LOS ANGELES – Illinois State soccer's historic season came to a close Saturday evening with a 4-0 loss to Pepperdine. ISU concludes the season with a program record 16 wins and just six losses, but fell in the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight season.
Pepperdine entered the match boasting a stingy defense that had allowed just 15 goals all season long. The Redbirds entered with the nation's seventh-best offense and program record 58 goals on the season. Â
In the opening minutes, Rachel Tejada took the first shot of the game, but a good save from the Waves' Hannah Seabert kept the Redbirds off the board and that would prove to be the story of the game. In the sixth minute, the Waves' Amanda LeCave found the back of the net with an assist from Ally Holtz to give Pepperdine a 1-0 lead.
ISU missed on their best opportunity in the first half, as Hannah Leinert found a wide open Kelli Zickert on the right side. However, the shot was deflected from a good Pepperdine defense, leaving the Redbirds without a goal.
Pepperdine fired again in the 25th minute, as Bri Visalli and Lynn Williams created a two-on-one for the Waves. Williams found the back of the net from the ground, as ISU keeper Aryn Newsom came outside the 18-yard mark to challenge the duo. However, she came up short, and Williams pushed her 13th goal of the 2014 slate by her.
At halftime, the Waves led ISU in the shot department 7-4, but the saves were at an even two for Newsom and Seabert.
The ISU offense came attacking in the opening 10 minutes, as Tejada took two good shots, but Seabert and the Pepperdine defense came ready for the Tejada attack, making two great saves to keep the score at 2-0.
Williams then found open field 19 yards out, and fired, finding the back of the net on the upper right corner of the goal to earn her second goal of the night. The Pepperdine standout was not done yet, as she was credited with the assist in Pepperdine's fourth goal of the night. The Waves' Kristen Rodriguez netted the shot in front of the goal from a Williams' cross in the 85th minute.
Illinois State fell short in the shots, 16-7. Newsom credited with four saves, and Seabert earned three saves on the night.
For Tejada, the senior ends her Illinois State career as one of the most decorated ISU Redbirds of all-time. She was a four-time MVC Player of the Year, four-time First Team All-MVC and a two-time MVC Tournament MVP. She finishes her career with 190 points, which ranks 25th all-time among Division I players. Tejada netted 74 goals and 42 assists, which are both MVC records.
Newsom ends her Redbird career as one of ISU's best goalkeepers in the history of Redbird soccer. She is just the second keeper in ISU history to have over 300 saves and she also recorded a program record 50 wins.
Gabbi McArtor also wrapped up her career and she was a staple on an ISU defense that dominated MVC opponents. McArtor was the heart and soul of a Redbirds team that allowed just two goals in MVC regular season play this season.
ISU finishes the season 16-6-0 and 6-0 in the Valley. This season the program won its 10th regular season conference title, made its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance and second-consecutive trip to the round of 32.
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