Ramblers Fall Flat in Draw Against Northwestern

Loyola women’s soccer came to a scoreless draw against Northwestern University Sept 3. Fourth-year goalkeeper Allison Deardorff led the defense with eight saves. 

The match started with a foul on fifth-year forward and midfielder Mia Lanni. Two minutes later, the Ramblers were allowed a corner kick which resulted in a missed shot by fourth-year midfielder Ansley Cryan. Loyola received an offside call in the sixth minute, giving possession to the Wildcats.

Fourth-year forward and midfielder Zoe Hevey received a yellow card for unsporting in the eighth minute, and a foul on second-year midfielder Josslyn Weissman two minutes later gave Wildcat fourth-year forward Sarah O’Donnell a chance for a shot, which went wide. 

A foul on Lanni in the twelfth minute led to a shot by Northwestern first-year midfielder Elle Phillips, which was scooped up by Deardorff. The Wildcats were awarded back-to-back corner kicks in the 16th and 17th minute, both of which were unsuccessful. 

Wildcat third-year midfielder and forward Alex Fallon got a shot off of a foul on Weissman, and the save resulted in a corner for Northwestern. A shot by Fallon went toward the bottom left of the net and was saved by Deardorff. 

Seven minutes later, Loyola was awarded a corner kick which was deflected by a Wildcat. First-year defender Sarah Collins was called on a foul in the 37th minute and given a yellow card four minutes later for unsporting. 

The half ended with a foul on third-year defender Catherine Cline, leading to a shot by Phillips to the bottom right of the net which was blocked by Deardorff. 

The second half started with fouls on Northwestern second-year forward Liz Cardwell and Weissman. A free kick allowed Wildcat third-year forward Mary Stroebel a shot on goal, which was saved by Deardorff. 

Two minutes later, Phillips took a shot, which veered out to the right. In the 56th minute, third-year midfielder Lydia Case received a yellow card for unsporting. 

Cardwell’s shot in the 58th minute missed the net, and Hevey’s goal a minute later was saved by Wildcat second-year goalkeeper Nyamma Nelson. 

A minute later, Stroebel took a shot that went out left of the goal. In the 63rd minute, first-year midfielder and forward Addison Schaffer’s shot on the goal went wide on the right. A minute later, second-year forward Ava Fleming was called on consecutive fouls. 

A foul on Northwestern third-year defender and forward Kate Hennen was a chance at momentum for the Ramblers, but they failed to capitalize on it. 

In the 77th minute, Wildcat first-year defender and midfielder Naomi Lofthouse took a shot which missed the goal. A foul on Northwestern third-year midfielder and defender Ava Goodin allowed the Ramblers to take a shot, but an offside call in the 80th minute squandered the chance. 

The change of possession gave Fallon a chance on the goal, which bounced off the right post of the net. O’Donnell had an unsuccessful attempt a minute later, which was followed by shots from Lofthouse and Fallon, both of which were saved by Deardorff. 

A foul on fifth-year defender Emily Roberts in the 85th minute was followed by a shot from Phillips to the center of the goal, but it was caught by Deardorff. 

An offside call against Northwestern in the 86th minute gave the Ramblers possession, but a foul on Cline turned the ball over to the Wildcats. 

The final three minutes of the match saw three missed shots by Northwestern — Phillips’ shot went to the top left and was saved by a jumping Deardorff, O’Donnell’s ended up to the left of the goal and Northwestern fourth-year forward Keira Wagner’s shot to the bottom right was scooped up by Deardorff. 

Head coach Jon Sandoval said the game “wasn’t easy,” and the team showed grit in their performance. 

“In a few moments, we bent but didn’t break,” Sandoval said. “We are proud of the shift the team put in tonight.”

The Ramblers continue their season with their Red Line Rivalry game against DePaul University Sept. 6 at Loyola Soccer Park. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m,. and the match is available to stream on ESPN+.