KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Hannah Rodgers drilled a late penalty kick and the Illinois State soccer team was able to hold off Western Michigan for the final 22 minutes to play to a 1-1 draw Friday in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
In a match that was starved for offense in the first half, the Redbirds did not take a shot or a corner kick in the first 45 minutes of play. Conversely, Western Michigan only managed three shots in the first half with none on goal.
In the second half, Olivia Vollmers received a cross on the goal line to score the game’s first goal in the 54th minute. Candice Uhl and Emma Kahn were credited with assists on the play.
Following the goal, ISU’s offense came to life. Multiple times the Redbirds had shot opportunities from close range inside the goal box, but were unable to find the back of the net.
After a barrage of chances, Kelli Zickert took a pass in the box and was knocked to the ground. The foul resulted in a red card and gave ISU a penalty kick in the 88th minute. Rodgers stepped up and nailed it to tie the game at one.
The goal was Rodgers’ second of the season with both coming on penalty kicks.
In overtime, ISU took five shots compared to Western Michigan’s zero, but were unable to score. The match ended in a draw, which is the second draw of the season for ISU.
The Redbirds ended up outshooting WMU, 12-8, including four shots on goal compared to two. Western Michigan held a 9-2 advantage in corner kicks. In the net, Vanessa Niestrom made one save in 110 minutes of action.
ISU advances to 2-5-2 this season and will face Central Michigan Sunday in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Kick off is scheduled for 12 p.m. CST and a live audio broadcast will be available on GoRedbirds.com.
