Freshman Jaclyn Rucinsky and junior Lauren Kahlenbeck helped the Illinois State womens soccer team defeated Creighton 2-1 on Friday to remain undefeated in the Missouri Valley Conference at 6-0, securing a share of the Valley regular season title for the Redbirds. The Birds can clinch the Valley regular season title outright with a win on Sunday at noon against the Drake Bulldogs. Illinois States overall record is now 9-4-2.
Creighton broke the hearts of the Redbirds last year as they defeated the Birds 1-0 in the Valley tournament championship with 19 seconds left in overtime. They were also the only conference foe to defeat the Birds last season.
Last year, we didnt score a goal in the championship and they did, that was the difference in winning the game, head coach Pete Kowall said. We focused on what we can do this year and moving forward. Its big that we dont have to go into play in situation now. We want to win one of the two championships if not both of them. Sunday, well have a chance for one of them (outright) and hopefully well win both and keep going.
The Redbirds came to play on this windy crisp Friday in a game in which neither team was able to get a shot off until 20 minutes had already come off the clock. Creighton and ISU both failed to score in the first half keeping the game deadlocked at 0-0.
Illinois State came out like gangbusters in the second half. They took three shots within the first four minutes of the second half. Rucinsky, a forward from Seattle, Wash., was able to break the game open about ten minutes into the second half when she went one-on-one with Creighton goalkeeper Jaimie Thompson. She shot the ball and Thompson was able to get a piece of it but it rebounded off her and Rucinsky was able to put it. The goal was Rucinskys second of the season.
Kowall told his team at haltime to come out the same way they did at the start of the game.
The first 15 to 20 minutes of the second half we were all over them, Kowall said. At halftime, I told them the way they played in the first half was awesome. I told them to play the same way we played the first 20 minutes and we would score a goal. Do the same thing were doing just the other way.
And the fun wasnt over yet as midfielder Lauren Kahlenbeck would score about five minutes later to put her team up 2-0. Kahlenbeck, a native of Aurora, Ill., scored on a pass from Robyn Brady. It was her second goal in the last two games, despite failing to record a goal in her first two seasons as a Redbird.
We toyed with Lauren up top and she did well, Kowall said. Jackie (Rucinsky) was a little frustrated in the first half but she redeemed herself and we hope that can give her confidence. Her composure in tight spaces is great. She can take people on and thats what we need her to do. Shes just got to grow up quicker now; shes got to take each game and grow up quicker and keep going. And you know Chrystal (Johnston), Joyce (Kleinheinz), Tiffany (DeClark) and Heather (Forsyth) you cant say enough about those guys and Robyn (Brady) had a good game against Lissa Waid in the middle. Lissa is probably one of the best midfielders in the league. We had a better defensive effort from a lot of people today.
The Bluejays were able to put one goal on the board in the 63rd minute of play when Sydney Reeves headed in LuLu Quigleys pass off a free kick despite having her back to the goal. It was the first time this season that a Valley team was able to score on the Redbirds.
ISU took 18 shots to the Bluejays five and only allowed three shots on goal the entire game. The Illinois State defense afforded the Bluejays just one shot in the first half. Goalkeeper Allison Farrington earned the win for the Birds, which gives her a record of 8-1-2 this season.
We played really well. We worked hard and were starting to play together, senior captain Allison Farrington said. The wind was a huge factor today and we actually did better against it than we did with it. But youve got to give Creighton credit. They hit a great goal but we played well especially in the second half. We worked hard and its starting to pay off.
ISU will now face the Drake Bulldogs, who lost 2-1 to Northern Iowa on Friday. With a win the Redbirds can win the Valley regular season title outright and can secure the No. 1 seed in the Valley Tournament.
Sundays conference game against Drake at noon will be Illinois States final conference game of the season as well as Senior Day. Nine senior soccer players will be honored before the game: Sheila Bryant, Tiffany DeClark, Allison Farrington, Chrystal Johnston, Katie Long, Diana Puckett, Cheryl Sarnwick, Dana Schulte and Lindsey Soderborg.
