Rooks and Ramblers: ECFC and LUC's Player Connection
- Andi Revesz
- 5 days ago
- 16 min read
Edgewater Castle FC and Loyola University Chicago’s partnership extends to more than internships and sharing sporting facilities. The two organizations also share several players between their soccer programs. Utilizing star players across the entire pitch, ECFC is proud to have so many LUC players currently playing for its Men’s and Women’s First Teams.
We talked to the some of the Rooks (and Ramblers) players to get to know them and their soccer careers.
Aidan Crawford
Aidan Crawford started playing at Loyola in 2023, following a redshirt year in his first season.
Entering his third season of action, Crawford has tabbed many accolades, such as Atlantic 10 Conference Goalkeeper of the Year, spots on the Atlantic 10’s all-conference first team and all-rookie team, and claimed his spot as the Ramblers’ starting keeper for their D1 Men’s Soccer Team.
Crawford has made a commanding presence between the posts during his three years on Edgewater Castle Football Club’s Men’s First Team squad. This season, he has appeared in seven matches for the Rooks, maintaining multiple clean sheets against tough Midwest Premier League competition.
What’s your earliest memory of playing soccer, and when did you realize you wanted to play it in your adult life?
“I played AYSO soccer, and one of my earliest memories is my brother giving me the advice that when all the players are clumped together kicking the ball in a big group that I should just wait on the outside and wait for the ball to bounce out of the big group and score. I think that strategy carried me through the youth game. I got to travel [for] soccer and I kind of just stuck with the game. It wasn’t like I realized that I wanted to play as an adult, it just like always and continues to bring me joy. And seeing a lot of the teammates on Edgewater, who are out of college and playing part time while they’re working is pretty inspiring because it goes to show how the game will stick with you past when you’ve finished up school. I respect that and I strive to one day be as athletic as they are at their age, and continue to play soccer past when I’m off a college team.”
What was the biggest challenge you faced on your journey to becoming a semi-professional soccer player?
“Continual development. Not getting complacent. I’ve been in a number of different environments and have progressed in each of them. Like, in high school, especially in the goalkeeper position, when there’s only one goalkeeper that starts, you have to first develop under other goalkeepers and then win the starting spot. But even when you win the starting spot for your team, you need to continue to develop, especially if you want to get to the next level. That was kind of a challenge for me that I think is still important for me now that I’m in college and going into my senior year, starting for the past three years. I want to continue to develop, even though I’ve won that starting position, and that’s always a challenge.”
Who has been the most influential coach or mentor in your career?
“I would say my high school coach and the whole coaching staff, and then my high school [New Trier High School in Wilmette, IL] in general, because I feel like they put a lot of trust in me and instilled me with confidence, even when I didn’t have it. They were the ones that encouraged me to pursue playing soccer in college, and that had never been a big goal for me and they kind of guided me into both the development of my skills and the confidence that’s required from a high level soccer player and goalkeepers in general. I would say the whole coaching staff, particularly my head coach Matt Ravenscraft, really helped me to take my game to the next level.”
Is there a moment in your career you’re most proud of?
“One thing that I feel like I’m pretty proud of is the fact that our high school program ended up winning the state championship after I left. This was two years after I graduated high school. After they won the state championship, I got texts from the current captains just thanking me for the way that I taught them how to lead. Even though I wasn’t directly on the team that won the championship, they made me feel that I played a part in helping them develop to be able to lead the team to a state championship. I think that’s one thing I’m really proud of, is the legacy that I was able to leave with that.”
What does your typical day look like during the season vs. during the offseason?
“My goal is to matriculate on to medical school, and I’m about two years out from the application process, but right now I’m preparing for the MCAT exam. So my day will be about eight hours of studying for that. I mean, that’s basically it. I work at an orthopedic office on the weekends. So when we’re not playing games on the weekends, I’ll be working there. I’m also working a high school camp for the high school I went to, so like a soccer camp for that program.”
“I mean, I’m kind of playing soccer year round. Our college season is in the fall, and then in the winter and spring we still train, but that’s only six days a week. I guess I’m more focused on school during the offseason.”
How do you handle pressure or nerves before big games?
“I love that aspect of soccer and goalkeeper specifically. One of the reasons I got into goalkeeping is the amount of pressure and trust a team puts in you to be the last line of defense. Games where I know I’m going to be tested by the other team, those are the games I look the most forward to because I know I’ll be active and I know I’ll play a larger role in helping the team succeed. I look forward to that pressure. Other moments, like penalty kick shootouts, I absolutely love the pressure that’s put on the goalkeeper during a penalty kick shootout, because I feel that I have everything to gain and nothing to lose.”
If you weren’t playing soccer semi-professionally, what do you think you’d be doing instead?
