NORMAL, Ill. – Coming into the season, Dagny Olson seemed poised for a breakout season. On an Illinois State soccer team that is loaded with goal scorers, Olson made an impressive debut, scoring a goal and assisting another in a 4-1 ISU victory over Northern Illinois Friday at Adelaide Street Field.
The Redbirds did not score in either of their exhibition matches, but looked like the ISU fans and opponents have come to know Friday. Attacking early and often, Olson opened the scoring with a rebound goal in the sixth minute. Ten minutes later Rachel Tejada scored her first of the season to push ISU up 2-0. Olson assisted Tejada on a beautiful run for her third point of the season.
Tejada's goal moved her within five goals of the all-time program record and she is already to program leader in shots, points and assists. Paige Jarsombeck, a sophomore transfer from Creighton, got her first Redbird goal in the 26th minute. Her initial shot was blocked by the keeper, but she put the second attempt into the back of the net.
36 seconds later, ISU was at again, this time it was Ali Farkos' turn with a strike from just outside the top of the penalty box that ripped into the upper-left corner. It was an all-around effort from the starting XI and it was a dominant way to start the season.
The Redbirds' only slip-up came a minute into the second half when Ashley Neubeck scored for the Huskies. ISU goalkeeper Aryn Newsom made four saves in 82 minutes of play before being relieved by Vanessa Niestrom.
The Redbirds outshot NIU 25-9 and 11 different players recorded a shot. ISU will now shift its attention to another Mid-American Conference opponent, Central Michigan. The Chippewas come to Normal on Sunday to resume a series that has been tightly contested.
CMU holds a 4-2-1 advantage over the Redbirds in their previous meetings, but five overtimes have been played in those seven matches. The two teams last met in 2009, a 1-0 Central Michigan victory.
Kickoff Sunday is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will be broadcast live on Redbird HD.tv.
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