Ramblers Drop Out of A10 Tournament Early With Narrow 1-0 Loss to UMass

The Loyola women’s soccer team saw an early first round exit in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament Nov. 2, as they were held scoreless 1-0 by the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA. 

UMass’ lone scorer of the afternoon was graduate midfielder Ella Curry. On the other end of the pitch, second-year midfielder Zoe Hevey attempted four shots for the Ramblers.

Redshirt first-year forward Emily Rossi started the match with an opening kickoff for the Ramblers, who were quickly dispossessed by a UMass offensive press. The Minutewomen’s first possession ended after a cross into the box was grabbed by redshirt first-year Allison Deardorff.

A shot from UMass’ fourth-year midfielder Bella Recinos was deflected away for a corner kick in the seventh minute.

Two consecutive corner kicks followed in the eighth minute, with the first being punched away by Deardorff. The second corner kick spelt eventual doom for the Ramblers.

Situated in the corner spot, Curry lofted a pass to the near post of the net, where several players jostled for control. The ball went just over their heads and fell between a Loyola defender and Deardorff for an “olimpico” — a goal scored directly from a corner kick.

Down 1-0, three shots in five minutes – two from Hevey and one from second-year forward Jadyn Harris – were denied by a staunch UMass defense. 

A following shot from Recinos was one of two more shots to conclude the first half. In the 44th minute, Loyola fourth-year midfielder Taylor Harrison was given a yellow card for a hard tackle.

The final event of the first half occurred a minute later, when a shot from UMass graduate forward Grace Pinkus was saved by Deardorff — her first and only save of the match.

The second half remained largely uneventful, with UMass redshirt fourth-year goalkeeper Bella Mendoza needing to make a single save against six shots by the Ramblers, who had nine total shots with three on target.

The last of the Ramblers’ shots came courtesy of Hevey in the 87th minute, but provided little threat as it was stopped short by the Minutewomen’s backline, effectively ending the match and Loyola’s season.

In her first season as interim head coach, Angela Staveskie led the Ramblers to a record of nine wins, five loses and five draws, giving the team their best winning percentage, .605, since the 2021 season.

In a statement to the Loyola Athletics, Staveskie praised the team’s efforts in the dying minutes.

“It’s heartbreaking to see eight strong women leave our program, but one thing is for certain — they made a lasting impact, and their legacy will live on,” Staveskie said. “Losing is hard, but we walked off the field with our heads high knowing that we left it all on the field. I’m so proud of these Ramblers.”

Loyola returns to the pitch with several exhibition matches in the spring prior to the start of the 2025 season.