“I want to go into medicine. I want to go to medical school, so focus on academics and my pre-professional career as I look to become a doctor, but I definitely still play a sport. Growing up, I’ve always loved sports.”
Why did you join ECFC?
“When I first joined the team, they reached out to me. Being at Loyola Chicago, I’m close to Edgewater, so it was convenient for me to join the team over the summer and stay sharp for my college season. I’ve continued on with the team because it feels like a community with all the guys that return each summer and the coaching staff and everyone behind the scenes that helps make the program and continue to grow from year to year. It’s pretty fun to be a part of. I guess it started as convenience and has continued as a love for the program.”
What has been your favorite memory with the team?
“The road trip we took up to Green Bay last season really stands out to me because it was a long trip for the team. We got there and we went down 3-0 in the first half, and then we really rallied at halftime and didn’t give up. A lot of our fans had traveled up to Green Bay to watch us, and we had a lot of people watching on the livestream, and I think that motivated us to get back in the game. When we ended up winning 4-3, I felt really proud of my performance in the second half, and the way we were able to keep a shutout in the second half while still putting pressure on them offensively. I think that was something that I really enjoyed and cherished as a memory, and just the feeling after the game and the bus ride home of accomplishment is something that I really cherish.”
What is your favorite pregame song?
“It’s interesting. I usually have a routine of more relaxing songs, songs that I really enjoy, but aren’t necessarily pregame songs, up until about an hour, hour and a half before the game, I’ll start to listen to more pregame songs. A lot of house music comes to mind. It’s not one specific song necessarily, but I like to visualize, and music helps with that process.”
Who’s your favorite soccer player?
“Currently it’s Yann Sommer. His athleticism for his age is incredible, and the way that he plays goalkeeper is something that I strive to replicate, just through both his technical ability and also his athleticism and ability to make acrobatic saves that keeps his team in the game. It shows his value, especially the recent success that Inter Milan has had. It goes to show how important the goalkeeper is.”
What’s your favorite pregame meal?
“My routine is generally eating a carb heavy meal about three hours before the game. It’s usually composed of rice and some sort of lean meat. But I’m a big fan of eating fruit between then and the game, because it’s both hydrating and has lots of carbs. I’ll eat lots of bananas, apples and berries an hour or two before the game.”
What advice would you give to young players who want to continue playing soccer in their adult life?
“Just to continuously look to improve from where you are and know that you have to reach a new level at each stage you get at. I would encourage them to never be complacent and keep looking to improve each and every practice.”
Ameer Abdullah
Ameer Abdullah enters his third season playing collegiate soccer and his second with the Ramblers. Abdullah previously played at the University of Pittsburgh and redshirted before transferring to Loyola in 2024. Abdullah has played in three matches for Loyola so far, clocking in a full 90 minutes against DePaul University on Sept. 24 of the 2024 Men’s Soccer season.
Abdullah has been a key defensive player for Edgewater Castle FC in his first season this summer. He has made nine match appearances and scored a goal against the Chicago City Dutch Lions FC June 28.
What’s your earliest memory of playing soccer, and when did you realize you wanted to play it in your adult life?
“My earliest memory of playing soccer was when I was around four or five years old and I was playing with a team called Little Kickers in Chicago. I think I realized I wanted to play in my adult life probably when I was 10 and I was playing with the Chicago Fire.”
What was the biggest challenge you faced on your journey to becoming a semi-professional soccer player?
“I think one of the toughest [challenges] was during my first year in college. I was at a top level program in the country and [didn’t have enough] playing [time] there, that was probably my hardest [challenge]. I now play at Loyola.
Who has been the most influential coach or mentor in your career?
“Most influential [coach] goes by the name of Charlie Trout. He was my coach at [Chicago] FIre for 10 years and basically coached me up until this point now.”
Is there a moment in your career you’re most proud of?
“I’m most proud of my years with my youth academy team, FC United, just because we were such a close group and the connections I built there will last a lifetime.”
What does your typical day look like during the season vs. during the offseason?
“Typical day [during the season] is to wake up, do my thing, then go to work for about five or six hours, come home, and then just rest a little bit. Prior to training, I do some stretching and then head over to training. [We have] training from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and then I come home and sleep and then repeat. In the off season, it’s still fairly similar minus the work part. I [wake up], go to the gym to start the day off, come back to the crib, recover with some active recovery. Then usually a soccer session and then come back home. That’s basically [what I do].”
How do you handle pressure or nerves before a big game?
“I’ll get a little nervous before every game. The way I handle [the nerves] is by really focusing on my breathing. I always make sure that when I get the ball in a game, I connect my first pass and then after that I just go from there. But, usually after that, the nerves are kind of gone in a minute.”
