Loyola University Chicago
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO Fact Sheet 1 LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO Fact Sheet 2 Our Family Loyola promises its students an extraordinary education. While lessons learned in the classroom are the core of Loyola’s academic mission, lessons learned on quads, on the field, and over cups of coffee are no less critical. It is during these times, outside the classroom, that students transform a campus into a community. Some of the skills we learn during this unstructured time are the ones that will serve us best in our work and personal lives. Being a member of an athletic team can teach us leadership, cooperation and discipline, and that precious time when we can just relax is the time when lifelong bonds of friendship are created. LUC Women’s Soccer 2019 Season Highlights 2019 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Champions (back-to-back) 2019 MVC Tournament Champions (back-to-back) Undefeated in conference play along with a 12-game win streak NCAA Tournament Appearance (2nd year in a row) Tied Record for Best Goals Against Average 3.59 3.64 Team GPA Team GPA Spring 2019 Fall 2019 Meet the Team Second Straight NCAA Tournament Appearance Italy Trip 2018 LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO Fact Sheet 3 Ramblers History Loyola University Chicago is the only NCAA Division I program with the nickname "Ramblers" for its teams. The unusual moniker originated when football was a common and popular sport at Loyola. Before the 1920s, all college athletics teams were merely assigned their school colors, instead of a nickname. All Loyola teams were known as the "Maroon and Gold." In 1925, the football coach, along with the student newspaper, conducted a contest to name the football team. The winning entry was "Grandees," tying into the Spanish origins of St. Ignatius of Loyola. However, the name "Grandees" failed to catch on. In 1926, a more informal, but much more binding process, finally yielded the nickname: "Ramblers." That year, because the football team traveled so extensively across the United States, "rambling from state to state," the media dubbed Loyola as "the Ramblers." Despite dropping football as a varsity sport in 1930, the nickname "Ramblers" is still proudly carried by today's athletics teams at Loyola University Chicago. Facilities NCAA Appearances Athletic Excellence 2018 Men’s Basketball NCAA Championship Final Four Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt Sr. Jean is the long-time men’s basketball team chaplain, who on January 21st 2017, was inducted into the Loyola Athletics Hall of Fame. She is a fixture on campus and at Rambler sporting events. Sr. Jean is a beloved figure on campus and has meant so much to each student who has attended Loyola. But why is Sr. Jean a name that most Americans now know? As the Rambler Men’s basketball team made it to the NCAA tournament, she instantly became a star because of her connections and prayers. News personnel from all over the US wanted to talk to and get insight from Sr. Jean, making her the number one story among the NCAA tournament. What is most famous about Sr. Jean is a bobble head that was made after her as well as having her “face” on t-shirts. With so much popularity, the 98-year old chaplain has captivated the nation with her positive attitude and support for her team. According to Twitter, she was the most tweeted about person of the NCAA Tournament’s opening weekend, which included former President Barrack Obama “tweeting” about her. “Worship. Work and Win!” – Sr. Jean LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO Fact Sheet 4 For those who prefer not to read… Loyola Facts at a Glance … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Xx73sT88k0 Go Beyond the Brochure and Things I wish I would have Known… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h4ShYp8WGc Why Loyola? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmkFDF-vwtM LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO Fact Sheet 5 Meet the Staff Head Coach Barry Bimbi Barry Bimbi is set to begin his ninth season as head women's soccer coach at Loyola University Chicago in 2019. Bimbi has guided the Maroon & Gold to 63 wins during that time, highlighted by winning seasons in three of the last four years, and has overseen in the development of 37 all-conference selections. The 2018 campaign proved to be Bimbi's finest since arriving in Rogers Park. Loyola finished at 11-7-1 and 6-1- 0 in Missouri Valley Conference play en route to sweeping The Valley's regular season and tournament titles. The Ramblers returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007, where they gave eventual National Champion Florida State all it could handle, ultimately dropping a hard-fought 1-0 decision to the Seminoles. Six