No. 4 Illinois State (10-8-2, 4-3-0) will face off with top-seeded Loyola (9-6-1, 6-1-0) in Chicago Friday in the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Soccer Championships. Kick off at Loyola Soccer Park is set for 6 p.m.
The Redbirds lead the all-time series with the Ramblers, 14-4, and have won eight of their last nine encounters. Most recently, Illinois State stunned Loyola in overtime, when junior Mikayla Unger scored the golden goal from 30 yards out to put the 'Birds up 3-2 and hand the Ramblers their only conference loss this season.
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.Â
Loyola  – What You Need to Know
Loyola clinched the MVC regular season title last Thursday in convincing fashion, with a 6-1 win over Evansville. Senior Madison Kimball, reigning MVC Offensive Player of the Week, scored a hat trick in the stomping, with senior Elena Carr, junior Siena Cruz and freshman Bella Lestina all tallying goals of their own. The Ramblers outshot the Purple Aces 24-4 on the night held a 10-1 advantage in corners.
Last Time Out
The Redbirds edged past Missouri State (8-9-2, 2-3-2) in a 1-0 shutout Sunday afternoon at home to advance to the semifinals of the MVC Soccer Championships. Redshirt sophomore Abby Basler scored the game winning goal in the 76th minute to lift the 'Birds to victory and defeat the Bears for the second time this season. Junior goalkeeper Haley Smith collected six saves in Illinois State's third shutout of the 2018 campaign.
Basler now leads the team with 14 points on the year, 11 of which have been earned in the last five matches.
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:Â Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
