CHICAGO (October 12, 2021) – The Loyola University Chicago women's soccer team (8-2-2, 4-0-1 MVC) begins a two-game road swing through downstate Illinois on Wednesday, October 13 when it heads to Normal, Ill. to take on Illinois State. Kickoff against the Redbirds is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Adelaide Street Field.
Last Time Out: Loyola finished with a 37-2 edge in shots and earned 21 corner kicks, but was held off the scoreboard in a 0-0 double-overtime draw with Missouri State this past Saturday at Loyola Soccer Park.
Katharine Stephens unleashed a team-high eight attempts on the afternoon, as Loyola put 12 shots on goal while not allowing the Bears an attempt on target.
vs. Illinois State: Following a 1-1 double-overtime draw with Evansville over the weekend, Illinois State sports a 4-9-1 overall record. Sitting at 2-2-1 in Missouri Valley Conference play, the Redbirds are part of a contested pack that sees the third through seventh spots in the league table separated by just three points.
Leading the attack for head coach Brad Silvey's side is the duo of Natalie Vaughn-Low and Riley O'Brien. Vaughn-Low has fired home five goals this season, a mark which leads the Redbird roster, while O'Brien has added three tallies of her own. O'Brien is one of three Redbirds to have dished out three assists on the year, a trio that also includes Sarah Lafayette and Logan Ziegler.
Priya Gillen has played in all but 90 minutes of game action in goal, posting a 1.72 goals against average and a 0.712 save percentage. The Illinois State netmidner has a pair of clean sheets to her name.
Series Stuff: Wednesday's matchup in Central Illinois marks the 24th installment of the rivalry between Loyola and Illinois State in women's soccer, a series that dates back to a 3-2 Redbird win on September 11, 1996 at Loyola Soccer Park.
After dropping six of the first seven meetings between the two teams as Valley foes, the Ramblers have ripped off five straight victories over Illinois State to close the Redbirds' lead in the all-time series to 14-9-0 (.609).
The two teams played a classic in the semifinals of this past spring's MVC Women's Soccer Championship on April 14 in Rogers Park.
Kyrsten Pellikan saw her 37th-minute opener canceled out by an O'Brien tally in the 84th minute that forced overtime, where
Lindsey Hardiman would end it in the second extra session, scoring in the 103rd minute to seal a thrilling 2-1 double-overtime victory.
Up Next: Loyola is back on the road on Sunday, October 17 when takes on Southern Illinois in a 1 p.m. kickoff at the Lou Hartzog Track & Field Complex in Carbondale, Ill.
