Oct. 25, 2022 – No. 18/14 Loras College women's soccer punctuated another incredible regular season with a win over No. 7 Wartburg College to finish unbeaten and claim the 2022 American Rivers Conference title for a second year in a row and for the 15^th time in the program's history.

The Duhawks (14-0-3, 8-0 A-R-C) and the Knights (15-1-2, 6-1-1 A-R-C) ranked among the best of the best in the conference and in the country all season long, leaving the two sides with a winner-take-all scenario for the conference title on Tuesday night in Dubuque. Loras earned perhaps its most impressive win of the season with a 2-0 shutout victory, running its shutout streak to seven games in a row while ending the regular season having not allowed a single goal in conference play.

Head coach Matt Pucci's team put on a dominating performance to take down the rival Knights, who were previously unbeaten on the season as well. The Duhawks outshot Wartburg 16-4 for the game and controlled the time of possession while not allowing the Knights to get a single corner kick chance.

Junior midfielder Hannah Schmitz got the Duhawks on the board toward the two-thirds mark of the first half with a laser-beam goal to the back of the net. Her fourth goal of the season came after a chaotic play in front of the net as Loras tried to settle the ball down while the Knights frantically tried to clear. Instead, the ball found Schmitz near the top of the box, and she didn't miss the one-timer shot.

The Duhawks carried that 1-0 lead into the halftime break before notching an insurance goal on a very similar play. In the 74^th minute, a corner kick pass was sent in by senior midfielder Payton McDonnell, and again the Knights had trouble getting the ball cleared away.
This time, the bouncing ball ended up near the feet of sophomore forward Lauren Riggle, who settled it down on the right side of the box before scoring top-left for her third goal of the season.

Riggle's insurance goal was plenty of breathing room for the Duhawks as they cruised to the finish line to complete an undefeated regular season.

The A-R-C title comes with the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the upcoming A-R-C Tournament. Loras will host a quarterfinal winner next Wednesday, Nov. 2, for a tournament semifinal game at the Rock Bowl. Start time and opponent will be determined at a later date.