McLean County Times

Illinois State University's women's soccer team faced a narrow defeat against Missouri State on Thursday night. The game, held at Adelaide Street Field in Normal, Illinois, ended with a 1-0 victory for Missouri State.

The match saw Illinois State (5-9-3, 3-4-2 MVC) withstand early pressure from the Missouri State Bears (10-4-3, 8-0-1 MVC), who scored the only goal of the game in the 11th minute. Illinois State's Eiley Henderson nearly put her team ahead with a header that went wide shortly after kickoff.

Goalkeeper Madi Valenti made three saves for Illinois State during the match. One significant save came before Missouri State managed to score their decisive goal. In the second half, Illinois State intensified their efforts to equalize and created a promising chance in the 84th minute when Ava Watson's shot was deflected by Missouri State goalkeeper Camille Day.

Despite this loss, Illinois State secured a spot in the upcoming 2024 MVC Tournament due to favorable outcomes in other league matches. This marks their first appearance in the tournament since spring 2020-21.

Looking ahead, Illinois State will conclude their regular season with a home game against UNI on Senior Day. The match is scheduled to start at noon.

For more information about tickets and updates on Illinois State athletics, visit GoRedbirds.com or use the Illinois State Redbirds App.