OPENING WHISTLE
Indiana State returns home for the final time when they host Drake on Sunday, October 21 inside Memorial Stadium. Kick-off is set for 1:00 pm (ET) and will be televised nationally on ESPN3 -- 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 the MVC with a school record 26 points and has tied the school record set in 2013 by Abby Reed with 10 goals scored -- a number which also leads the league. She is fifth in the MVC in shots with 38. She leads the league with six assists which is third-best in Sycamore history. Wells scores 1.61 points per match this season which leads the league and is a new school record.
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 was 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
Drake leads the all-time series by a 13-6-1 margin.
Indiana State is 3-5-1 against the Bulldogs in Terre haute. Last season's 3-0 victory for Drake ended the Sycamores two-match winning streak against the Bulldogs.
The Sycamores last win over Drake came on October 30, 2016 in the MVC Tournament opening round via a 3-2 advantage in penalty kicks which sent the Sycamores to the MVC Semifinals that season.
Katie Wells Ties Single Season Goal Scoring Record at Illinois State
Indiana State senior Katie Wells scored her 10th goal of the season in the 81st minute at Illinois State. Well's 10 goals scored this season leads the Missouri Valley Conference and is tied with Abby Reed for the school record which she set back in 2013. Wells now has 26 points in the season to lead the league and that is a new school record as is her 1.61 points per match average. She owns a MVC-best six assists this season which is the third-highest total ever at ISU while her 38 total shots are the fifth most in the conference this season.
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 62 career points scored and second all-time with 0.91 points scored per match. Her 22 career goals are second most in school history, just three away from Lauren Podolski's school record of 25. She is only eight 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 60 career shots on goal are the third most ever at ISU.
Sycamores Looking To Make It Three In A Row Over Drake At Home
Indiana State enters Sunday's match with a two match winning streak over Drake in games played at Memorial Stadium. ISU defeated the Bulldogs twice at home in 2016 -- first on September 30 a 3-2 victory in the regular season and then a 3-2 penalty kick victory on October 30 in the MVC Tournament opening round. ISU is 3-5-1 all-time against Drake at home.
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 regular season concludes on Thursday, October 25 when the Sycamores travel to Valparaiso. Kickoff is set for 5:00 p.m. (ET) and will be televised live worldwide on ESPN3.
