NORMAL, ILLINOIS — UNI women’s soccer endured a rough afternoon Sunday as Illinois State poured in four first-half goals and rolled to a 6-0 Missouri Valley Conference victory over the Panthers.
Northern Iowa was outshot 26-3 overall and 17-2 in shots on goal as the Redbirds controlled the match from the opening minute.
The loss marked UNI’s second conference defeat of the season and came one week after the Panthers snapped a 14-game winless streak with a 1-0 victory over Belmont.
Redbirds strike almost immediately
Illinois State needed less than a minute to take control.
The Redbirds were awarded a penalty kick in the opening minute after a UNI handball in the box, and Mikayla Carkhuff converted to make it 1-0.
Rylann Law doubled the lead in the 23rd minute with a right-footed goal.
Illinois State then broke the game open late in the first half.
Maggie Dowling scored in the 41st minute, and Ava Watson added another goal in the 43rd to send the Redbirds into halftime with a 4-0 advantage.
Ella Ubben recorded UNI’s only shot on goal of the first half.
Illinois State adds two more
The Redbirds continued attacking after halftime.
Law scored her second goal of the match in the 59th minute before Dowling followed with her second goal moments later, pushing the margin to 6-0.
Ubben produced UNI’s second shot on goal in the 80th minute, but Illinois State goalkeeper Madi Valenti made the save.
Ubben finished as the only Panther with multiple shots on goal.
UNI goalkeepers kept busy
Hailey Luedtke faced heavy pressure throughout the match and finished with eight saves for Northern Iowa.
Poppy Anderson entered in relief and added three saves.
The performance came after Luedtke delivered 10 saves in UNI’s win over Belmont, a victory that gave the Panthers their first win of the season and first in 358 days.
Earlier in conference play, UNI also fell 2-0 at Indiana State after holding the Sycamores scoreless for more than 70 minutes.
Panthers return home for Valparaiso
UNI will return to Cedar Falls on Sunday, October 11, to host Valparaiso in another Missouri Valley Conference matchup.
Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the UNI Soccer Field.
Before the match, Northern Iowa will honor former goalkeeper Anne Marie Witko with a jersey retirement ceremony.
Witko played for UNI from 2000 through 2003 and is among a group of Panther standouts being honored during the university’s 150th anniversary year. NIT previously reported on the UNI jersey retirement class that includes Witko and Super Bowl champion Kurt Warner.
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