McLean County Times

Illinois State Soccer (2-3-1, 0-0-0 MVC) will conclude its 2024 non-conference schedule with two home games this week. Northern Illinois (4-1-1, 0-0-0 MAC) will visit on Thursday, and Butler (4-2-1, 0-0-0 Big East) will come to Normal on Sunday afternoon. The matches are scheduled for 7 PM on Thursday and 1 PM on Sunday and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Illinois State will host "Puppies at the Pitch" on Sunday as they face Butler. Fans are encouraged to bring their dogs to Adelaide Street Field for the last non-conference game of the season. Attendees bringing dogs must complete a registration waiver before entering the facility. Event staff will confirm registrations at the gate, allowing dog owners to enjoy the match with their pets. Those who do not pre-register can sign the waiver at the gate.

In their all-time series against Northern Illinois, Illinois State leads 13-3-2, including a 15-match unbeaten streak. NIU won the first three meetings in 1996, 1997, and 1998, but Illinois State has dominated since then. The Redbirds hold an 8-1-0 record at home against NIU. The teams last met in 2021 when Natalie Vaughn-Low scored twice to secure a 4-2 win for Illinois State.

Against Butler, Illinois State holds a narrow advantage with a 4-3-0 all-time record, including a 2-1 mark at Adelaide Street Field. However, Butler defeated Illinois State 3-0 last year in Indianapolis. The Redbirds have won two of the last three meetings after victories in 2008 and 2009.

Redshirt-freshman Madi Valenti earned her second shutout of the season last Sunday at Western Illinois, marking her first career win. This is the first time since 2021 that Illinois State has recorded multiple road shutouts in a season.

The Redbirds generated a season-high of 17 shots in their win over Western Illinois, marking only the fourth instance since early 2022 that they have tallied more than fifteen shots in a single game. They also put eleven shots on frame for the first time since the 2021 season and generated double-digit shots on goal.

Additionally, Illinois State had ten corner kicks during their recent victory—marking only the second time this season they have achieved this feat (the first being twelve corner kicks against Oakland on August 29). This is also notable as it is the first time since 2016 that they have posted multiple games with ten or more corner kicks in one season.

GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App remain primary sources for tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia content, merchandise, photos, and more related to Illinois State sports.

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