Loyola Chicago women’s soccer signs pair of graduate transfers

CHICAGO – Loyola University Chicago head women’s soccer coach Barry Bimbi announced the addition of a pair of graduate transfers to his roster on Thursday. Kailee Coonan (West Chester, Pa./Henderson/Syracuse) and Giulia Rabbito (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford/UMass Lowell) are set to join the Ramblers this fall and will be eligible immediately.

“We are excited to add two very talented and experienced players to our program for the fall,” Bimbi commented.  “Giulia has a lot of starting experience with a very competitive program at UMass Lowell, and she will add depth in our backline and midfield.  Kailee started 39 of 41 games at Syracuse in arguably the best soccer conference in the country, so we are looking forward to what she can bring to our midfield.”

Coonan arrives in Rogers Park following a four-year stint at Syracuse.  The 5-foot-3 midfielder was a fixture in the lineup for the Orange, starting in 39 of her 41 appearances.  After missing the entire 2018 campaign due to injury, Coonan scored her first collegiate goal against Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) rival North Carolina State on October 24, 2019.

Rabbito comes to the Maroon & Gold from UMass Lowell, where she accumulated 31 starting assignments across 51 appearances.  A 5-foot-5 midfielder, Rabbito started in a career-best 16 games as a sophomore, helping propel the River Hawks to the America East Championship title game, before tallying the first goal of her career on October 31, 2019 in a clash with New Hampshire.

Coonan and Rabbito join Loyola’s previously announced signees, Jaimee Cibulka, Emma Guthrie, Taylor Harrison, Jada Holloman, Emma Irle, and Ava Metaj, as newcomers for the 2021 season.

Loyola is coming off another dominant campaign this past spring in which it finished 8-2-1 overall (6-1-1 MVC) en route to sweeping the Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament titles for a third consecutive year in addition to making its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.