NORMAL, Ill. – When Milwaukee’s Kelly Lewers scored the game’s third goal in the first 25 minutes to give her team a 2-1 lead, it looked as if the match against Illinois State was set up to be a back-and-forth and high-scoring affair.  Neither team would score the rest of the way, however, as the Redbirds saw their three-match winning streak snapped Friday evening at Adelaide Street Field.

Lewers’ game-winner was set up by a corner kick from the far side of the field.  Alleina Szydlowski won the ball in the air, before eventually corralling it at her feet and firing a shot from the near side that was saved by ISU (5-5-0) keeper Aryn Newsom.  Lewers slotted the rebound into the open net for her fourth goal of the season, putting the Panthers (2-6-1) up for good.

ISU generated the majority of chances for the remainder of the match, outshooting the Panthers 10-8 for the game and 5-1 in the second half.  Rachel Tejada, who tallied ISU’s first-half goal, had the Redbirds’ two best late chances.  She was stopped in a one-on-one opportunity by UWM keeper Paige Lincicum in the 74th minute before chipping one over Lincicum, but wide of the right post, in the 86th minute, in what would wind up being ISU’s final shot of the match.

“Our sense of urgency was just too little too late at the end,” head coach Drew Roff said.  “I wish we would have come out with that intensity early in the match.”

Milwaukee took advantage of the Redbirds’ sluggish start by grabbing a lead in the second minute.  Lewers played a ball from the left side of the area to Krissy Dorre, who was waiting in the center of the box.  Dorre got just enough on her shot to send it rolling over the end line for her team-best fifth goal of the season, giving UWM a 1-0 lead.

The Redbirds fought back to even the match less than six minutes later on Tejada’s goal, making it six-straight games in which she has scored.  Dagny Olson connected with Kyla Cross in the penalty area, before Cross played a pass to Tejada.  The junior snuck the shot inside the left post for her team-best eighth goal of the season, evening the match at 1-1.  Cross registered her team-leading fifth assist on the season, while Olson tallied her first-career helper.

The match completed a four-game homestand for Illinois State, during which the Redbirds went 3-1.  With two more matches before Missouri Valley Conference play, including Sunday’s tilt at Kansas, Roff hopes Friday’s loss represents little more than a bump in the road moving forward.

“It’s just another lesson learned before conference play begins,” Roff said.  “I’m hoping that we can get things turned around.  This group has been shown to be resilient and bounce back nicely.  I’m expecting a much improved performance, hopefully starting Sunday.”

Kickoff against the Jayahwks is slated for 1 p.m., in Lawrence.

GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics, tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more. 

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