NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State women's soccer closed out the regular season Thursday afternoon with a 0-0 draw against Valparaiso at Adelaide Street Field. With the draw, the Redbirds secured the No. 3 seed in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.

The Redbirds (9-3-6, 4-2-3 MVC) extended their home unbeaten streak to 16 games, tying for the third-longest active streak in NCAA Division I. Illinois State finished the regular season 4-0-4 at home, marking its first undefeated home regular season since going 7-0 in 2009.

Illinois State controlled much of the offensive action, finishing with a 16-10 advantage in shots and a 9-5 edge in shots on goal. The Redbirds also held a 6-3 advantage in corner kicks.

The Redbirds generated six shots in the opening half, putting three on target, while limiting the Beacons to three attempts. Ava Watson and Mikayla Carkhuff each tested the Valparaiso goalkeeper early, while Sofia Mammoliti and Eve Gricius added shots on target as Illinois State looked to break through.

The match remained scoreless at halftime, with Madi Valenti making one first-half save for the Redbirds.

Illinois State continued to apply pressure after the break, recording 10 shots in the second half. The Redbirds created several opportunities during a stretch in the final 25 minutes, with Carkhuff and Mammoliti forcing saves in the 67th minute.

Valenti and the Redbird defense held firm on the other end, turning away Valparaiso's late attempts to preserve the shutout. Valenti finished with five saves and recorded her 25th career shutout, one shy of tying the program record. The clean sheet marked Illinois State's eighth of the season.

UP NEXT

Illinois State has secured the No. 3 seed in the MVC Tournament and will host No. 6 Evansville in the quarterfinals on Sunday at Adelaide Street Field. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. CT. Admission at the gate is $15 for adults and $10 for youth. ISU students get in free with their student ID.