Normal, Ill. -- The Illinois State women's soccer team played host to the Missouri State Bears on Friday afternoon. The 'Birds defeated the Bears in commanding fashion, scoring three goals and holding Missouri State scoreless to advance the Redbirds to 2-0 in MVC play. The game saw senior Abby Basler add two more goals to her career total on the day, and sophomore Allison Baker burying her first career goal at Illinois State.
The first half got off to a strong start, as Abby Basler buried the first shot of the game to give Illinois State an early 1-0 lead. The Redbirds continued to put pressure on the Missouri State defense, firing off 11 total shots in the first half. The Illinois State defense also stood strong preventing the Bears from getting a shot off during the first half of the match.
As the second half began the Redbirds again continued to pile pressure onto the Missouri State defense. At the 49 minute mark Abby Basler struck again, giving the Redbirds a 2-0 lead over the Bears. The Redbird offense continued to control the match with the lead, and Allison Baker capitalized. The Papillion, Nebraska native netted her first career goal as a Redbird using her speed to get around the Missouri State defense on the left side, firing a shot that found the back right corner of the goal.
Redshirt sophomore Priya Gillan started in net for the Redbirds, getting her second consecutive shutout. Gillan faced four total MSU shots and made two saves to secure the win for Illinois State.
The Redbirds travel to Des Moines, Iowa on Wednesday, March 10 to face off against the Drake Bulldogs.
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