BALTIMORE – Loyola University Maryland men's soccer, which has won back-to-back Patriot League regular season titles and was receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Division I preseason poll, hosts Princeton at 7 p.m. Saturday night in its 2019 home opener at Ridley Athletic Complex.
Last Time Out
- Loyola suffered its fourth-straight one-goal defeat to begin the year last Sunday, dropping a 3-2 decision in double overtime at 2018 NCAA quarterfinalist James Madison.
- Freshman Daniel Osuji scored his first collegiate goal in the 41st minute to put the Greyhounds in front, maneuvering around a defender in front and lifting a shot into the top right corner.
- After two second-half goals by the Dukes, Davey Mason leveled the score with 5:34 remaining to send the game to overtime.
- Tyler Clegg chipped in the game-winner for the Dukes with 5:19 left in double OT.
- Freshman Kristinn Pétursson entered the Starting XI for the first time, playing all 105 minutes for Loyola on the backline.
Finally Home
- After starting the year with four contests away from Ridley Athletic Complex, Loyola is set for its first home game of the season on Saturday.
- The Greyhounds have gone 12-4-1 over the past two seasons at Ridley, including a 5-1 mark against non-conference opponents during that span.
Series History
- Loyola leads 6-5-4 in a series which dates back to 1996.
- Fourteen of the previous 15 matchups between the two sides have been decided by one goal or fewer.
- The Greyhounds earned a 1-0 victory in last year's meeting at Princeton on Sept. 25, with Mason setting up Sam Brown for the game-winner in the 85th minute.
- Chase Vosvick finished with four saves in goal to record his fourth of seven shutouts on the year.
- This is the first meeting at Ridley Athletic Complex since Sept. 18, 2013, a 2-1 Loyola victory.
About the Tigers
- Princeton finished last season with a record of 10-5-3 (5-1-1) earning its first outright Ivy League championship and trip to the NCAA tournament since 2010.
- The Tigers bowed out in the first round of the NCAA tournament after drawing 1-1 at Michigan. The Wolverines advanced on penalty kicks (11-10, 14-round shootout).
- Kevin O'Toole, the 2018 Ivy League Player of the Year, and 2018 first team All-Ivy League defender Richard Wolf headline Princeton's returners.
- O'Toole had the game-winner in a 2-1 victory over Rider on Wednesday. The Tigers (1-1) began the year with a 4-0 loss at No. 5 Duke last Friday.
Quick Notes
- Vosvick has limited opponents to one goal or fewer in 15 of his 16 collegiate starts at Ridley Athletic Complex.
- Princeton is the fourth of six 2018 NCAA tournament opponents on the schedule this season. Still to come are matchups at Colgate (Oct. 19) and Wake Forest (Oct. 22).
- Osuji's opening goal at JMU on Sunday gave the Greyhounds their first lead of the season. Loyola has been tied or within one goal of its opponents for 354 out of a possible 374 minutes of game action in 2019.
- Mason's goal over the weekend was his second in two-plus seasons at Loyola.
- Loyola is looking to avoid the program's first five-game losing streak since Sept. 1-17, 2006.
- Seven players (S. Brown, Mason, Osuji, Vosvick, Jacob Denison, Morgan Lussi, Barry Sharifi) have started each of the season's first four games.
