Birds Look to Bounce Back at Oakland Thursday

NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State Soccer (1-1-1, 0-0-0 MVC) continues a three-game road swing Thursday at Oakland (0-3-1, 0-0-0 Horizon) as the Redbirds close the month of August against the Grizzlies. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. CT. No broadcast is available. 

SERIES HISTORY 

The Birds are unbeaten all-time against Oakland, carrying a 4-0-2 mark into Thursday's match.  

The two sides are meeting for the second consecutive season, after a 2-2 draw at Adelaide Street Field in the 2023 campaign. In Rochester, the Birds are 2-0-1 all-time, with the most recent meeting coming in 2007.  

ON THE HORIZON 

The Grizzlies mark the third and final Horizon League foe Illinois State will battle this season. After results against Green Bay, 2-0, and Purdue Fort Wayne, 0-0, the Redbirds look to stay unbeaten against the Horizon League this year.  

It is the first time since the 2021 season that Illinois State has taken on 3-plus opponents from a single conference in their non-conference slate. That year the Redbirds matched up with three MAC foes in Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, and Toledo.  

YOUTH MOVEMENT

At Illinois Sunday the Redbirds started five true freshmen as Eiley Henderson, Chloe Cline, Isabelle Cameron, Kennedy Herman and Eve Gricius all got the nod. Herman and Gricius made their first collegiate starts while Henderson, Cline and Cameron started all three contests for Illinois State to open the year.  

It marked just the second time since 2014 that Illinois State has started five true freshmen in a single game. In a 2017 scoreless draw at No.19 Marquette the Redbirds started Sarah LaFayette, Natalie Vaughn-Low, Ashley Santos, Jessica Denney and Alissa Ramsden, who were all true freshmen at the time.  

In addition, this year is just the third season since the 2014 campaign that five total true freshmen have started for Illinois State in a single season, joining the 2022 and 2017 seasons.  

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