Women's Soccer

MVC Women's Soccer Weekly Notebook - 10-21-2025

Drake (13 points) enters the final two weeks of the regular season with a three-point lead over second-place Illinois State and Southern Illinois (each with 10 points).  Drake has not faced either team this season, while ISU beat Southern in late September.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Mary Hardy, Murray State
DEFENDER OF THE WEEK: Zoey Mahoney, Drake
GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK: Madi Valenti, Illinois State
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: Ava Wilson, Murray State
  • Illinois State and UIC played to a scoreless draw on Sunday.  The Redbirds recorded their sixth scoreless draw of the season to extend their unbeaten streak in conference play to six. ISU also tallied its 10th shutout of the season, matching the third most in program history and the most in a season since 2019.
  • Murray State used a dominant second-half surge to overcome a 1-0 deficit, earning a 3-2 victory over Evansville for its second straight MVC win.  Senior Mary Hardy scored twice in a three-minute span to ignite the comeback. Her two-goal performance marked her first multi-goal match of the season.
  • Belmont women’s soccer fought to a 2–2 draw with Indiana State on Saturday.  In the 85th minute, senior Laken Whittington found the equalizer, leveling the match at 2–2.  
  • In that 2-2 draw against Belmont, Indiana State’s Tori Angelo netted her fifth goal of the season, tying for the team lead. GK Delaney Timmons finished with four saves.
  • UIC has surrendered one or no goals in each of its last five matches, recording a 1-1-3 record in that span, including a 0-0 draw at Illinois State this past Sunday.  The Flames went 1-1-1 against current league leaders (W-Drake, T-Illinois State, L-Southern Illinois).
  • In the 1-0 loss to Drake, UNI had 20 fouls --  tied for third-most in a game in program history and most for the Panthers since being called for 20 fouls against Georgia Southern on Aug. 31, 2008.
  • Sophia Schlicklin scored SIU’s lone goal, her fourth of the season, in a 1-1 draw against Valpo.  She’s tied for sixth in the MVC with her four goals scored this season.
  • Valpo is the first MVC side to keep SIU from taking the full three points at home this year, as the Salukis had previously beaten all three Valley foes they faced in Carbondale. Kate Sheridan made six saves in goal to limit the Salukis to their one goal.
  • UE’s Brielle LaBerge recorded her fifth assist of the season in the 3-2 loss to Murray State over the weekend.  She is tied for second in the league with five assists.
  • The league’s .547 non-conference winning percentage is the second-best in the league’s 31-year history sponsoring women’s soccer.

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PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Mary Hardy, Murray State, Sr., M, Ballwin, Mo. / Parkway West HS
Hardy led the Racers’ second-half surges, scoring two goals in three minutes on Murray State Soccer senior day. Mary’s first goal tied the match at one in the 48th minute. Three minutes later, just after a blocked penalty kick, Hardy scored her second goal off an Ava Wilson corner kick to give MSU the lead at 2-1.

DEFENDER OF THE WEEK
Zoey Mahoney, Drake, Jr., D, Waukee, Iowa / Waukee Northwest HS
Propelled Drake to its win over UNI scoring the lone goal in the match in the 82nd minute…Marked her second goal of the season…Played 68 out of a possible 90 minutes…Bolstered a Bulldogs backline that held the Panthers to just three shots in the match, all coming in the second half, and one shot on goal.

GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK
Madi Valenti, Illinois State, R-So., St. Charles, Mo. / Francis Howell Central HS
Earned her 14th career shutout to move to fifth in program history. Helped maintain the Redbirds’ 10th shutout of the season, which is the third most in program history. Helped extend Illinois State’s unbeaten streak to eight consecutive games. Illinois State’s 10 shutouts rank tied for fourth in the entire nation. Ranks fifth in the country in shutouts from a GK.

FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Ava Wilson, Murray State, Fr., M/D, Lexington, Ky. / Henry Clay HS
Wilson recorded her first goal and assist in Sunday’s win over Evansville. Her assist came off a corner kick, leading to a Mary Hardy goal for the Racers’ lead. Wilson later scored the game-winner in the 62nd minute, via a Breece Bass Assist. Wilson took three shots, all three on goal, throughout Sunday’s match.