NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State soccer team has released its 2017 fall schedule, head coach Brad Silvey announced Monday. Silvey is entering his first year at the helm of the Redbirds after serving two seasons as an assistant under Eric Golz. The Redbirds finished the 2016 season with an overall record of 14-6-3 (5-0-1 MVC), and brought home the hardware as the Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament champions. Illinois State advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last four years.Â
"We have put together a well-balanced and extremely competitive schedule for 2017," Silvey said. "The schedule features teams from eight different conferences which will provide a great measuring stick in preparation for Missouri Valley Conference play. Coming off an incredibly successful campaign in 2016, the standard and expectation will be extremely high. We will clearly have a target on our back and must be at our best in every contest in order to compete. We have a culture and collection of student-athletes that is driven toward greatness, and we look forward to attacking the 2017 season."
Some change is in the air for the Redbirds as they will face several opponents for the first time in program history during the 2017 season. ISU will open the season Aug. 18 at Eastern Michigan before hosting Big Ten opponents Northwestern and Illinois on Aug. 20 and 27. The Redbirds close out the month with a trip to Saint Louis to face the Bilikens on Aug. 25. ISU fell to Northwestern and Illinois, 1-0, last season on the road but defeated Eastern Michigan, 4-2, in Ypsilanti. This is the first time the Redbirds will face Saint Louis since they defeated the Bilikens, 4-1, at Adelaide Street Field in 2013.
ISU will face Duquesne and Pittsburgh for the first time in program history when they travel to the east coast Sept. 1-3. The Redbirds will continue their road stretch in September, traveling to IUPUI Sept. 10 and Marquette Sept. 14. ISU defeated IUPUI, 4-1, but fell to Marquette, 2-1, last season, both at home. The Redbirds will return home to host Miami (Ohio) Sept. 17 for the team's annual Julie Heidecke Day. The last time ISU faced the Red Hawks, the Redbirds lost, 3-2, on the road in 2014.
The Redbirds will kick off conference play at Northern Iowa Sept. 23, before returning home to host UMKC in a nonconference matchup. This will be the first time in program history the Redbirds will face UMKC. They will get back on the road Oct. 1 to face nonconference foe Western Illinois. ISU will have its final nonconference match against UIC on Oct. 4. The Redbirds have not faced the Leathernecks since 2008, where they ended in a 1-1 draw at home, This is also the first time in program history the Redbirds will face the Flames of UIC.
ISU will finish its season with six conference matchups throughout the rest of October, hosting Evansville and Loyola Oct. 7 and 11, and traveling to Indiana State and Valparaiso Oct. 14 and 18. The Redbirds will close out the season at home against Drake Oct. 22 and conclude the 2017 season on the road at Missouri State Oct. 26.
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