Redbird Soccer Earns First Two Wins of Season
Written by Jack Polkow on September 2, 2025
NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State soccer played two games this week, winning both of them in shutout fashion. The Redbirds beat Western Illinois at home on Thursday and beat UT Martin on the road Sunday.
The Redbirds had an offensive explosion Thursday night against the Western Illinois Leathernecks, winning by a score of 5-0. This marks the Redbirds largest win since the 2019 campaign.
ISU came out firing in the first half, recording 16 shots. They finally found the scoreboard in the 22nd minute when Eve Gricius found the back of the net on a corner kick. A few minutes later, Chloe Cline made it 2-0. The score then got to 4-0 before halftime with goals from Danica Key and Elyse Deschryver, closing out a very strong first half.
The Redbirds made it 5-0 in the second half off of an own goal from the Leathernecks, being the eventual final score. The win would give ISU a lot of confidence going into Sunday’s tilt.
Illinois State would record their second straight shutout with their 1-0 win in Martin, Tennessee against UT Martin. Neither team broke the scoreless tie going into halftime in a defensive battle.
The Redbirds made a strong push in the second half, owning most of the possession. In the 77th minute, freshman Ryann Law broke the scoreless tie giving the Redbirds the 1-0 lead, which ended up being the final score.
The Redbirds record now sits at 2-3-1 after a very positive week. ISU soccer will be back in action Thursday against IU Indy and Sunday against Loyola Chicago with both games being at home.
For all things ISU soccer be sure to stay tuned to WZND.com.
