Loyola men’s soccer recorded a 1-1 draw against La Salle University Oct. 11. The match was their third consecutive tie. The Ramblers sole goal was courtesy of third-year midfielder Jack McFeely. The game started with a shot from fourth-year midfielder Ben Bischof which went over the crossbar. Third-year Explorer defender Oluwatobi Osoba responded with a …
Loyola men’s soccer recorded a 1-1 draw against La Salle University Oct. 11. The match was their third consecutive tie. The Ramblers sole goal was courtesy of third-year midfielder Jack McFeely.
The game started with a shot from fourth-year midfielder Ben Bischof which went over the crossbar. Third-year Explorer defender Oluwatobi Osoba responded with a shot on net, which third-year goalkeeper Gabe Velasco saved.
Three consecutive corner kicks for La Salle provided ample opportunities, but Loyola’s defense held them to only one shot, which was deflected out of bounds.
A shot by the Explorers’ third-year forward Kyrese Lynch-Bailey soared over the upper-right side of the crossbar. Less than a minute later, first-year forward Antonio Pinto fired a shot at the net but missed to the left.
La Salle third-year midfielder Zachary Forehand took back-to-back shots — first to the top half of the net, followed by a second to the bottom center — which were both saved by Velasco.
In the 31st minute, a shot by first-year Explorer forward Julius de Vries found the back of the net, giving La Salle the first lead of the match and bringing the score to 1-0.
Second-year defender Daniel Firs answered with a shot to the top corner of the net in the 33rd minute, but it was saved by Explorers’ fourth-year goalkeeper Tino Kneis.
La Salle looked to give themselves a two-point lead with a shot by third-year Explorers midfielder Zeke Zambrano, but their attempt was denied by a save from Velasco.
As the end of the first half grew closer, Loyola capitalized on a corner kick opportunity. Assisted by first-year defender Joaquin Rodríguez and third-year forward Petar Janjic, McFeely sank a shot into the back of the net.
The goal brought the match to a 1-1 draw heading into the final minutes of the half and marked McFeely’s first goal of the season. Looking to put Loyola up by a point, one last shot came from Bischof but flew over the top of the crossbar, ending the first half tied at 1.
The second half kicked off with a corner from Loyola, putting them on the offensive end. The Ramblers followed up the corner with two consecutive shots — one from second-year defender Nicholas Roe and another from graduate midfielder Kike Morales Bilbao. Both were saved by Kneis.
Loyola held the offensive pressure with two more corner kicks and another round of shots — one each from Roe and Bilbao — but were unable to find the back of the net.
In response to Loyola’s offensive drive, Zambrano and La Salle’s graduate forward Sean Yurgel fired shots on net, but both missed their target, with Yurgel’s ricocheting off the crossbar.
A follow-up shot by Yurgel soared over the net while Zambrano let off a shot toward the bottom center that was saved by Velasco.
Loyola was forced back into defensive play as two corner kicks from La Salle created shot opportunities. Explorers’ second-year midfielder Alberto Esquivel Meza directed a shot at the top corner of the net but was denied a goal thanks to a save from Velasco.
A shot to the bottom left from second-year forward Arved von Vegesack gave Loyola another chance, but the ball was saved by Kneis.
The competitive stakes of the 1-1 draw saw play become more intense as nine fouls were handed out to players on both teams in the final ten minutes. The two teams continued on the offensive pressure in hopes of giving themselves the lead in the final minutes of the match.
La Salle second-year forward Pedro Amadou took a shot at the bottom center of the net, which Velasco saved. Vegesack responded with a shot on the bottom right side but saw his attempt saved by Kneis.
The final shot came from La Salle in the 89th minute, with Blackwell looking to bring home a win for the Explorers. Blackwell’s shot headed for the bottom left corner, but Velasco saved it, ending the match in a 1-1 draw.
“I thought our team’s energy and desire were excellent throughout. La Salle is a fast and dynamic team going forward, and we did a good job limiting their chances,” head coach Steve Bode said. “Now we’re looking forward to hosting VCU on Saturday during Alumni Weekend.”
The team returns to Hoyne field next Saturday, Oct. 18, where they’ll take on Virginia Commonwealth University at 3 p.m. The game can be streamed on ESPN+.
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