Illinois State Soccer Set for Match with Top-Ranked Southern Illinois

Image Courtesy of Illinois State Athletics

NORMAL, Ill. — Illinois State soccer is coming off a dominant victory over conference opponent Northern Iowa, with the largest victory margin of the year, with a  6-0 win. Now, the Redbirds are preparing for the biggest game of their season so far, as they will travel to Carbondale to play Southern Illinois on Saturday.

ISU currently sits at an 8-1-3 record and 3-0 in conference play. Those records put the Redbirds second in the Missouri Valley Conference. The only team above them is the Salukis, who have a 9-2 record with a 3-0 record in conference play.

Both teams are on hot streaks and playing at their best. ISU has outscored its last three opponents 9-0 and has allowed only one goal in the last month. SIU is currently on an eight-game win streak, with their last coming on Aug. 20th against Auburn.

The Redbirds are an extremely well-balanced team, with a high-powered offense and a brick wall of a defense. ISU has had a player win an MVC weekly award for the past three weeks, with each award coming in a different category.

Their most recent award winner was sophomore forward Rylann Law. Law scored two goals and had an assist in her most recent game against UNI. Law is currently tied for second in team goals with four goals while leading the team with four assists. She has recorded  at least one shot on goal in each of the past four games.

The ISU defense is going to have to look out for SIU’s Maya Dixon, who is one of the MVC’s top scorers with six goals on the season.

Fortunately for the Redbirds, they have star goalkeeper Madi Valenti. Valenti is on a roll with three straight shutouts, and six this year, which leads the conference. She is also top five in saves with 38. Valenti continues to build her ISU legacy, as she is tied for the second most career shutouts in program history, and the fourth to ever pass 20 career shutouts.

Historically, Illinois State has managed to beat SIU, holding a 5-1-1 record. The team has beaten SIU in back-to-back seasons and has not lost since 2022. The Redbirds have mostly won at home, with their only loss coming on the road, and the last time ISU won in Carbondale was more than five years ago.

Kickoff between the two teams is set for 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10.

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