OPENING WHISTLE
Indiana State hits the road in Missouri Valley Conference play on Wednesday, October 17 when travel to Normal, Ill., to take on Illinois State. 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 24 points, leads the league in goal scoring with nine goals and owns six assists. She also leads the team with 32 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 
Illinois State leads the Sycamores by a 20-4-0 margin in the all-time series.

The Sycamores have never won in 12 previous meetings against the Redbirds in Normal.

Indiana State won the meeting last season by a 2-1 margin on October 14, 2018. It broke a 12-match losing streak to the Redbirds. The Sycamores are looking to win consecutive games against Illinois State for the first time since the 2004 & 2005 campaign.

Katie Wells Scores Valley Leading Eighth Goal Of The Season At Missouri State
Indiana State senior Katie Wells scored her MVC-leading ninth goal of the season as the Sycamores narrowly fell 2-1 to Northern Iowa on October 12. Wells goal came off a rebound from a shot made by fellow senior Caitlyn Eddy in the 51st minute to get the Sycamores within a goal of the Panthers. It was also her 21st career goal to put her four shy of the school record and her ninth of the season which is just one away from Abby Reed's school record of 10 set in 2013. Wells led ISU with five shots, including three on goal in the match.

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 Wednesday, 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 60 career points scored and second all-time with 0.90 points scored per match. Her 21 career goals are second most in school history, just four away from Lauren Podolski's school record of 25. She is only 10 points off Laura Podolski's school record for career points scored. 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 57 career shots on goal are the fourth most ever at ISU. Her nine goals scored this season is tied for the second most ever at ISU and just one behind Abby Reed's school record of 10 set in 2013. Her 24 points scored this season are second-best in the history of the program and just one away from Podolski's school record of 25 set in 2006.

Sycamores Looking For Program's First-Ever Win At Illinois State
When the Sycamores travel to Normal, Ill., on Wednesday, October 17 Indiana State will be looking for the first ever victory in Normal, Ill. – as ISU will enter with an 0-12 all-time record against the Redbirds on their home field. Additionally, Indiana State who won 2-1 last year at Memorial Stadium will be looking to make it consecutive wins over the Redbirds for just the second time sever and the first since the 2004 & 2005 campaigns.

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 
Indiana State returns home for the final time during the regular season when they host Drake on Sunday, October 21 at 1 pm (ET) inside Memorial Stadium.