Final Stats

DEKALB, Ill. -- In a match that featured very few chances for either team, a late first half goal lifted Loyola-Chicago to a 1-0 victory over the Northern Illinois University men’s soccer team on Wednesday night at the NIU Soccer Complex. The Huskies and Ramblers combined for just 13 total shots, only two on goal.

“Collectively, I thought we were okay,” said NIU head coach Eric Luzzi. “Individually, I thought we had a number of guys that didn’t have great nights, but to be honest that is on me, I’ll take responsibility for that. The biggest thing right now is we have to have more guys making plays.  

 “The way that we conceded the goal is a little frustrating. We had a chance to clear the ball outside the top of the box and I think we tried to play out of something we shouldn’t have, and that resulted in a corner. They hadn’t had a shot on goal prior to that and the fact that we didn’t kill the play earlier is a little frustrating, but we will be fine, we will lick our wounds on this one and be back ready to go on Saturday.”

In the 17th minute, good combination play down the left side led to a chance for the Huskies. Freshman Amit Tal (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park) found himself on the end of a good sequence with a chance to cross a ball from the left side. Tal’s cross found the head of senior Bertrand Gaschot (Austin, Texas/Westwood) but Gaschot was unable to keep his header down as it rose harmlessly high of goal.

Loyola (8-3-3) nearly opened the scoring in five minutes later as Kyle Thomson hit the post on a free kick from 25 yards that the Huskies were able to scramble away to safety.

NIU (7-5-0) had a golden opportunity to open the scoring just three minutes before the intermission. With a free kick just inside the Loyola half, Tal served an excellent ball into a dangerous position inside the box where it fell to junior Adam Lightner (O'Fallon, Mo./Fort Zumwalt West) but he skied his effort well over the bar as the game remained scoreless.

Two minutes later the Ramblers went in front. Loyola won a corner that Thomson took and played beyond the back post. Jacob Thoreson rose highest to head the ball back across the front of goal where it deflected in off a Huskie defender to give the Ramblers a 1-0 lead just 64 seconds before the intermission.

In the second 45 minutes neither team generated much in the way of offense. NIU senior goalkeeper Andrew Glaeser (Walla Walla, Wash./Walla Walla/Oregon State) made the lone save of the contest in the 75th minute, going low to his right to stop a shot from Connor Stevenson.

NIU’s best chance of the second half came in the 87th minute when freshman Giovanni Pacheco (Pasadena, Texas/Pasadena) was able to get a head on a cross from near the penalty spot, but his header went high as the Huskies were unable to breakdown a Loyola team that entered the contest having allowed just six goals this season.

The Huskies will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 24, when they host Buffalo in the first of three Mid-American Conference matches to close the regular season. Game time against the Bulls is slated for 6 p.m.