NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State women's soccer team will take to the road this weekend for a pair of matches with Big Ten opponents Northwestern and Minnesota. The Redbirds will play the Wildcats in a 5 p.m. tilt Friday at Lakeside Field in Evanston, Ill., before heading north to Minneapolis for a 1 p.m. match with the Golden Gophers, Sunday.
Illinois State stands at 4-3-0 on the season, after splitting games with Northern Illinois and Iowa State last weekend. Freshman Anna Stinson netted her second-career game-winning goal in ISU's 1-0 win over in-state rival NIU Friday, giving the Redbirds their third-straight victory. However, Iowa State would halt the streak at three, defeating Illinois State, 2-0, Sunday at Adelaide Street Field. The Redbirds outshot the Cyclones 15-12, but a pair of goals by Brittany Morgan, the first on penalty kick in the 32nd minute, gave Iowa State the victory.
"This team has always bounced back really well, and that is what I am looking for this Friday," head coach Drew Roff said. "I expect us to come out with a little more focus and a little more communication to help each other defensively. In the attack, if we are a little more focused we will be able to keep the ball more and create more chances. On that turf [at Northwestern], it is very unforgiving, and if you are not ready to play it is hard to keep the ball, especially against a team like Northwestern who will apply a lot of defensive pressure. We are going to have to play quick and we are going to have to play fast."
Northwestern enters Friday's game with a 3-2-2 mark. The Wildcats are coming off a 3-1 win over Eastern Michigan and return seven starters from their 2009 squad that finished 7-10-2. Northwestern defeated then third-ranked UCLA earlier this season, 1-0, at the Wisconsin Tournament. Freshman Kate Allen leads the NU with four goals and eight points on 28 shots this season.
"We have played Northwestern in the past, and I think this year's team is better than the team we saw in 2008," Roff said. "Their style is a solid, physical, athletic team that likes to get up and down the field. They are very dangerous on set pieces and we definitely have our work cut out for us. Earlier this season, they beat UCLA, who was the No. 3 team in the country. To get a result like that, it just goes to show you that Northwestern really knows how to defend and is a hardworking team. We have our work cut out for us on the road. It is a great facility up there and we feel like it is going to be a great game."
Minnesota will take a 6-1-1 record into its Thursday game with South Carolina, before hosting the Redbirds, Sunday. The Golden Gophers, ranked 23rd in the latest SoccerAmerica.com Poll, will be the first nationally-ranked opponent for Illinois State this season. Minnesota has outscored opponents 17-4 this season, with six different players scoring multiple goals for the Gophers.
"We would love to get the early goal against Minnesota, that has really played a big role in the success our team this season," Roff said. "We are going to have to stay compact and stick to our defensive principles. We need to defend well as a team and win a lot of individual battles, because they are a team that can isolate you. We have to be a very disciplined team and be tough both physically and mentally. Based on the way they play, they are very attack oriented and very aggressive, and sometimes you can catch teams like that and get a goal in transition. We have our work cut out for us, but if we can compete with these two teams, we will know what our strengths and weaknesses are going forward into our Missouri Valley Conference games."
Illinois State and Northwestern will meet for the sixth time in series history Friday. The Wildcats lead the all-time series with the Redbirds, 3-2, and were 1-0 winners in the last meeting in 2008. Sunday's game with the Gophers will mark only the second time that Illinois State and Minnesota have met in women's soccer. Minnesota won the first and only meeting, 3-0, in 1998.
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