Alaska Sports Hall of Fame

Junior midfielder Tricia Stonebraker has played in 47 career matches for the Loyola University Chicago women’s soccer team, but today will be her first appearance in the postseason.

For the first time since she’s been at the school, Loyola has qualified for the Horizon League Tournament after finishing sixth in the regular-season standings.

“We’re a good team and as long as we show up with that mentality and play our game, I really think we can win,” she told me. “I mean, hey, our guys team last year was last place going into the tournament and they won the whole thing.”

In other words, anything can happen.

Stonebraker, of Service High fame, ranked second on the team in points [5] on two goals and an assist. She also earned Horizon League player of the week honors in September.

Loyola will face Valparaiso in the first round of the tournament. The teams played to a 0-0 draw a week ago.