The Illinois State women's soccer team (4-4-2), fresh off back-to-back wins over Toledo and Omaha, are set to host Western Illinois (2-5-1) at home on Wednesday. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Adelaide Street Field.
The Redbirds currently lead the all-time series with the Leathernecks 3-2-2, with the latest meeting resulting in a 1-0 Illinois State victory in 2017.
The match will be streamed on ESPN+ but requires a subscription. Fans can follow along with live stats or @Redbird_Soccer on Twitter for in-game updates.Â
Western Illinois – What You Need to Know
The Leathernecks fell 2-1 to Drake (3-6-0) on Sunday afternoon. Freshman forward Amy Andrews scored her first collegiate goal and the lone goal for Western Illinois. Junior goalkeeper Ines Palmiero Herrera collected eight saves, improving her season total to 49.
Junior forward Emily Bollman has a team-best four goals this year, in a season that has seen the Leathernecks outscored 17-10 through eight games. Western Illinois has gathered wins this year at Northern Illinois and Chicago State, with their sole tie belonging to Ball State.
Last Time Out
Illinois State (4-4-2) bested the Omaha Mavericks (2-6-1) in a 2-0 shut out Sunday afternoon at Adelaide Street Field. Juniors Kate Del Fava and Megan McEachern netted goals in the first half, lifting the Redbirds to a victory in their first home game in nearly a month. Abby Basler led the team with five of Illinois State's 18 shots, also adding an assist on Del Fava's goal. Junior Haley Smith had five saves in goal for Illinois State.
McEachern was named MVC Defensive Player of the Week following her performances in Illinois State's consecutive wins over Toledo and Omaha. This is the third time this year a Redbird player has been named Defensive Player of the Week, with Smith earning the title just last week and the first week of the season.
Promotions
The match will serve as Josh Rodgers Remembrance Day and Redbird soccer will honor Army Ranger Sgt. Joshua Rodgers who passed away in April 2017 in the Nangarhar Province. Joshua's sister, former Illinois State soccer player Hannah Rodgers and her family will present the game ball before the match. The Illinois State ROTC will be in attendance and all veterans and local heroes will be honored during the match.
In last year's game that honored Josh Rodgers, Hannah Rodgers scored the game-winning goal in the 33rd minute to lift the Redbirds over UMKC 1-0.
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.
