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Thursday night in Chicago, with storms and lightning swirling over the city — reflecting the tenor of the match — the Loyola Ramblers defended their home pitch against number 21/20 in the country, DePaul. The match was intense from the first to last whistle – feeling every bit the cross-town rivalry.
“Our girls played hard and stuck to the game plan,” Loyola head women’s soccer coach Barry Bimbi said after the match. “Last night was a culmination of the little things we've been doing right in the game. From the opening whistle to the last whistle, it was a total team effort.”
"We had such a solid team effort tonight. We were super compact, defended as a team and that makes it easier on us as a back line,” Loyola junior defender Abby Burridge told Loyola's website after the game.
That team effort allowed Loyola to shut out DePaul’s high-octane offense as it repeatedly attacked the Ramblers’ defense in their third. The Ramblers — with everyone contributing defensively — were up to the pressure.
“We were getting pressure on the ball. If a player was beat off the dribble, we had another defender within distance to win the tackle” Bimbi said when asked about the biggest positives of the night. “That compactness and commitment to helping teammates out really came through.”
Despite entering the match after a grueling early season schedule, having four NCAA tournament teams from last year in the last five games, Loyola entered the match with extra motivation that may have helped fuel their high energy performance.
“Last week, I had a lifelong friend call and tell me his five-year-old son was diagnosed with leukemia,” Bimbi said.
For the match, the team wore yellow laces as part of Compass To Care’s “Replace the Lace” program, which helps families of children diagnosed with cancer cover medical expenses. (You can learn more about the program and get involved here.)
So proud to a part of such a special night #ReplaceTheLace @CompasstoCare pic.twitter.com/Asb57PVUjM
— Hailey Merrill (@AllHailMerrill) September 18, 2015“The girls all wore the yellow laces in their cleats and, before the game, we talked about family and playing for each other. We also sent parents a link to watch the game streamed live, so we talked about, ‘let's put an effort forward that's going to make your parents proud.’ And the players definitely did that," Bimbi said.
After regulation and two overtimes DePaul managed only four shots on frame and Loyola two. There was no shortage of fouls however — 27 were whistled between the two teams. While there was plenty of technical skill displayed, the match was defined by grit and a high work rate by the ladies on both sides.
DePaul, the clear favorite coming in, seemed to be frustrated from midway through the second half and through the overtimes.
Bimbi described Loyola’s attitude as “blue collar” to every game and it was on full display last night.
The match ended nil-nil. Likely disappointed, DePaul will look to string a couple wins together to put this loss behind them. Loyola, likely upbeat from what appears to be a step forward will take this as motivation for the remainder of the season.
“Our biggest challenge is can we bottle up that effort from last night and bring it to every game,” Bimbi said. “If we do that, the results will take care of themselves.”
Next up for Loyola is former Horizon League foe Milwaukee. That match kicks off from Engelmann Field at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
