DeKALB — Two goals were all it took for Loyola University – Chicago to down the women’s soccer team in a 2-0 loss at home.

Huskie junior goalkeeper Megan Donnally had four saves, facing six shots on goal. The loss marks NIU’s fourth loss to Loyola of all-time. The last game the teams met was a 1-0 loss for the Huskies on Sept. 20, 2013 in Chicago. 

Women’s soccer struggled to keep the ball on their opponent’s side of the field in the first half, allowing five shots on goal, part of which came from the pressure Loyola was putting on the team.

“I think they did a good job pressuring us pretty quickly, and I think we held onto the ball too long,” Head Coach Julie Colhoff said.

In the fourth minute, Donnally recorded her first save off a shot from graduate student forward Simone Wark. 

In the seventh minute, Donnally recorded her second save off a shot from first-year forward Megan Nemec.

In the 17th minute, NIU had its first shot on goal coming from junior forward Amanda Czerniak. Loyola’s sophomore goalkeeper Maddie Hausmann picked up her first save.

In the 35th minute, Donnally recorded her third save off a shot from sophomore midfielder Abby Swanson.

Not long after the third save for NIU, in the 36th minute, first-year forward Amanda Cassidy shot and scored, giving the Ramblers a 1-0 advantage over the Huskies.

At the start of the second half, the Huskies appeared more aggressive on both sides of the ball, advancing into Loyola territory several more times than they had in the first half. Donnally attributed NIU’s aggressive play to Colhoff.

“I think we just get pumped up in the tent by our coach, that we just need to work harder,” Donnally said. “That’s why we came out strong.”

The Huskies would not be able to close the gap.

In the 75th minute, the Rambles had the first shot on in the second half, coming from junior forward Katharine Stephens. Donnally was there to pick up her fourth save.

Toward the end of the second half, the women’s soccer team got more aggressive with several shot attempts, doing anything they could to tie up the game. However, in the 86th minute senior forward Aleksa Tataryn scored her team’s second goal, increasing the lead to two for Loyola. Nemec assisted on the goal.

Despite the loss, Colhoff found parts of the game she was pleased with regarding the team.

“I’m pleased that they came out to battle today,” Colhoff said. “I think that there are controlables we need to clean up, and if we do that I think we’ll like the results that we get.”

After the loss, the women’s soccer team sits at 1-3-1 on the season. NIU will return to the field 5 p.m. Friday to face Marquette University at Valley Fields in Milwaukee.