OPENING WHISTLE
Indiana State is back at home in Missouri Valley Conference play on Saturday, October 12 when they continue Homecoming festivities against Northern Iowa. Kick-off is set for 7:00 pm (ET) and will be televised nationally on ESPN+ -- a production of The Valley on ESPN.

Head coach Julie Hanley, in her third season at the helm, led ISU to their first conference tournament appearance since 2013 after a fourth place finish in the 2016 campaign. She then led the Sycamores to a nail biting penalty kick win over the Drake Bulldogs in the MVC Tournament to secure a spot in the semifinals. Thus far in 2018, she has led the Sycamores to four road wins for the first time since 2013 as well as a four match undefeated streak in road games for the first time in the history of the program.

Katie Wells is in the midst of her senior season for the Sycamores. She was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Team after taking home second team all-league honors one year ago and first team plaudits as a sophomore. This season she leads the team and MVC with 22 points, leads the league in goal scoring with eight goals and owns six assists. She also leads the team with 27 shots. 

Of Indiana State's six victories so far this season, four have come on the road. The Sycamores saw a string of five consecutive matches undefeated end on September 14 against Western Michigan. It marked the first time since 2013 that Indiana State has enjoyed a streak of success that long. Indiana State enjoyed undefeated streaks of six matches three times (in 2006, 2010 & 2013) which is a record for the program. 

With their shutout 8-0 victory over Chicago State on September 16, the Sycamores improved to 4-0-1 when not allowing a goal.

Indiana State's 6-3-2 non-conference record is the best among the league membership outside of MVC  play.

The Valley on ESPN, part of the Missouri Valley Conference's media rights agreement with ESPN, will feature most home soccer matches from all eight MVC institutions on the ESPN+ and the ESPN3 streaming platforms. The HD-quality telecasts are available on the ESPN app. Seven Sycamore games will be featured on ESPN+ while four will be shown live world wide on ESPN3.

MATCH PREVIEW 
Indiana State leads Northern Iowa by a 10-7-3 margin.

The Sycamores have a 6-3-1 advantage in Terre Haute.

UNI won last year's meeting 2-0 in the regular season final while the two teams battled to a scoreless draw in both 2015 and 2016. Indiana State's last win at home came on October 10, 2014 -- a 1-0 victory.

Katie Wells Scores Valley Leading Eighth Goal Of The Season At Missouri State
Indiana State senior Katie Wells  scored the Sycamores' goal as part of a 1-1 draw at Missouri State this week. Wells answered a Bears goal a few moments earlier when she took a corner kick from senior Caitlyn Eddy who's pass was put towards Wells in the box by Danielle Varner and Wells finished it off with a smash into the back of the net to tie the match right before halftime. Wells led the way with four shots, including two on goal as well as the goal scored. She now has eight goals on the season and her 20th career goal moved her into a tie for 2nd place on the ISU's all-time goals scored chart.

Danielle Varner Providing Defensive Stops For Sycamores
Indiana State sophomore Danielle Varner continued to be a defensive forced for the Sycamores and chipped in a with some help on the attacking end as well in the 1-1 draw against Missouri State. Varner provided a huge back save late in the second half to keep the match scoreless after a MSU shot appeared to be headed back towards the goal after they slipped past goalkeeper Hannah Sullivan. Varner added an assist of Katie Wells goal late in the first half to equalize the match.

Road Tested, Road Approved
Of Indiana State's six victories so far this season, four have come on the road. The Sycamores went undefeated in four consecutive road contests earlier this season for the first time in the history of the program. The Sycamores' four road wins are the most for the program since 2012. The Indiana State school record of five road victories in one season was set back in 2006. The Sycamores next road chance comes on Wedneday, October 17 at Illinois State.

Katie Wells -- Owning The Sycamore Record Book
Senior Katie Wells, an Indianapolis (Warren Central HS) native currently ranks second best in school history with 58 career points scored and second all-time with 0.88 points scored per match. Her 20 career goals are tied for second most in school history. She is only 12 points off Laura Podolski's school record for career points scored. With her next goal, she will pass Maddie Orf for second all-time in career goals scored and is only five behind the school record, currently held by Lauren Podolski. She also owns 18 career assists which is second-best on the ISU career chart and only two behind Podolski for a share of the school record. Wells is just the third Sycamore in program history to record at least 20 career goals scored. Additionally her 54 career shots on goal are the fourth most ever at ISU. Her eight goals scored this season is tied for third most ever at ISu and just two behind Abby Reed's school record of 10 set in 2013.

Northern Iowa Series Has Been Closely Contested
Indiana State and Northern Iowa are set for battle on Friday, October 12 as part of Homecoming activities this week at Indiana State. The Sycamores lead the all-time series against UNI by a 10-7-3 margin and are 6-3-1 against the Panthers at home. UNI won 2-0 last season to conclude the campaign after the two teams battled to 0-0 scoreless draws in the previous two years. ISU last won in 2014 at Memorial Stadium by a 1-0 count. ISU downed UNI on Sept. 24, 2000 by a 3-2 score in overtime for the program's first-ever victory in Missouri Valley Conference play.

8-0 Win Over Chicago State Was Most Goals Ever Scored Versus A NCAA Division I School
Indiana State's 8-0 offensive outburst against Chicago State proved to be the most goals scored for the Sycamores since they tallied nine on October 12, 2008 against Oakland City. ISU's eight goals against the Cougars are the most ever for the program against a NCAA Division I team. ISU improved to 5-0 all-time against Chicago State, and have beaten them by a cumulative score of 34-2.

Sidney Ewing and Caitlyn Eddy Know To Strike Fast
Indiana State senior Caitlyn Eddy provided a quick strike for the Sycamore offense on August 24 as it came in quick fashion, scoring with just 2:24 elapsed off the clock. It was the fourth fastest goal scored in the 18-year history of the ISU women's soccer program and the fastest since Leah Galton found the back of the net against Hofstra in just 84 seconds on September 7, 2014. Sidney Ewing gave that mark a run for the money against Chicago State on September 16 when she stole the ball and scored from 25 yards out just 2:0 into the match. Ewing's goal proved to be the fifth-fastest goal scored in ISU history. This season, the Sycamores have scored two of the five fastest goals in the history of the program.

UP NEXT 
The Sycamores will travel to Illinois State on Wednesday, October 17 to take on the Redbirds. Kickoff is set for 7 pm (ET) and the match will televised nationally on ESPN+.