Junior forward Samantha Gage played 33 minutes and took five shots, putting four on target, and scored twice in Loyola’s 3-0 women’s soccer win against Eastern.

Gage started on the bench for Loyola coach Barry Bimbi 

Her first touch of the game was a header from a corner kick that she guided to the back post for a score that put Eastern down a goal in the 21st minute.  

The next goal came less than six minutes later when Gage ran onto an early cross into the penalty area. Gage was able to get around her defender at the top of the six-yard box and turn the ball to goal with the inside of her right foot.  

Gage was subbed-out just minutes later and did not see the field for the rest of the match.

After winning a corner, Gage came on for junior midfielder Monika Lee. Gage jogged onto the field, took up her spot in 18-yard box and then buried the first goal of the game.

She added the second goal in the 27^th minute before being pulled from the field.

The final goal of the match came when sophomore defender Brielle Haupt flicked the ball through with her head to sophomore forward Kara Ruffolo. A touch around sophomore goalkeeper Cortney Jerzy allowed her to have an open shot that she tucked neatly inside the right post to make the score 3-0.

Jerzy was replaced in goal by redshirt freshman Kylie Morgan for the second half, but interim head coach Jason Cherry said that was a change he expected to make. 

 “It was something I already planned on doing,” Cherry said.  

After allowing his goalkeepers to battle for the position, Cherry said he plans to select a permanent starter after this week.

An uneventful first half was punctuated by an injury to freshman forward Gabby Charles who went down clutching her knee in the closing stages of the match.  

Cherry and a member of the training staff did not speculate on the severity of the injury but the Wisconsin native was unable to leave the field under her own power.

Eastern fall to 0-6 on the season and will take on Drake at 3:30 p.m. Friday on Lakeside Field.

Michael Spencer can be reached at 581-2812 or a tmspencer2@eiu.edu.