NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State soccer returns to Adelaide Street Field for a contest with IU-Indy Thursday evening. Kick off is slated for 7 p.m. and will be available to stream on ESPN+.
The Redbirds enter Thursday's meeting with the Jaguars after picking up their second win of the season with a 1-0 victory over UT Martin on Sunday. Freshman Rylann Law scored her second career collegiate goal in the 77th minute to secure the win for Illinois State. Senior Sophia Skoubis tallied her first career assist on Law's goal in just her second match played for Illinois State.
With Sunday's shutout win against the Skyhawks, the Redbirds recorded back-to-back shutout victories, marking the first time Illinois State has accomplished the feat under second-year head coach Raleigh DeRose. It was also the first back-to-back shutout win for the Redbirds since the 2020-21 season.
Sophomore Kaya Durkee played a pivotal role in the Illinois State backline in maintaining each shutout for the Redbirds and was honored as the Missouri Valley Conference Defender of the Week, as announced by the league office on Tuesday.
IU-Indy enters Thursday's contest after falling to Ball State, 1-0, on Sunday. The Jaguars are led by first-year head coach Angela Berry White, who returns to coaching at the collegiate level after spending 11 seasons coaching at the high school ranks. White previously coached at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, earning a 168-49-23 record, a MaxPreps National title, and an IHSAA State Championship in 2015. White also previously worked as an assistant at Butler and Indiana to begin her coaching career.
Before beginning her coaching career, White found success as a player, as she was the first female to be inducted into the Indiana Soccer Hall of Fame. During her playing career, White was a two-year member of the United States Women's National Team, playing alongside Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy.
Thursday's meeting marks the fifth matchup between the programs as the series sits level at 2-2-0. It will also be the first contest since 2019 where the Redbirds prevailed with a 1-0 win at Adelaide Street Field.
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