TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - A strong offensive performance led the Redbirds (5-3-1, 1-0-0 MVC) past the Indiana State Sycamores (4-8-0, 0-1-0 MVC), 2-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams on Friday, Oct. 5, at the ISU Soccer Complex. The Redbirds controlled the ball on offense nearly the entire game and didn't let the Sycamores have any solid scoring chances. The win snapped a three-game winless streak for the Redbirds and was their first victory in a conference opener since 2003 when they beat Northern Iowa.
Senior Bethany Russ netted the first Redbird goal to increase her team-leading total to five on the year; the most goals she has scored in a season at Illinois State. Russ has scored for the Redbirds in three of the last five games and now has 31 career points, putting her in a tie for seventh place on the school's all-time list with Meghan Boler and Heather Forsyth.
Freshman Bethany Brown scored her first-career goal in the match, making her the first freshman to record a point this year for the Redbirds. Senior Yvonne Northover picked up her team-leading sixth assist on Brown's goal. Northover gained sole possession of second place on the team in points (eight) and sixth place on the all-time assists list (nine). She has doubled her career assist total this season.
Sophomore Katie Grill-Donovan needed to make just four saves to record her third save of the season. Strong defense around her limited the Sycamores to five shots and the two that were on goal were directly at her.
Senior Shannon Duggan created scoring opportunities for the Redbirds from the start of the game, playing very active from her left forward spot. In the fifth minute, she maneuvered past an Indiana State defender to keep alive a ball that looked as thought it was headed over the end line. Russ took the pass from Duggan and fed it to Northover, who ripped a shot right at Indiana State goalkeeper Rachel Rudzis. A few minutes later, Duggan played too solid crosses from the left side; one that was just out of the reach of the advancing forwards and one that was headed high by senior Carrie Schurr.
The Redbirds kept the pressure on and continued to control the ball for the remainder of the half. Sophomore Ammanda Wisniewski had a header in the middle of the penalty box that went sailed high. Northover had another chance in the 22nd minute with a point blank shot from eight yards out that Rudzis made a diving save on and the Sycamores were able to clear.
Illinois State's pressure finally paid off in 29th minute when Russ was able to find the back of the net. She took on a defender on the right side, broke on the inside towards the goal and launched a shot from 18 yards out past Rudzis.
The pressure continued in the second half as the Redbirds registered four shots in the first 18 minutes of play. In the 60th minute, Wisniewski collected the ball with space in the middle of the penalty box, but her shot went high over the crossbar. Two minutes later, off a free kick, Northover crossed the ball from the right side and Russ headed it toward the near post, but Rudzis was there again to make the diving save.
Duggan had yet another scoring chance in the 70th minute, but this time for herself. Duggan beat a Sycamore defender to a long pass down the left side and put a shot past Rudzis, who had come out far to play it, but the ball bounced just wide of the far post.
After knocking on the door several times, the Redbirds broke through with 18 minutes left to play in the half. Northover crossed the ball from the left side to Brown, who made a quick turn around a defender and sent the ball to the upper half past a diving Rudzis to extend the Illinois State lead to 2-0.
Illinois State continues its road trip against Loyola-Chicago on Sunday, Oct. 7, at 1 p.m.
