The Loveland Tigers beat the Milford Eagles 2-1 on Thursday, Oct. 22, in an Eastern Cincinnati Conference boys soccer rivalry game at Milford.
The win, confirmed by Loveland's athletic department on X, gives the Tigers three straight victories. Loveland entered the match at 7-7-2 overall and 2-5-1 in conference play, according to MaxPreps.
Milford, which carried a 9-6-1 overall record and a 6-2 conference mark into the game, had been one of the ECC's stronger sides this fall. The Eagles sat third in the conference standings entering the night. A box score for the match had not been posted as of Friday morning, so goal scorers and other match details were not yet available.
The result snaps a long dry spell for Loveland in league play. The Tigers had not won an ECC game since a 4-1 victory over West Clermont on Sept. 10, going winless in their next four conference matches: losses to Walnut Hills (3-2 on Sept. 15), Lebanon (1-0 on Sept. 24) and Turpin (2-1 on Oct. 8), plus a scoreless draw with Kings on Oct. 1.
That changes now.
Milford's loss comes after the Eagles closed out a strong conference stretch that included wins over Lebanon, Kings, Winton Woods, Walnut Hills, Anderson and West Clermont. Their only other ECC defeats this season came against Turpin and Little Miami.
Turpin clinched the ECC championship this season, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Loveland head coach Mike Dunlap's squad found a groove in the second half of the season. The Tigers rattled off non-conference wins over Miamisburg (3-0), Fairfield (2-0), and Springboro (3-0) in October before Thursday's conference result. Loveland senior Gavin Troyer was nominated for the Enquirer's athlete of the week after scoring in the Springboro shutout.
As we reported Oct. 22, both teams entered the rivalry match riding momentum from lopsided wins.
Loveland plays Tuesday, Oct. 27, at Harrison with a 7 p.m. kickoff. Milford hosts Fairfield the same night at 7 p.m.
