NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State (6-7-2, 1-2-0) will travel to Chicago Saturday to take on Missouri Valley Conference opponent Loyola (6-5-1, 3-0-0). Kick off at Loyola Soccer Park is set for 5 p.m.
The Redbirds lead the all-time series with the Ramblers 13-4-0 and have won seven of their last eight meetings. Their last meeting in 2017 resulted in a 5-3 Illinois State victory as Emily Dickman, Kate Del Fava, Mikayla Unger and Natalie Vaughn-Low all netted goals for the 'Birds, with Unger tallying two of her own for the second time in her career.
The match will be streamed through The Valley on ESPN on ESPN+. Fans can follow along with live stats or @Redbird_Soccer on Twitter for in-game updates.
Loyola – What You Need to Know
The Ramblers are the only team to remain undefeated in MVC play, topping Drake in a 1-0 shutout on Saturday in Loyola's senior night to take sole possession of first place in the standings. The game was evenly matched until the 76th minute when junior Aleksa Tataryn rocketed one just under the crossbar and past the keeper to give Loyola the advantage. It was Tataryn's third goal of the season.
Loyola is on a three-game winning streak after recording their second straight shutout. They lead the conference in assists and are tied for first in the goals category with Indiana State. Senior Jenna Szczesny has a team-high seven goals this season and has earned MVC Offensive Player of the Week three times in 2018. The Ramblers were selected as the preseason favorite in the MVC Preseason Coaches poll.
Last Time Out
Illinois State dropped a 2-0 decision to Valparaiso (4-6-2, 1-2-0) on Monday morning. The match took place at the Corn Crib, a venue nearby Illinois State's campus, after poor weather and field conditions delayed the game from its original scheduled time of Sunday afternoon.
Despite outshooting the Crusaders 27-12 on the day and 12-9 in shots on goal, Valpo came away victorious, scoring two first half goals in the 29th and 41st minute. Del Fava took a team-high six shots and redshirt sophomore Abby Basler led the team with three shots on goal. Junior goalkeeper Haley Smith collected seven saves.
For all the latest on Illinois State soccer, stay tuned at GoRedbirds.com and follow the team at @Redbird_Soccer (Twitter, Facebook).
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
