NORMAL, Ill. - In a game that was dominated offensively by Illinois State, it was a defender who put the Redbirds on the scoreboard. Junior Danielle Mutters scored the decisive goal in ISU's 1-0 win over Northern Iowa Sunday afternoon. With the win, Illinois State evens its record at 7-7-1 and improves to 2-1-0 in Missouri Valley Conference play.
Mutters headed home the game-winner off a corner kick in the 80th minute. Mutters has a career-high three goals this season, all of which have come on corner kick headers. She is third on the Redbirds in goals and points (6) this season. Senior Mel Routledge provided the assist, her second of the year.
ISU dominated the possession and flow of the game, keeping the ball on the Northern Iowa half of the field nearly the entire game. The Redbirds had 22 shots and 11 corners, while the Panthers did have any in either category. Routledge paced the Redbirds with seven shots. Freshman Jess Carlson and Natalie McCabe each had three.
Northern Iowa goalkeeper Lauren Potzman was the biggest key why the Panthers were able to keep the game scoreless for so long. Potzman had 11 saves in the game, with many coming on uncontested ISU shots.
The Redbirds attacked the middle of the Northern Iowa zone early on, finding open space for scoring opportunities. Routledge came free on the left side and sent the first shot of the game right at Potzman. McCabe came back on the next ISU possession and sent a bouncing shot from the left side to the far post, but Potzman dove to knock it aside. McCabe had another shot blocked a few minutes later and freshman Alex Howell battled with a UNI defender for a loose ball right in front of the goal that Potzman was able to knock away before either player could gain control.
In the 25th minute, Carlson brought the ball into the middle of the field and found Routledge with a lofted pass over the defense. Routledge settled the ball of her chest and blasted a one-timer towards the top of the net from 10 yards out. Potzman made a diving one-handed save, deflecting the ball up and corralling it as she came down, keeping the score knotted at zero.
ISU kept the ball in its offensive zone for virtually the rest of the half, but couldn't put a shot past Potzman. Freshman Katrina Jakobsze broke past a defender on the left side in the 40th minute and sent a low line drive on goal, but it was right at Potzman. The Redbirds then stole Potzman's clear and freshman Mary Sahm streaked down the middle of the field and had another shot that Potzman saved.
With one minute left in the half, Routledge had a free kick just inside the goalie box and her shot went to the far post, but Potzman scooped up the bouncing ball easily to preserve the tie going into halftime.
The Redbirds started right back up with the offensive pressure in the second half when Routledge broke free on the left side on a breakaway. With a UNI defender closing behind her, Routledge put a shot on goal that sailed high over the crossbar. ISU had another breakaway 10 minutes into the half when junior Ammanda Wisniewski took a long pass on the right side and broke ahead of the UNI defense, but her shot went just feet over the crossbar.
Wisniewski and Routledge nearly combined to put the Redbirds ahead in the 60th minute. Wisniewski sent a cross in from the right side and Routledge was inside of a UNI defender in front of the goal, but the pass was slightly behind her and she couldn't collect it cleanly. McCabe then hit the post with a shot from the center of the box a few minutes later.
Mutters took matters into her own hands with just over 10 minutes left in the half. She headed a corner kick by Routledge towards the left corner of the net, but a UNI defender knocked it away before it bounced inside of the post. Two minutes later, Routledge sent another corner kick into the box and Mutters headed it from nearly the same spot. This time, she bounced the ball low between Potzman and a Panther defender to put the Redbirds on top, 1-0.
Wisniewski had a chance to extend the ISU lead in the closing minutes when Routledge found her wide open on the left side of the goal. Wisniewski had a point blank shot to the left side from eight yards out, but Potzman came up big again with another diving save.
Illinois State hosts Indiana State Sunday, Oct. 19, at 1 p.m.
