Since the start of the program in 1996, Illinois State women’s soccer has been one of the premier teams in the Missouri Valley Conference – winning the conference tournament five times, and the regular season title nine. The first of their fourteen titles occurred under head coach Pete Kowall, with a 5-1-0 record in 1998 where they shared the title with rival Evansville. Pete Kowall took over the program in 1997 and with 98 wins at Illinois State, he guided the `Birds to all but three of the victories in the program’s history.
One of the most significant achievements of Kowall’s career occurred in 2003, when his veteran squad held off Creighton in a shootout in the State Farm MVC Championship to advance to their first NCAA Tournament. The well-balanced, defensive-minded 2003 team didn’t score more than two goals in a game all season, while their opponents scored just 15 goals in 20 games. Only four of the teams they faced scored two or more goals as the `Birds shut out 12 of their foes.
On November 7th, 2003, MVC player of the year #5 Heather Forsyth finished the final PK to advance ISU to the NCAA tournament over Creighton 5-4. This was the first MVC tournament championship for Illinois State.
In 2007, Illinois State brought on head coach Drew Roff to guide the Redbirds to their most recent dominance in the Missouri Valley. In his seven years at the helm, Drew Roff has established Illinois State as one of the premier women’s soccer programs in the Midwest, guiding his teams to four Missouri Valley Conference Tournament titles and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013. Since becoming head coach in February 2007, Roff has also led the Redbirds to five Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championships (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013), while his coaching staff has been named the MVC Coaching Staff of the Year four times (2007, 2009, 2011, 2013). Roff holds a 108-58-12 (.640) career record, which includes a 82-44-11 (.639) mark at ISU and 32-7-3 (.798) record in MVC contests.
Roff led the Redbirds to historic heights in 2013, as ISU achieved the best season in program-history. Roff’s Redbird challenged themselves in the non-conference, playing a tough schedule and earning wins over Big 12 foe TCU and No. 22 Marquette, the second over a ranked team in program-history. The tough tests paid off in Valley play, as ISU became just the fourth team ever to go a perfect 6-0 in the MVC regular season, and first to add two MVC Tournament wins to go a perfect 8-0. The Valley Tournament title was the third-straight for Roff, and fourth overall, while the regular-season crown was his fifth.
The 2013 team was the first team to go (8-0) combined in both regular season and tournament play in the Missouri Valley Conference. The tournament title by the Redbirds was its third in three years, advancing them to the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in program history.
The campaign culminated with more history, as ISU became the first MVC team ever to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Redbirds battled Louisville to a 1-1 draw before moving past the Cardinals in a penalty kick shootout, 5-3. The Redbirds finished the season 14-7-1, equaling the program-record for most wins in a season, and also set the all-time mark with nine-straight wins from Sept. 27-Nov. 10.
Roff reached the first personal milestone of his career as well in 2013. A 4-0 home victory over IPFW on Sept. 27 gave Roff his 100th-career victory.
Coming off its third-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, and first second round appearance in conference history in 2013, the Illinois State soccer team will challenge itself against some of the nation’s best programs in an 18-game 2014 schedule. The Redbirds will play 12 non-conference games, six MVC contests and nine home games at Adelaide Street Field. Of the 12 non-conference opponents, five (Texas A&M, DePaul, Boston College, Western Michigan and Milwaukee) joined ISU in the field of 64 last season, with Boston College advancing to the Elite Eight and Texas A&M reaching the Sweet 16. The matchup against BC is the program’s first against a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference, which is widely considered the sport’s top league.
The 2014 team enters the season with a great deal of promise. Returning for their senior year is 2013 Goalkeeper of the Year, Aryn Newsom, a native of Manteno, IL, Gabbi McArtor, a Palatine, IL, resident, Keri Kujawa from Downers Grove, IL, and three-time MVC player of the year, Rachel Tejada from Troy, IL. Rachel Tejada may be the most decorated player that the Missouri Valley has ever seen, with 54 goals and 31 assists, she has shattered the record books for both Illinois State and the Missouri Valley. Rachel enters her senior year with 139 points – the most all time in the conference as well as the current leader in the country.
The campaign culminated with more history, as ISU became the first MVC team ever to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Redbirds battled Louisville to a 1-1 draw before moving past the Cardinals in a penalty kick shootout, 5-3. The Redbirds finished the season 14-7-1, equaling the program-record for most wins in a season, and also set the all-time mark with nine-straight wins from Sept. 27-Nov. 10.
Roff reached the first personal milestone of his career as well in 2013. A 4-0 home victory over IPFW on Sept. 27 gave Roff his 100th-career victory.
Coming off its third-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, and first second round appearance in conference history in 2013, the Illinois State soccer team will challenge itself against some of the nation’s best programs in an 18-game 2014 schedule. The Redbirds will play 12 non-conference games, six MVC contests and nine home games at Adelaide Street Field. Of the 12 non-conference opponents, five (Texas A&M, DePaul, Boston College, Western Michigan and Milwaukee) joined ISU in the field of 64 last season, with Boston College advancing to the Elite Eight and Texas A&M reaching the Sweet 16. The matchup against BC is the program’s first against a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference, which is widely considered the sport’s top league.
The 2014 team enters the season with a great deal of promise. Returning for their senior year is 2013 Goalkeeper of the Year, Aryn Newsom, a native of Manteno, IL, Gabbi McArtor, a Palatine, IL, resident, Keri Kujawa from Downers Grove, IL, and three-time MVC player of the year, Rachel Tejada from Troy, IL. Rachel Tejada may be the most decorated player that the Missouri Valley has ever seen, with 54 goals and 31 assists, she has shattered the record books for both Illinois State and the Missouri Valley. Rachel enters her senior year with 139 points – the most all time in the conference as well as the current leader in the country.
In addition to the senior group returning, the women’s soccer team has recently announced that they will be hosting the MVC tournament for the first time in 2014. The installment of field lights will allow for night matches for the Redbirds, and promises for more memorable moments to occur at Adelaide Street field.
Katie Baumgardner
Assistant Coach