Redbirds to Face SIU in Battle of MVC Unbeatens

Illinois State soccer hits the road for a huge conference matchup with MVC-leader Southern Illinois on Saturday, with the Redbirds looking to snap the Salukis' eight-game winning streak. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT at the Lew Hartzog Track and Field Complex in Carbondale, Illinois.

QUICK KICKS

• The Redbirds are fresh off a shutout victory over UNI to begin MVC play 3-0 for the first time since the 2019 season, extending their current unbeaten streak to seven matches.

• Rylann Law was named the MVC Player of the Week after recording her first career brace (two goals, one assist) against UNI on Sunday. She leads the Redbirds with four assists.

• Maggie Dowling also earned her first career brace on Sunday with two goals and an assist.  This marks the first time two Redbirds have recorded multiple goals in the same match since Kate Del Fava and Natalie Vaughn-Low each recorded a brace against Missouri State on Nov. 8, 2019.

• Defender Ava Watson scored her team-leading fifth goal of the season on Sunday, making her the first Redbird defender to reach that mark since Heather Forsyth scored eight in 2005.

• With her sixth shutout of the  season against UNI, goalkeeper Madi Valenti moved into a tie for second in program history with 23 career shutouts.

• ISU leads the MVC in goal differential, scoring nine goals while allowing zero in conference play.

SERIES BREAKDOWN

• Saturday's match will be the Redbirds' eighth all-time meeting with the Salukis.

• ISU holds a 5-1-1 advantage in the series.

• The most recent meeting between the two squads ended in a 2-1 overtime victory for the Redbirds on Nov. 2, 2025.

• Illinois State holds a 1-1-1 away record against the Salukis, with the last match in Carbondale ending in a 1-0 win in October 2025.

• SIU leads the MVC with a 9-2 overall record and 3-0 mark in conference play.

• The Salukis lead the MVC and rank in the top-20 in the nation with a 0.857 save percentage and 0.818 W-L-T percentage. Goalkeeper Reagan Miller has four shutouts this season.

• Nao Katamoto leads the conference and ranks ninth in the country with seven total assists.

OFFENSIVE CLINIC

• The six-goal performance against UNI marked Illinois State's highest offensive output since a 10-0 victory over Chicago State in 2016

• The last time the Redbirds scored exactly six goals in a game was against Missouri State on Nov. 7, 2014 (W, 6-2).

• The six-goal margin was also the largest by the Redbirds against a Missouri Valley Conference opponent since a 9-2 victory over Indiana State on Oct. 14, 2012.

• The four-goal first half marked the first time Illinois State had scored four goals in a half since a 5-0 victory over Western Illinois last season. Four different Redbirds also scored in that half.

• The six assists marked the first time the Redbirds had recorded five or more assists in a match since Sept. 10, 2023, against Western Illinois.

DOUBLE BRACE

Rylann Law and Maggie Dowling each recorded their first-career braces (two goals, one assist) on Sunday against UNI.

• The braces by Dowling and Law marked the first time two Redbirds have recorded multiple goals in the same match since Kate Del Fava and Natalie Vaughn-Low each recorded a brace against Missouri State on Nov. 8, 2019.

• Each of their second goals also came within a 50-second span of one another, which ranks as the 10th-fastest consecutive goals in program history.

MVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Rylann Law earned MVC Player of the Week following her two-goal, one-assist performance against UNI on Sunday. It is her first weekly honor this season and the fourth for the Redbirds. The sophomore currently ranks second in the conference and top-80 in the nation in both shots per game (3.50) and shots on goal per game (1.58).

WATSON DOES IT ALL

Ava Watson is the definition of a two-way player, with her presence felt on both sides of the ball all season long for the Redbirds. Watson, a defender out of Dublin, Ohio, scored her team-leading fifth goal of the season, making her the first Redbird to reach that mark since Haley Glover scored six goals in 2023.

• She is the first ISU defender to reach five goals in a season since Heather Forsyth scored eight in 2005.

• She is the only defender in the MVC this season with at least five goals.

• Along with her goal-scoring ability, Watson's stout defense has helped ISU to six total shutouts this season, including three straight against MVC opponents.

GRICIUS GIVEN HEIDECKE AWARD

On Sunday, ISU soccer celebrated its annual Julie Heidecke Day and honored Eve Gricius with this year's Heidecke Award, which recognizes a Redbird soccer player following Heidecke's path in commitment, spirit, determination, leadership, sportsmanship, academics, morality and concern for others.

• Each year, the Illinois State soccer program honors the newest recipient of the Heidecke Award with a ceremony under the Julie Heidecke Tribute Tree planted in her honor at the entrance of Adelaide Street Field.

HOME SWEET HOME

The Redbirds' win over UNI extended their home unbeaten streak to 13 games with a 6-0-7 record dating back to last season. It is the third-longest home unbeaten streak in program history.

• The 13-game home unbeaten streak is tied for the 14th-longest active home unbeaten streak in Division I and the longest in the MVC.

• With the win over Purdue Fort Wayne, Illinois State completed an unblemished home non-conference season for the first time since 2009.

SHUTOUTS LEADERBOARD

Goalkeeper Madi Valenti recently moved into a tie for second place in program history after shutting out the UNI Panthers. She is just the fourth Redbird in program history to amass 20 career shutouts.

26 - Haley Smith ...................................2016-19

23 - Becky Feldmann.............................1997-00

23 - Madi Valent............................2024-Present

22 - Aryn Newsom.................................2010-14

17 - Allison Farrington.............................2001-0