DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
3-1-2, 0-0-0
Loyola Chicago
2-2-2, 0-0-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| DePaul | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Loyola Chicago | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Red Line Rivalry Ends in Scoreless Draw, DePaul Earns One Point on Road
9/6/2026 4:56:00 PM | WOMEN'S SOCCER
Blue Demons battle to a 0-0 result against Loyola
CHICAGO – The DePaul women's soccer team battled in-state rival Loyola Chicago to a 0-0 clean sheet at Loyola Soccer Park on Sunday, Sept. 6. With the result, the Blue Demons move to 3-1-2 on the season.
How It Happened
In typical Red Line Rivalry fashion, the Blue Demons and Ramblers played at full tempo from the whistle, sparing no amount of physicality and fighting for supremacy in the state.
DePaul generated the first shot attempt in the fifth minute, as Dory Latenser took a strike from the middle of the box that sailed high. Mya Gardner got another shot off in the 17th minute, but the Blue Demons weren't able to convert.
There will definitely be an emphasis on finding how our goal-scoring opportunities will come — and from who — going forward into training this week as they prepare for our next match, said head coach Michele O'Brien. We are continuing to fine-tune what our attack needs to look like and giving the players the space and opportunity to step up. I think it will just be a matter of finding the back of the net again, and that will help us find more rhythm.
By the end of the first 45, an even matchup was unfolding on the pitch, as each team racked up three shots. DePaul held a slight 2-1 advantage in corner kicks, and Mason Hillery executed two saves in the opening half.
Loyola upped the shot intensity in the second half, tallying a 10-4 shot advantage and coming up with two corner kicks. It was the Blue Demon backline that kept the match even, staying connected as a unit to fend off strikes in the box.
One of the Ramblers' closest scoring opportunities came just over midway through the second half, as Loyola goalkeeper Allison Deardorff took a free kick near midfield. The netminder's strike became a frenzy of shots in the box. Hillery got the first save, and the rest of the DePaul unit did the rest, clearing the ball and keeping the Ramblers scoreless.
Hillery and company came up with another defensive play in the 79th minute on the way to Hillery's fifth career clean sheet. Another strike from Deardorff at midfield left a similar setup for the Ramblers in the box. A diving save from Hillery kicked off the defensive stand before a rebound shot was shut down by Addison Mahaney and Jericho Frigon in front of goal.
By the end of a hard-fought 90 minutes, the Blue Demons emerged from the match with a point on the road and the team's third clean sheet this season.
I thought this was one of our best games as far as a soccer game goes, with this being a rivalry game, getting a point on the board against a rival and getting the shutout, said O'Brien. The team executed what we needed to, and I'm really proud of them for their performance today.
Match Notes
- Freshman Emma Strcic made her first career start against the Ramblers, playing a career-high 77 minutes.
- With her third shutout of the season, goalkeeper Mason Hillery surpassed her previous single-season record of two shutouts set in 2025.
- The Blue Demons recorded three or more clean sheets in a single season for the first time since 2024. That year, DePaul racked up six shutouts by the season's end.
Up Next
North Texas heads to Chicago for the first time in series history on Sunday, Sept. 13, as the Blue Demons look to defend home turf and rack up their fourth win of the season. Coverage is available on ESPN+.
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