Dons edge St. Joe, 2-1

Twenty minutes before game time it started to rain at Blakefield as the Loyola Dons hosted Mount St. Joseph in an MIAA A Conference soccer match-up on Thursday afternoon.  The rain continued throughout the game, forcing both teams to adjust their style of play.

In the end, top-ranked St. Joe slipped to 0-2 in the A Conference, while Loyola slipped away with a 2-1 victory, to the delight of a boisterous home crowd which braved the conditions.

“It’s tough in these conditions,” said Loyola coach Lee Tschantret.  “Balls skip into the box, and get a little bit dangerous, and you have to manage the game a little diffrently.”

Just three minutes into the game Loyola sophomore John Jlopeh gave the Dons a 1-0 lead on a feed from Elliott Andelman.  They made it 2-0 when Jamie Dubyoski scored 18 minutes later.

“I looked over and I saw Elliott on the corner kick and no one was marking me; he played me a perfect ball and I just attacked it,” said Jlopeh.

Andelman said it was a routine corner kick.

“John made the good run and happened to find the ball with his head and finish,” said the senior leader. “We work on that play every week.”

Jeremy DeGraffenreigdt, who assisted on Dubyoski’s goal, said that he was stalling to look for a switch to the left side.  “Jamie made a great run to the right and I slotted it through. He made a great finish.”

The Dons held their two goal lead for 55 minutes before Spencer Bezirdjian creased the net for the Gaels on a feed from Jalen Robinson, making the last five minutes tense for both teams.

The Gaels stepped up the pressure for the remainder of the game, but the Don defense held on to notch the win. Loyola peppered the Saint Joe goal all day.

Mount keeper Nate Ramsland made 13 saves for coach Mike St.Martin.

The Dons (2-2, 1-1) were coming ff a 2-0 loss to Gilman in their home opener on Tuesday.

“It was one of those games,” said Tschantret.

Andelman said that Gilman out-played the Dons on Tuesday, “but today we came out with a strong mental attitude.”