The Illinois State soccer team’s historic season came to an end Friday, November 18, in Durham, North Carolina. The Redbirds achieved a historic 15-game unbeaten streak, which is the longest unbeaten streak in program and Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) soccer history.
After winning their 11th regular-season title October 23 at Evansville, the Redbirds continued their success in the MVC Tournament at Adelaide Street Field in Normal. They were seeded No. 1 heading into the tournament and came out on top, winning the MVC Tournament title for the 7th time, with a win in the final over Evansville, once again, on November 6.
With the title, the Redbirds earned their seventh automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in program history. They faced the University of Michigan in the first round in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and advanced on penalty kicks 5-4. Illinois State then headed to the second round of the tournament for the third time in program history to face the Blue Devils of Duke in Durham, North Carolina. After a close first half, the Blue Devils were able to pull away, downing the Redbirds 3-1. Illinois State finished the season with a record of 14-6-3.