If you weren’t playing soccer semi-professionally, what do you think you’d be doing instead?
“Learning about business. That’s something I’m interested in studying. The entrepreneurship kind of life has been catching my eye recently, so something along those lines.”
Why did you join ECFC?
“I joined Edgewater because I heard a lot of positive things about [the club]. I heard a lot of good stuff and good talk, and for me that was important because the people I had talked to about it were trustworthy to me. I wanted a spot to play during the summer where I could grow as a player and as a person. Just [somewhere] to play a lot of games and get good competition in. That’s what it’s been [so far] so it’s been good.”
What has been your favorite memory with the team?
“It’s actually a weird one. My favorite memory has to be our game versus Chicago Ghost because we had come off a few games of losing and the morale was a little bit down. People were starting to get a little bit iffy about ‘can we really do this?’ My favorite memory, although we tied, has to be that game because it was kind of a bounce back against a good opponent and we showed ourselves that we’re good enough to get good results.”
What is your favorite pregame song?
“Forever by Drake.”
Who’s your favorite soccer player?
“Sergio Ramos.”
What’s your favorite pregame meal?
“I would say normally just some chicken and some rice. Maybe a little bit of fruit and that’s about it.”
What advice would you give to young players who want to continue playing soccer in their adult life?
“My best piece of advice would be to stay level headed throughout your career. Stay confident. Play with swag and that’ll help you get that longevity. Just make sure you play [the game] and you enjoy playing [the game]. If you don’t, then stop because if you don’t enjoy playing, then you won’t be able to perform at your best.”
Skyler Bierker
Skyler Bierker will start her third collegiate season with the Ramblers this fall as a defender. In the 19 games she has played at Loyola, Bierker recorded seven shots and a goal.
This is Bierker’s first season with Edgewater Castle. She has appeared in all eight United Women’s Soccer conference matches, becoming a crucial part of the Women’s First Team’s back line.
What’s your earliest memory of playing soccer, and when did you realize you wanted to play it in your adult life?
“My earliest memory of playing soccer actually started before I started playing soccer. It was really like just watching my sister play and being like, ‘I want to be like her,’ and falling in love with the sport before even starting myself. It’s always been just so cool.”
“For me, I feel like it’s never been a question. Soccer’s been something of a home for me for forever. I love playing it and I don’t know where I’d be without it, in all honesty.”
What was the biggest challenge you faced on your journey to becoming a semi-professional soccer player?
“The biggest challenge is definitely consistency. Like, life happens and everyone knows that life happens, but just the ability to just show up everyday, kind of let go of things that happen outside of the game and play how you want to play and be the person that you want to be.”
Who has been the most influential coach or mentor in your career?
“Probably my old club coach. They kind of picked me up when I was in a bit of a slump in soccer. They definitely helped give me the confidence to even start applying to colleges and really just like, they’re just incredible people.”
Is there a moment in your career you’re most proud of?
“I wouldn’t say one moment. I’m kind of just proud that I’m still with it. I’m still sticking with it, still working hard, still trying to be the best that I can be.”
What does your typical day look like during the season vs. during the offseason?
“The only major difference is timewise. In the offseason, I might try and get a workout in before my day really starts. In season, it’s more like, we might have class and then we go to practice and then keep going with our day from there.”
How do you handle pressure or nerves before big games?
“I look to my left, I look to my right, I see my teammates, and I just trust them that they got me, even if I slip up, you just got to kind of shake it off. Make sure you’re playing for your teammates and trust that they’re going to do the same for you and trust that it’s going to work out in the end.”
If you weren’t playing soccer semi-professionally, what do you think you’d be doing instead?
“Honestly, I don’t know. I would hope that I would be in a lab somewhere working. But, soccer has just always been such a big part of my life that I genuinely do not know where I’d be at.”
“I’m a forensic science major. It’s definitely a lot, but it’s incredibly interesting and it just makes me think a lot, and I enjoy it.”
Why did you join ECFC?
“I was really lucky. I wasn’t actually supposed to be staying in Chicago this summer. It was a fairly last minute decision on my part. I was originally planning on going home to Pittsburgh, where I’m originally from. But, things worked out that allowed me to stay. Honestly, a bunch of luck got me to play with Edgewater. [Head coach] Emma came to one of [Loyola Women’s Soccer] practices and told our team a little bit about the team.”
What has been your favorite memory with the team?
“There’s a few. It’s just been such an incredible experience. I don’t think I can just pick one. It’s just an amazing group of people. We've taken a couple bus rides and it’s just so fun, especially after a win, when you're celebrating on the bus. That’s just the best feeling in the world.”
What is your favorite pregame song?
