DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The regular season comes to a close on Tuesday night for the Loras women's soccer team as they do battle with their crosstown rivals, University of Dubuque. With a victory on Tuesday, Loras could find themselves in position to host a first round match in the upcoming Iowa Conference Tournament.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS •••
Dubuque enters Tuesday's contest on a bit of a downward spiral after dropping points two of their last five conference matches and settling for a 2-2 draw with Coe last Saturday. Their lone conference victory came by way of a 6-nil defeat of Buena Vista. The Spartans were the preseason pick to win the Iowa Conference and now face an uphill battle as they will most likely be either the No. 5 or No. 6 seed. A win on Tuesday will give UD the No. 5 seed over Loras, due to the head-to-head tiebreaker. Katie Lynn leads the offense for Dubuque with nine goals and six assists, including six game-winners. Kyleigh McLaughlin checks in right behind Lynn with seven goals. In goal, Paige Dykstra has been the go-to keeper, recording a 7-4-1 record with four shutouts.

LAST TIME OUT AGAINST DUBUQUE •••
Last season, it was the Spartans who topped Loras in the Rock Bowl in extra time. The loss for Loras was their first in four seasons in Iowa Conference play. Maura Walsh and Kat Hermanas scored for the Duhawks in the loss.

ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST DUBUQUE •••
Loras and Dubuque have met 18 times in their respective programs' history with the Duhawks owning a commanding lead over the record at 15-2-1. In 2009, the Spartans won the regular season meeting in extra time before drawing level with Loras in IIAC Tournament and advancing on penalties.

RISPIN BACK TO HER OLD WAYS •••
Senior Ailish Rispin made a surprise return late in the season. A three-year starter, Rispin's senior year looked bleak after injury originally kept her off of Head Coach Dan Rothert's roster. After making the decision to push through obstacles, Rispin returned to the pitch for the teams Iowa Conference match against on Oct. 17. While she did not directly impact the scoresheet, Rispin's speed held off the Norse and the Duhawks walked away with a 1-0 upset. Using the momentum, Loras saw another 2-1 upset win against Augsburg last Monday. Finally comfortable, Rispin notched two-goals of her own in an 8-0 win against Buena Vista on Saturday sending the Duhawks into their last regular season game of the year against Univ. of Dubuque.

BY THE NUMBERS •••
Although the Loras women's soccer team currently sits fifth in the Iowa Conference standings, a closer look at their conference statistics proves that they will have serious potential in the upcoming IIAC tournament. The Duhawks currently sit in the top three in several important conference statistics including shots, points, goals, and assists. Also, Loras is riding a three-match winning streak that includes a wins over Luther, Augsburg and Buena Vista. The Duhawks' matchup with Univ. of Dubuque, along with other conference results, will determine if Loras will have a home match in the first round. If Loras can manage to draw a home contest in the first round of the tournament, they'll have their good home form on their side, where Loras is 6-2-0 this season in the Rock Bowl.

FRESH START •••
After not having won a game since Sept. 26, the women's soccer team has been in strong form as of late, winning their last three matches. They currently sit at 9-5-2 on the season and 3-2-1 in the conference. This week's game against the Univ. of Dubuque closes out regular season play for the Duhawks and they start IIAC Tournament play on Saturday, Oct. 31.

MILLS FINDING HER GROOVE •••
Freshman Elizabeth Mills lately has played some of her best soccer as of late just in time for the Iowa Conference Tournament that will begin on Saturday. In five of the last six games, Mills has played 75 minutes or more with the exception of the 8-0 victory over Buena Vista. During that stretch, she has also tallied two goals and two assists providing the Duhawks with another offensive threat.

DUHAWKS MAKING PUSH FOR ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS •••
With just one match remaining in the regular season conference schedule, the Duhawks have three athletes looking to secure spots on the 2015 All-Iowa Conference list. Senior Katie Truesdale who leads the IIAC in both goals scored and points is looking to earn her second consecutive first-team nod while also looking to repeat as conference MVP. Senior Danielle Vujovic is also making a push towards her second first team selection, having been selected in the 2013 season previously. Both Truesdale and Vujovic have been selected to the All-IIAC second team in the past. New to this list is sophomore Gretchen Schutz who currently leads the Iowa Conference in assists with seven. Schutz looks to make her first of many all-conference teams following the conclusion of this season.

LOYO SAVING THE DAY •••
Freshman Michelle Loyo has stepped into the starting XI for Head Coach Dan Rothert in net and has provided Loras with a solid front in net. Only having allowed 5 goals with a total of 6 appearances and 4 starts on the season is impressive for  the freshman goalkeeper. Posting a .833 save percentage Loyo looks to keep the Duhawks going strong into postseason play having won three matches.