CHICAGO – Indiana State fell behind Loyola early and then recorded an equalizer midway through the opening half but it was the league-leading Ramblers who countered with another goal of their own to earn a 2-1 victory on a wet and cool evening on the Northside of Chicago.
Indiana State fell to 3-10-2, 1-4-1 MVC while Loyola improved to 11-4-1, 6-0-0 MVC. The Sycamores will enter the final game of the regular season holding the sixth and final spot in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. ISU hosts Missouri State on Halloween while the two teams chasing the Sycamores – UNI and Valparaiso – will play each other on the same evening.
Loyola broke through first in the contest with a goal in the fifth minute from Abby Swanson. Swanson took a header and put it into the back of the net off the feed from Madison Laudeman to stake the Ramblers to a 1-0 lead.
Sophomore Sidney Ewing found the equalizer in the 24th minute when she took a long feed from Lindsey Anstine and fired the ball at the far post from 15 yards out to tie the match up at 1.
The tie was short lived as Aleksa Tataryn received an assist from Simone Wark for her seventh goal of the season in the 27th minute to push the Ramblers ahead 2-1. Tataryn took a long feed into the center of the box and hit a perfect one timer into the back of the net.
Loyola held a 17-4 edge in shots while Ewing and Anna Holcombe owned the Sycamores two shots on goal. Freshman Tara Hoffman made three saves in the match while allowing a pair of goals.
Indiana State returns home for the regular season finale on Halloween night, Thursday, October 31 at 5 pm (ET) against Missouri State. The game will be held inside the friendly confines of Memorial Stadium. Admission to Sycamore Soccer is free.
