Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Sunday, November 15
Des Moines, Iowa
1 PM
Southern Illinois University
at
No.1 Drake
The SIU women's soccer team celebrates its 1-0 victory over Illinois State on Thursday, punching its ticket to the MVC Championship.
11/14/2026 | 5:44:00 | Women's Soccer
CARBONDALE, Ill. —Southern Illinois women's soccer will compete for the Missouri Valley Conference Championship on Sunday, Nov. 15, when the Salukis face Drake at 1 p.m. in Des Moines, Iowa.
Southern Illinois enters the championship after earning a 1-0 semifinal victory over Illinois State. Victoria Hassan scored the game-winning goal in the 65th minute, with Veronica Gonzalez and Dana Nadda recording assists. Goalkeeper Kaylynn Miller made five saves to help secure the shutout and send the Salukis to the championship match.Drake enters the final with a 13-3-3 overall record and a 7-0-2 mark in MVC play. The Bulldogs have scored 36 goals this season while allowing just 10, recording 11 shutouts. Drake advanced to the championship after a 1-0 semifinal win over Murray State.
The championship matchup will be a rematch of the regular-season meeting between the two programs. The Salukis aim to finish their historic season with an MVC championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Details
- What: Soccer at Drake
- Date: Sunday, Nov. 15
- Time: 1 p.m.
- Location: Des Moines, Iowa Mediacom Stadium
- Watch | Stats
MVC AWARDS
The Salukis enter postseason play following an impressive showing at the 2026 Missouri Valley Conference awards, earning several of the conference's highest individual and team honors.Junior forward Maya Dixon was named MVC Player of the Year and Forward of the Year after leading Southern Illinois offensively with eight goals and two assists. Dixon delivered several standout performances throughout the season, including multiple two-goal performances against Evansville and Belmont.
Senior midfielder Nao Katamoto earned MVC Midfielder of the Year honors after recording three goals and nine assists. Katamoto played a significant role in the Salukis' success on both sides of the ball, providing consistent production and leadership throughout the season.
Freshman forward Victoria Hassan was named MVC Freshman of the Year after making an immediate impact in her first collegiate season. Hassan finished the regular season with five goals and six assists.
Head coach Graeme Orr, along with assistant coaches Carley Kandel and Ash Phillips, was named MVC Coaching Staff of the Year after Southern Illinois finished second in the conference and posted a historic regular-season campaign.
Southern Illinois also earned seven All-Conference selections across three teams:
First-Team All-Conference
- Maya Dixon – Forward
- Nao Katamoto – Midfielder
- Guliana Balistreri – Defender
- Victoria Hassan – Forward
- Victoria Hassan – Forward
- Kayla Grain – Midfielder
- Katrina Young – Defender
FOLLOW THE SALUKIS
Follow Southern Illinois women's soccer on X and Instagram at @SIU_Soccer and on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiSoccer for the latest news, updates and postseason coverage.
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/ Women's SoccerSunday, November 15
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Saturday, November 14
Saturday, November 14