NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State soccer (2-6-2, 0-1-1 MVC) hits the road this weekend to take on Drake (2-5-4, 1-1-0, MVC) Sunday at 1 PM on ESPN+.
SERIES HISTORY
Illinois State holds a 12-11-3 advantage over Drake all-time, however the Redbirds are winless against Drake (0-3-1) against the Bulldogs since 2019. The Redbirds took down Drake 1-0 in the 2019 MVC Tournament but are searching for their first win over the Bulldogs since the 2016 campaign.
Drake leads 6-5-2 all-time in Des Moines.
CLEAN SHEETS
The Redbirds earned their third shutout of the season at Southern Illinois, which have all come on the road with Madi Valenti in net. The performance Thursday tied former Redbird Priya Gillan (2021) for the most shutouts by a Redbird in a single season since 2019. It is also the first time Illinois State has tallied three road shutouts in a single season since the 2019 campaign.
It is the first time since 2021 that Illinois State has tallied multiple shutouts on the road.
CREATING OPPORTUNITIES
The Redbirds generated a season-high 17 shots in the win over Western Illinois. It marked just the fourth time since the start of the 2022 season that Illinois State has tallied 15-plus shots in a single game. The Redbirds put 11 shots on frame, the most for Illinois State since the 2021 season and the first time since 2021 that the Redbirds have generated double-digit shots on goal.
Illinois State also had 10 corner kicks in the win, which marked the second time this season the Redbirds have generated 10-plus corner kicks in a single a game. (12 at Oakland, Aug. 29) It is the first time since 2016 that Illinois State has posted multiple games with 10-plus corner kicks in a single season. The Redbirds had five corner kicks at Southern Illinois, marking the fifth time this season Illinois State has generated 5-plus corner kicks in a single game.
UP NEXT
The Redbirds return home to Adelaide Street Field for a 6 p.m. contest against Valparaiso Oct. 3.
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