Loyola Game Notes | Illinois State Game Notes | The Valley on ESPN (subscription required) vs. Illinois State | Live Stats vs. Illinois State

CHICAGO (October 11, 2018) – Winners of three-straight and unbeaten over their last four games, the Loyola University Chicago women's soccer team will close out a brief two-game homestand on Saturday evening when it welcomes Illinois State to Loyola Soccer Park at 5 p.m.  The Ramblers will wear commemorative pink jerseys in conjunction with Loyola Medical's Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center.
 
Last Time Out: Junior Aleksa Tataryn scored the game-winning goal in the 76th minute of play as Loyola picked up a 1-0 victory over Drake on Senior Night last Saturday in Rogers Park. A pair of Ramblers were honored by the MVC for their efforts in the win, with junior Madison Laudeman earning Valley Defensive Player of the Week honors, while freshman Aly Kilburg was named the conference's Newcomer of the Week.
 
vs. Illinois State: Illinois State finds itself in the midst of a three-game slide that has seen the Redbirds slip below the .500 mark at 6-7-2.  They enter the weekend sitting in seventh in the Missouri Valley Conference table with a record of 1-2-0. Illinois State dropped its most recent contest to Valparaiso by a final count of 2-0 this past Monday in Normal, Ill.  Second-year head coach Brad Silvey's team features a balanced offensive attack that has seen 10 different players find the back of the net.  Leading the way for that group is 2017 First Team All-MVC honoree Kate Del Fava, who has a team-high four goals to her name through 15 games.  Haley Smith has started all 15 games in goal this season for Illinois State. Smith holds a 1.32 goals against average.
 
Series Stuff: Saturday evening's matchup will mark the 18th meeting between Loyola and Illinois State in women's soccer.  The Redbirds own a 13-4-0 advantage in the all-time series.  Since Loyola's move to The Valley ahead of the 2013 season, Illinois State holds a 5-1-0 edge in six meetings.  Sienna Cruz found the back of the net twice when the two teams met last season at Adelaide Street Field, but Illinois State used a second-half surge to subdue Loyola, picking up a 5-3 victory.  Mikayla Unger scored twice to lead Illinois State in the win.  The Ramblers' lone victory since arriving in the Missouri Valley Conference came in the opening round of the 2015 MVC Women's Soccer Championship, where goals from Avalon Senn-Raemont and Shelby Koch propelled the Maroon & Gold to a 2-1 victory in Normal, Ill.
 
Up Next: Loyola will make the short trip to Northwest Indiana on Wednesday to take on Valparaiso in a midweek Valley tilt.  Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Brown Field.