Illinois State (14-5, 6-1 MVC) will face Loyola Chicago (13-4-1, 7-0-0 MVC) on Sunday afternoon in the Missouri Valley Conference Women's Soccer Championship game. Kickoff at Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium in Springfield, Mo. is set for 1 p.m.
Sunday's title match will be streamed on ESPN+. Fans can also follow along with live stats or on Twitter (@Redbird_Soccer) for in-game updates.
Loyola Chicago – What You Need to Know
The regular season champion Ramblers are led by MVC Freshman of the Year Megan Nemec, who has a team-high 17 points from six goals and five assists. Graduate student Simone Wark and senior Aleksa Tataryn, both All-MVC First Team selections, have each tallied 15 points in the 2019 campaign as well.
Freshman goalkeeper Grace Droessler has made 48 saves and posted a .774 save percentage in 14 appearances this season.
Redbirds vs. Ramblers
Illinois State leads the all-time series with Loyola Chicago, 14-6-0, but the Ramblers have emerged victorious in their last two meetings. Earlier this season, Loyola Chicago gave ISU their only conference loss, defeating the Redbirds, 4-1, at Adelaide Street Field. Wark scored twice in the regular season match, with Tataryn and Sienna Cruz each adding a goal as well. Sarah Ochitwa tallied Illinois State's lone goal.
Last Time Out
Illinois State secured its place in the championship by downing Missouri State in overtime, 4-3, in the semifinals on Friday night. Kate Del Fava and Natalie Vaughn-Low each tallied two goals and an assist, with Vaughn-Low recording the game-winning golden goal to end the Bears' season. Goalkeeper Haley Smith made five saves in goal, including one on a penalty kick.
For all latest on Illinois State soccer, stay tuned at GoRedbirds.com and follow the team on social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram).
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.
