Men’s Soccer Holds Off Santa Clara in 3-2 Thriller at the Jesuit Invitational

Loyola men’s soccer defeated Santa Clara University 3-2 Sept. 4 at Morrison Stadium in Omaha, Neb. Despite facing a second-half surge from the Broncos, the Ramblers capitalized on key offensive opportunities to earn their third win of the year.

The Broncos set the tone early when they applied pressure with three corners in the opening 13 minutes and tested Loyola’s backline with several long-range efforts. Loyola’s defense stood firm, clearing the set-piece opportunities.

In the 17th minute, fourth-year midfielder Jack McFeely fired a shot towards the center of the net off a Ramblers counterattack, but Santa Clara’s third-year goalkeeper Carter Tseu made the save to keep the game scoreless. Loyola’s second-year forward Chimnosoh Okeke followed with another shot which fell off target. 

Following even possession in the midfield, Santa Clara’s third-year forward Simon Diagana countered and sent a shot which went wide in the 23rd minute. Loyola immediately responded as McFeely found the ball in the attacking third and fired a shot that was blocked by the Broncos defense.

The Ramblers broke the ice in the 31st minute as third-year midfielder Luka Ivancic found the back of the net after winning the ball in the final third. 

Just a minute later, Loyola struck again. Off a ball from third-year forward Arved von Vegesack, first-year midfielder Mateusz Drazek netted his second collegiate goal to double Loyola’s lead.

After leading 2-0 at halftime, the Ramblers faced steady offensive pressure from Santa Clara. In the 55th minute, Bronco’s fourth-year midfielder Will Wiersdorf fired a shot at the top of the box that was saved by first-year goalkeeper Ori Yedlin. 

The Broncos’ relentless attack paid off midway through the second half. In the 68th minute, Santa Clara third-year midfielder James Saggau sent a cross that Santa Clara fourth-year midfielder Will Wiersdorf capitalized on. Five minutes later, Santa Clara tied the match after fourth-year forward Nik Berkovitz slotted a ball into the net off a pass from second-year defender Alejandro Arenas.

Unfazed by the sudden shift, the Ramblers responded immediately. Less than a minute later, Drazek found Vegesack, who put a shot past Tseau to reclaim Loyola’s lead in the 75th minute. Vegesack nearly added another in the 79th minute, forcing a bottom-right save from Tseu.

As time wound down, the match turned physical, resulting in yellow cards for Santa Clara’s third-year midfielder Ezana Alemayehu and second-year forward Josmar Guandique in the 85th minute. Santa Clara made one final push, hitting the woodwork twice in the closing minutes.

Following a hard-fought victory, head coach Kevin Robson praised his team’s resilience and their ability to stay in the match against a talented Santa Clara squad.

“I’m really excited for the guys to beat a team of high quality in some really tough conditions,” Robson said. “It was a total team effort from every guy on the roster.”

The Ramblers will continue in the Jesuit Invitational at Morrison Stadium in Omaha, Neb. playing Gonzaga University Sept. 7. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.