A steady drizzle fell over the campus field on Sunday night as the Loyola Chicago men’s soccer team hosted their cross‑town rivals, DePaul. The atmosphere was electric, but the rain quickly turned the pitch into a slippery battleground, setting the stage for a match that would swing back and forth until the final whistle.
Early Surge and Halftime Shift
Loyola struck first when Luka Ivancic converted a penalty kick, and shortly after Seth Stewart added a goal following a Maxwell Ionita strike that set up Arved von Vegesack’s header. The early burst gave the Ramblers a comfortable 2‑0 cushion before the half.
DePaul answered in the 42nd minute when Noeh Hernandez found the net, pulling the visitors within one. The goal shifted momentum, and the teams headed into the break with the score at 2‑1 in favor of Loyola.
The second half remained tightly contested, but the drama intensified in the closing ten minutes. Ori Yedlin’s strike put Loyola ahead again at 81:02, only for Hernandez to level the game at 82:13. In the scramble that followed, Maxwell Ionita was shown a red card with just 22 seconds left on the clock.
Late Goals and a Red Card
Despite the dismissal, Nico Kehayov celebrated his first career goal for Loyola, while Stewart netted his second of the season. The final whistle confirmed a 3‑3 draw, a result that left both coaches shaking hands amid the lingering rain.
DePaul outshot Loyola 20‑12 over the course of the game, but the Ramblers held firm defensively, with Ionita’s earlier saves contributing to a 2‑0‑2 record that keeps them unbeaten early in the season.
Looking Ahead
Loyola will next travel to the Jesuit Invitational, where they are slated to meet Santa Clara on September 4 and Gonzaga on September 7. The upcoming fixtures promise more rain‑soaked contests as the team looks to build on the resilience shown in this dramatic draw.