The Illinois State soccer team (12-5, 5-1 MVC) will host Drake (7-8-1, 4-2-0 MVC) in the final game of the regular season on Thursday in a showdown that will determine seedings for the 2019 Missouri Valley Conference Soccer Championships.
A win or draw in Thursday's match for Illinois State would advance them as the No. 2 seed with a bye in the opening round of the tournament. With a loss, the Redbirds finish third in the standings and host a quarterfinal on Sunday.
*UPDATE* Thursday's game has been moved to the Corn Crib, a multi-purpose, artificial surface stadium located at 1000 West Raab Road in Normal, Illinois. As with all regular season home games, admission is free. Due to the change in venue, no ESPN+ broadcast will be available.
Kickoff between the Redbirds and the Bulldogs is set for 4 p.m. Fans can follow along with live stats or on Twitter (@Redbird_Soccer) for in-game updates.
Drake – What You Need to Know
The Bulldogs enter the match having posted four consecutive shutouts. Most recently, Drake defeated Valparaiso, 3-0, on Oct. 26, behind goals from junior Olivia Bruce, redshirt senior Vanessa Kavan and junior Hannah Bormann. Bruce leads the Bulldogs with three goals and eight points on the season, with Bormann and Kavan right behind her, recording seven and six points this year, respectively.
Head coach Lindsey Horner has been at the helm of the Drake women's soccer program for 12 seasons, compiling a 103-95-30 record.
Redbirds vs. Bulldogs
Illinois State leads the all-time series with Drake, 11-8-2, despite having been defeated in three out of their last four meetings. The Bulldogs posted a 2-0 win over the Redbirds in Des Moines during the 2018 campaign in the regular season.
Last Time Out
The Illinois State squad pulled out a gritty win in Springfield, Missouri, Friday evening, as the Redbirds defeated the Missouri State Bears, 1-0, in their final regular season road contest. Senior Kate Del Fava tallied ISU's lone goal in the 64th minute while senior goalkeeper Haley Smith made three saves off nine shots faced to preserve the shutout.
For all latest on Illinois State soccer, stay tuned at GoRedbirds.com and follow the team on social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram).
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