Men’s Soccer Comes to Draw Against Purdue Fort Wayne at Hustle to Hoyne

Loyola Men’s soccer finished in a scoreless draw during the annual Hustle to Hoyne event, facing off against Purdue Fort Wayne Aug. 24. The Ramblers were led by fourth-year forward Hugo Urdiales with four shots attempted while the team had a total of 17 shots.

First-year psychology major Leila Burnett expressed her enthusiasm on attending her first Loyola athletic event.

“For one of my first games, the energy was very high,” Burnett said. “It definitely got me very excited for Loyola, and it just gave a sense of community.”

Following the high energy crowd, the first half began with Loyola quick on the attack as third-year midfielder Jack McFeely shot on goal two minutes into the match. The Mastodon’s second-year goalkeeper, Sep Habibi, blocked the attempt.

A few seconds later, fifth-year forward Shane Anderson received a yellow card for unsporting,  the first of three for the Mastodons.

McFeely took two subsequent corner kicks in the fifth and sixth minutes, failing to score on both. Third-year forward Petar Janjic took a shot at the net but was off target.

Janjic found an offensive opportunity after taking control of the ball, breaking away in the midfield. He ran it up the field to score, but with a slide kick, Habibi blocked the ball from the bottom center of the net in the 11th minute.

Loyola’s First-year forward Antonio Pinto was then yellow-carded for unsporting after arguing with the referee.

Janjic took his third shot attempt at the top center of the net in the 14th minute, and once again Habibi made the save for the Mastodons.

Purdue Fort Wayne made their first shot on goal in the 17th minute as fourth-year defender Marcos Soria aimed for the top left of the net, but third-year goalkeeper Gabe Velasco blocked the shot.

The Ramblers had another shot at the goal in the 21st minute when fourth-year forward Hugo Urdiales ran the ball up the field and passed to Pinto, who overshot the right corner and missed.

Following a corner kick by first-year defender and midfielder Joaquin Rodriguez in the 27th minute, Urdiales made his second attempt at the goal, but a defender for the Mastodons swiftly knocked it off course.

Seven minutes later, Purdue Fort Wayne’s second-year midfielder Ben Hissrich shot at the bottom right, but Velasco blocked what would be the Mastodons’ last offensive opportunity.

Following a corner kick awarded to Purdue Fort Wayne, fourth-year forward Marco Valencia received a yellow card for unsporting after contending a call made by the referee, making it the second on the Mastodons. 

In the 44th minute, second-year forward Arved von Vegesack kicked a last-minute chance to score for Loyola, but the ball was blocked by Habibi. A few seconds later, fourth-year forward Angel Mendez was awarded a yellow card for arguing with the referee to end the half. 

Following subsequent throw-ins and fouls for both teams, Loyola found an offensive opportunity 10 minutes into the second half, where second-year defender Liam O’Donoghue overshot and the ball soared over the corner of the goal.

Pinto made the next attempt, but the ball bounced off the crossbar and back to O’Donoghue. Moments later, fourth-year defender Marcos Soria was awarded a yellow card for the Mastodons for challenging the referee.

Following an unsuccessful corner kick for Loyola, second-year defender Daniel Firs and Urdiales attempted shots at the goal but came away scoreless.  

In the 76th minute, McFeely made two quick, consecutive kicks to the bottom left of the goal, but Habibi made the save both times.

The last corner kick was awarded to the Ramblers, but the Mastodons proved their agility with a quick headbutt to knock it off course.

Urdiales, in proximity to the net, shot to the bottom center, but the Mastodons’ goalie was in front and caught the ball in the 82nd minute.

Pressure on the net led to second-year defender Nicholas Roe taking a shot to the top center, but the Mastodons blocked it. A minute later, Mendez overshot the ball and missed another attempt to score in the 86th minute.

The last few minutes saw a struggle for the ball as it remained unsettled between players, leading to the end of the scoreless match.

Head coach Steve Bode reflected on the offensive power Loyola had during the game despite the end result.

“It’s one of those draws that feels like maybe a loss,” Bode said. “17-2 in shots was the stat.  We created a lot of chances, I think, ultimately, I have confidence in our guys that we’re gonna put away those chances in the future.”

The Ramblers will be back at Hoyne Field Sept. 4, where they will go head-to-head with Wright State. The match is set to begin at 7 p.m.