The Indiana State women’s soccer team earned back-to-back ties on the road this past weekend, impacting their overall record, which now stands at 7-2-6, and their conference record, which moved to 2-1-3. These latest results mean the Sycamores have now earned three consecutive ties across recent play and currently hold the fourth position in the Missouri Valley Conference standings, trailing behind Illinois State. The weekend's competition saw the Sycamores travel to Chicago to face the UIC Flames, followed by a trip to Normal, Illinois, to battle the third-ranked Illinois State Redbirds.
On Sunday afternoon, the Sycamores confronted the third-ranked Illinois State Redbirds in Normal, Illinois, in a match that concluded in a 1-1 draw. The first half saw both teams remain scoreless. However, junior midfielder Madison Ziebarth scored her third goal of the season, breaking the deadlock in the 63rd minute. The sophomore defender put Indiana State ahead 1-0 with a shot directed to the top center of the goal, following an assist from Urquhart. Indiana State maintained this advantage for a significant portion of the second half. Illinois State, however, mounted a late response, converting a penalty kick to the bottom left corner with only six minutes remaining in the match, thereby equalizing the score at 1-1. During this intense second half, sophomore goalkeeper Sofie Hansen recorded three crucial saves, bringing her season total to 37 saves.
Earlier in the weekend, on Thursday, the Sycamores traveled to Chicago for a matchup against the UIC Flames. This game ultimately ended in a scoreless draw. Throughout the contest, the Blue and White offense recorded 14 shots, including several promising attempts early in the first half by junior forward Tori Angelo. In the second half, both sophomore defender Quinn Urquhart and junior forward Hailey Morgan also registered scoring attempts, but these were successfully saved by the UIC goalkeeper. Sophomore goalkeeper Sofie Hansen was also active in this match, recording two saves, both of which occurred in the second half. This particular performance marked Hansen's sixth shutout of the season to date.
With only three regular-season conference matchups remaining on their schedule, the Indiana State Sycamores will aim to secure a victory as their road trip continues. Their next challenge will be an away game against the fifth-ranked Murray State next Sunday at 2 p.m. Fans interested in following the team's progress can stream the upcoming matchup live on ESPN+.