“Odd Ducks by Rare Americans is an amazing one. And so is, okay this one’s kind of funny, but, you gotta get the confidence up, so Call Me Mother by RuPaul.”
Who’s your favorite soccer player?
“That’s a hard one. For a second, it’s been [Virgil] van Dijk, because I’m a major Liverpool fan. Naomi Germa is also just incredible. Honestly, just defenders. I love to give them some props.”
What’s your favorite pregame meal?
“I go with the classic peanut butter and jelly. Ideally, I would use strawberry [jelly], but I’ve been on a grape kick.”
What advice would you give to young players who want to continue playing soccer in their adult life?
“I actually love this question because, honestly, I’m someone who always wants advice. I don’t know what I’m doing, so please give me advice. If you really want to go play in adult life, just keep your head down, work hard. Most importantly, stay true to yourself. Don’t ever try and cross the line where you think, ‘well, other people want me to do this.’ If you want it, go for it and stay true to yourself.”
Molly Pistorius
Molly Pistorius is a new transfer to Loyola, joining the program for her final season in the fall. Pistorius followed new Loyola women’s soccer head coach Jon Sandoval from Northern Michigan University. During her career there, she started in all but one game, scoring 27 goals with 99 shots on target.
In her first season with Edgewater Castle, Pistorius has played in seven matches and scored two goals.
What’s your earliest memory of playing soccer, and when did you realize you wanted to play it in your adult life?
“Playing in rec leagues at a young age — probably five years old — with my twin sister and all the girls in our community.”
“It was kind of like a no-brainer. I didn’t really think there was another option, just because I’ve been playing it my whole life. It’d kind of almost be like a waste, not continuing on and just keep playing for the rest of my life.”
What was the biggest challenge you faced on your journey to becoming a semi-professional soccer player?
“The recruitment process and college soccer. Staying mentally motivated at that high level for such a long time, because it is pretty draining. I feel like sticking it out for this long is the hardest part, and I got through it.”
Who has been the most influential coach or mentor in your career?
“Jon Sandoval, who’s the coach now at Loyola. He was kind of one of the only people who took a chance on me and offered me to play college soccer. He’s just been like a great coach and leader and mentor on the field and just a great person to look up to.”
Is there a moment in your career you’re most proud of?
“My sophomore year in college. That was the first time Northern Michigan [University] has won [Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference] conference, like ever. It was an incredible experience. Just to be a part of it and make history was pretty cool.”
What does your typical day look like during the season vs. during the offseason?
“When I’m at school for college soccer, it’s pretty much like soccer all day, everyday in the fall. Soccer and school mostly. I would consider this my offseason, but I’m still playing with Edgewater, but just having my part time job and I’m doing some summer school classes and then Edgewater at night or games on Saturday, which pretty much takes up most of my time.”
How do you handle pressure or nerves before big games?
“I feel like I get most of them out during warm ups. Once the game starts and the whistle blows they all just go away. I feel like I’ve been playing for so long where I think of it as any other game. Like, you’re just playing soccer, you’ve done it your whole life.
If you weren’t playing soccer semi-professionally, what do you think you’d be doing instead?
“That’s a hard question. I’d probably have to think about that soon because I’m going to be done soon. Just still staying active, running or doing some sort of workout class. I can’t really see myself not being active every day.”
Why did you join ECFC?
“I heard about it through my college coach. I thought it would be a great opportunity and I knew a couple people on the team. I heard about it through social media, so I thought it was a good opportunity. I’ve never played on a semi-pro team over the summers, which I probably should have, but I really like it so far.”
What has been your favorite memory with the team?
“The away game at DeKalb [United this season]. It was the first game where we all took the bus together as a team. During the game, it was pretty close. I think it was tied most of the game, and then Jocelyn [Leigh] scored in like the 90th minute to win the game for us. We just had a fun bus ride home. So that was a good memory.”
What is your favorite pregame song?
“You Give Love A Bad Name by Bon Jovi.”
Who’s your favorite soccer player?
“Trinity Rodman on the U.S. National Team. I kind of just think she’s a cool person. She has cool style, and I like the way she plays.”
What’s your favorite pregame meal?
“The night before, probably pasta and meatballs, but if it’s during the day, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”
What advice would you give to young players who want to continue playing soccer in their adult life?
“Work hard everyday if you love the game. Even when nobody’s watching you. You just have to stay dedicated and true to yourself.”
Ella Skelton
Ella Skelton is entering her senior season with the Ramblers, playing in 35 games across her tenure so far. Skelton has appeared in two matches with Edgewater Castle and has helped the front line by producing multiple shots on target.
Skelton did not get back to us for comment in time for publication, but this article will be updated once we receive a response.