Southern Illinois University
Missouri State University
Five Things to Know: Salukis at Missouri State
04/06/2021 | 11:25:00 | Women's Soccer
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois' women's soccer team travels to Springfield, Missouri on Wednesday, where the Salukis will battle Missouri State for the final game of the spring 2020-21 season. Game time is at 5pm at MSU's Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium, and the match will be broadcasted via ESPN+. Live stats are available here.
1. LOOKING AT LAST WEEK: In the Salukis final home match on Saturday, SIU dropped to Illinois State, 0-3 with early goals ensuing in 50 minutes of play. Sophomore keeper Maddy Alaluf garnered her seventh start of the season and accumulated nine saves while defending the Saluki net. In the midfield-heavy match, sophomore defender Katy Quinn was prominent for the Salukis in blocking, playing in 73 minutes of the match and while being a utility, senior defender Kathryn Creedon was seen in blocks in the back, while accumulating a shot on the offensive side. Playing towards the Redbird goal, sophomore forward Kaitlin DuCharme led the Salukis with three shots and one on-goal in the match up, followed by shots from sophomore Madison Meiring, junior Maya Warrior, and freshman McKensey Bunch.
2. SCOUTING MISSOURI STATE: Just above the Salukis in conference action, the Bears are coming off of a 1-2 loss to Valparaiso on Saturday, with the lone goal awarded to junior forward Anna Durnin, who leads the Bears in SOG percentage (.600) and has accumulated a goal and an assist this season. The Bears (3-7-2, 1-4-1 MVC) garnered their first Valley win, 1-0 against Drake, while taking a scoreless draw to Loyola in February. Missouri State has cumulatively score nine goals in the spring season, while the goalkeeping job has been split between freshman Katherine Montgomery and senior Kaitlin Maxwell, bringing in 45 combined saves.
Ending their 2019 campaign 11-5-2, and dropping to Illinois State in overtime during the second round of the MVC Tournament, the Bears finished in third-place with a sole first-place vote in the 2020-21 MVC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Durnin, Maxwell, and junior defender Isabel Burke were selected as Pre-Season All-Conference members.
3. MOVING AROUND: In showcasing the team's flexibility and adaptability to the opponent, this 2020-21 squad has moved in some position changes. Juniors Kailyn Stone and Maya Warrior have moved forward to score goals for the Salukis -- Warrior recording six shots and a shot-on-goal this year. While junior Hailey Blanchard and sophomore Emma Spotak have been utilities for SIU. Blanchard moved in at attack for Southern in the team's first three matches, while Spotak was in back. Both flipped thus far, as Spotak has recorded multiple shots for the Salukis on and Blanchard made prominent blocks in the Saluki box.
4. SALUKI LEADERS: Sophomore forward Kaitlin DuCharme is sixth in the book in shots this season, shooting 18 times towards the net, averaging 2.25 shots and one shot-on-goal per game. Keeper Maddy Alaluf is ranked fourth in the MVC in shutouts, recording three in her six games started for the Salukis. Southern Illinois is currently tabbed first in saves-per-game in the conference.
5. SPRING SOCCER: Due to COVID-19, the traditional fall soccer season was postponed into a spring format. Southern Illinois will play its first season of conference soccer as new joining members of the Missouri Valley Conference. Along with the eight-game conference schedule, the Salukis played one non-conference contest against Western Kentucky. The MVC Women's Soccer Tournament begins April 11. The NCAA Division I Women's College Cup will begin May 13.
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