By ISU Sports Information
NORMAL – The Illinois State soccer team fell to 5-9-2 overall and 2-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference after suffering a 2-1 overtime defeat versus Evansville Sunday at Adelaide Street Field.
The conference rivals played an even first half with neither team able to find the back of the net. However, Illinois State was not starved for scoring opportunities, taking six shots in the first 45 minutes. During one sequence, ISU had a shot blocked at the goal line by an Evansville defender and another that caromed off the goal post.
The Redbirds broke through in the 67th minute as Kelli Zickert found Lauren Koehl in the middle of the field streaking towards the net. Zickert sent a long pass down field and Evansville’s keeper, Whitney Biggs, raced out of the goal box to the ball. Koehl won the foot race and pushed the ball past Biggs before firing a shot into the empty net.
The goal was Koehl’s sixth of the season and gave ISU a 1-0 lead.
The lead would hold until the 80th minute when Evansville tied the match off a Colleen Dierkes goal. Dierkes made a run through the middle of the box, received a pass from Allie Arguello and pushed a shot past Vanessa Niestrom into the net.
Neither team could find a game-winner in the final 10 minutes so ISU went to overtime for the fourth time this season. Just two and a half minutes into the overtime period, Nicki Baham received a pass on the right side of the field. She dribbled up into the box and scored the game-winning goal in the 93rd minute.
Both teams took 11 shots on the day and Evansville held a 6-4 advantage in shots on goal. ISU held a 7-3 advantage in corner kicks while both teams committed 11 fouls. In the net, Niestrom made four saves in 93 minutes of action.
One game remains on the regular-season schedule for the Redbirds. ISU will be at Indiana State Thursday at 6 p.m. CT to face the Sycamores.
