TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – In a battle with major Missouri Valley Conference postseason implications on the line, the Sycamores prevailed over Illinois State on Sunday afternoon inside Memorial Stadium, 1-0.
 
Brooklyn Woods converted a penalty kick in the 67th minute to provide the lone goal of the contest in a physical match featuring 16 total fouls and seven cards issued over the second half. Woods' third goal propelled Indiana State (8-4-6, 4-1-3) to the win putting the Sycamores in a tie with Murray State for second in the MVC standings with one match to play in the regular season.
 
Up Next
The Sycamores are scheduled to host Murray State on Thursday afternoon with both teams sitting with 4-1-3 marks in MVC play, having secured spots in the conference postseason tournament. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. ET at Memorial Stadium and will be carried live on ESPN+.
 
Indiana State and Illinois State (6-5-7, 3-1-4) battled to a standstill over the first 45 minutes of the match with neither side able to put a goal on the scoreboard. Tori Angelo started the Sycamores' offensive attack with a shot on target 1:20 into the competition, while Indiana State goalkeeper Delaney Timmons made a pair of saves in the 19th and 21st minutes to keep it a scoreless game early.
 
The Sycamores threatened late in the first half with Woods and Alex Lehnert both firing on target, but Illinois State keeper Madi Valenti was able to corral both shots to keep Indiana State off the board. Ashlyn Cohen and Isabella Berta both were wide with shots late to keep it a 0-0 score heading into the break.
 
The physicality came to a head in the 66th minute of the match with a pair of yellow cards issued to Illinois State's Chloe Cline and Grace Petrie, setting up Woods' penalty kick inside the box. The senior defender converted in the lower left corner putting Indiana State on the board with the go-ahead goal, her third of the season.
 
After a red card was issued to Indiana State's Anna Chor, the Sycamores played a person down on the pitch over the final 24 minutes. Illinois State threatened with four late shots, but none went on target as the Sycamores held off the Redbirds for the win.
 
The Indiana State victory puts the Sycamores with 15 total points in MVC play in the battle for a first round bye in the 2025 MVC Women's Soccer championship field. The Sycamores (15) and Murray State (15) both trail Drake (16) by one point, while Illinois State (13) and Southern Illinois (13) are still in the hosting mix pending Thursday's results.
 
Woods finished with the match with four of Indiana State's 13 shots on goal and was one of six Sycamores to go all 90 minutes on the pitch. Timmons finished with six saves in recording her sixth shutout of the season.

Postmatch Press Conference

 
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