Ramblers earned All-Missouri Valley Conference honors, led by MVC Player of the Year Jenna Szczesny, who went on to be drafted by the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Szczesny and Madison Laudeman went on to become the first players in program history to be named First Team All-Midwest Region honorees by the United Soccer Coaches. The United Soccer Coaches also honored both Laudeman and Madison Kimball for their work in the classroom as well, earning Academic All-Region accolades. Laudeman went on to be named only the second Scholar All-American in program history. Loyola was also honored with the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for a ninth consecutive year. Bimbi oversaw one of the nation's top offenses in 2017 as the Ramblers closed the season with a 13-7-0 record and finished third in the MVC, going 4-2-0 in league play. Led by United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-Midwest Region honoree Jenna Szczesny, who was also one of five Ramblers to earn All-MVC accolades, the Maroon & Gold finished second nationally in goals scored, finding the back of the net an astonishing 61 times as they easily shattered the previous school record in the category. Bimbi's team picked up a pair of impressive road wins over power five conference opponents in Iowa and Kentucky, before downing Valparaiso by a final count of 2-1 to earn a third consecutive trip to the semifinals of the MVC Women's Soccer Championship. A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., Bimbi spent four seasons (2007-2010) as an assistant women's soccer coach at the University of Pittsburgh, where he served as the program's recruiting coordinator and was in charge of player development. In each of his last seasons there, the Panthers developed an All-Big East Rookie Team player, marking the only two occasions in program history that accomplishment has occurred. Prior to his time at Pittsburgh, Bimbi served as an assistant coach on the men's soccer staff at Marquette University and in 2002, helped the Golden Eagles to a 10-8-1 ledger. During his four-year stay at Marquette, Bimbi mentored 10 total All-Conference USA selections and helped recruit a pair of National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) High School All-Americans. A 1994 graduate of Saint Francis (Pa.), Bimbi earned four All-Northeast Conference honors as a player, including first team recognition as a junior. He led the conference in scoring as a freshman and was a three-time team captain. In February, 2011 Bimbi was inducted into the Saint Francis (Pa.) Athletics Hall of Fame. Assistant Coach Katie Berkopec The 2019 season will mark Katie Berkopec's third season as a member of the coaching staff with the Loyola University Chicago women's soccer team. Berkopec, a native of Apple Valley, Minn., serves as an assistant coach and works with the team's goalkeepers. Berkopec arrives in Rogers Park following a two-year stint at Winona State as a graduate assistant coach. In 2015, she was part of a staff that helped guide the Warriors to a third consecutive appearance in the NCAA Central Region Tournament. Berkopec assisted in the development of goalkeeper Rachel Oleson, who posted 11 shutouts and sported a 0.69 goals against average that ranked 26th nationally in 2015. Prior to a one-year stint at Ripon College as an assistant coach, Berkopec enjoyed a successful stay at UW-Oshkosh as both a player and coach. As a senior, she posted an impressive 1.12 goals against average and held a 0.817 save percentage en route to finishing the year with a 9-6-2 record that included seven shutout performances. Following graduation, Berkopec remained at the school as a goalkeeper trainer during the spring of 2014. Berkopec earned her Bachelor's degree in Physical Education from UW-Oshkosh in 2015 before earning a Master's degree in Education Leadership at Winona State. Assistant Coach Chris Brown Chris Brown will begin his first season as an assistant coach with the Loyola University Chicago women's soccer program in 2020. Brown, who previously served as a volunteer assistant with the Ramblers in 2018, spent the 2019 campaign at Milwaukee as an assistant coach. During his one season at Milwaukee, Brown helped guide the Panthers to a 17-2-1 overall record. Milwaukee finished 8-0-1 in Horizon League play en route to collecting its fifth straight regular season title. The Panthers blanked UIC, 2-0, in the final of the Horizon League Women’s Soccer Championship to book their second straight NCAA Tournament berth, where they fell to No. 10 Wisconsin by a narrow 1-0 scoreline. Brown was a member of the Missouri Valley Conference Coaching Staff of the Year in 2018, a season that saw Loyola finish 11-7-1 (6-1-0 MVC) en route to winning its first MVC regular season and tournament titles in program history.