MILWAUKEE – The Illinois State soccer team (13-5-2, 4-2-0 MVC) saw its season come to an end Friday evening, with a 3-0 loss at fourth-seeded and 12th-ranked Marquette (17-2-2, 9-0-1 BIG EAST) at Valley Fields in Milwaukee.  The Redbirds were shutout for the first time this season, and fall to 0-4 all-time in NCAA Tournament play.

“Our girls battled, worked hard, and gave it all they had,” head coach Drew Roff said.  “It just wasn’t enough tonight.  We’re keeping our heads help up high.  We lost to a great team.  To win this one, we had to really play well and get some breaks, but that didn’t happen tonight.”

The Golden Eagles, who extended their unbeaten streak to 15 matches with the win, set the tone early with a goal in the fourth minute.  Rachael Sloan streaked down the right side of the field before sending a ball into the box, which Lisa Philbin poked by ISU keeper Aryn Newsom to give MU an early 1-0 advantage.

“One of our main focuses this week was starting off strong, and not giving them anything in the first 15 minutes,” Roff said.  “Unfortunately, sports don’t always go as scripted, and we just couldn’t keep them off the scoreboard like we hoped to.”

The Redbirds and Golden Eagles were evenly matched for the next 20 minutes, with Rachel Tejada blasting a shot over the crossbar for the Redbirds’ only shot of the half.  However, 2012 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Ally Miller displayed her offensive skills in the 27th minute, curling a shot from distance past a diving Newsom to make it 2-0 Marquette.

After entering intermission down 2-0 and being outshot 10-1, the Redbirds controlled play for the beginning of the second half, with Anna Stinson and Tejada each registering shots during the first 20 minutes of the period.  However, Mary Luba put a free kick service from Emily Jacobson into the back of the net to extend the Golden Eagles’ lead to 3-0, and shift the momentum back in their favor.

“I thought we came out really strong in the second half,” Roff said.  “We were searching for a goal, and I think a goal at that point would have really changed things.”

Overall, Marquette outshot Illinois State 18-7.  Both Newsom and Marquette keeper Amanda Engel made three saves.  Philbin led all players with four shots, while Tejada paced the Redbirds with three.

With the defeat, the careers of seniors Rachel Bostick, Sarah Carlson, Kristin Cooley, Mara Kremenovic, Kelly Rosenthal and Heather Sterling come to a close.  The group won 47 games over their four seasons, the most by any class during Roff’s tenure, and became the first group in history to make three NCAA Tournament appearances.

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