblers and finished with six saves on the night to collect his first win of the 2011 season.

Loyola will move back to Horizon League play when they travel to Cleveland State on Saturday, Oct. 8. The Ramblers will kick-off against the Vikings at 6:00 p.m. CST.

http://www.loyolaramblers.com/sports/m-soccer/recaps/100511aaa.html

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