Soccer Closes Out Non-Conference Play at Home

Soccer vs. Illinois State & Detroit
Date	Friday, Sept. 16 - 5 p.m. \| Sunday, Sept. 18 - 1 p.m.
Location	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Scicluna Field
Game Notes	EMU Notes
Live Stats	EMUEagles.com
Live Stream	Not Available
Twitter	@EMUSoccer \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - Fresh off a come-from-behind win over Oregon State, the Eastern Michigan University women's soccer team remains at home this weekend, Sept. 16-18, for matches against Illinois State University and the University of Detroit Mercy. The Eagles kick off the weekend against ISU, Sept. 16, at 5 p.m., before clashing with the Titans Sunday, Sept. 18, at 1 p.m.
   Fans can follow live stats for the match on EMUEagles.com, or tune in for in-game updates on the team's Twitter, @EMUSoccer.

EAGLES DUO NOTCHES FIRST CAREER POINTS: Eastern Michigan's match versus Oregon State, Sept. 11, saw a pair of Eagles notch the first points of their careers as junior Alex Wilbanks and freshman Sabrina McNeill registered assists on the same play. Corraling a ball in the midfield, Wilbanks played a ball to McNeil on a run down the sideline. Using her speed, McNeil beat her mark and delivered a cross into the six where senior Ellie Tillar volleyed it home.

CREATING OPPORTUNITIES: The Eagles may have only totaled 11 shots in a 2-1 win over Oregon State, Sept. 11, but EMU was efficient. Of the Green and White's 11 shots, seven were on frame. Additionally, the Eagles garnered a season-high seven corner kicks in the win, setting up Eastern for goal-scoring chances. EMU is 2-0-0 when earning more corners than opponents this season.

SHOTS! SHOTS! SHOTS!: The Eagles fired off a season-high 24 shots in a 1-1 draw versus Loyola Chicago, Sept. 4. Eight different players registered shots in the match, while seniors Madison Hirsch and Ellie Tillar led the way with five shots apiece.

SECOND HALF STRIKES LEAD EAGLES PAST OREGON STATE: Entering the second half trailing Oregon State, 1-nil, the Green and White used goals by Ellie Tillar and Michelle Rollins to earn the win, 2-1. Junior Alex Wilbanks secured the ball in the midfield and played it up to freshman Sabrina McNeil on a run on the outside. Taking a touch, McNeil served up a cross into the six where Tillar volleyed a shot past the OSU keeper to even the score at one. Tillar's 47th minute strike set up Rollins for the game-winner in the 84th minute as the Hartland, Mich. product cut through the Oregon State defense at the edge of the 18. Slipping her mark, and then slicing through a pair of Beavers, Rollins tucked a shot just inside the post, giving EMU a 2-1 lead. The win marked the second time the Eagles have knocked off a Pac-12 team in program history.

SCICLUNA SUCCESS: Eastern Michigan has found consistent success when playing at home over the past 20 years, compiling a 101-48-26 overall record at Scicluna. The Green and White's 100th win came in EMU's 3-2 win over Akron, Oct. 4, 2015. In that contest, Gabriella Mancini netted the quickest goal in EMU history, scoring in the second minute of play. Michelle Rollins' goal in the 21st minute was followed by Ellie Tillar's game-winning strike in the 61st.

ALL-TIME SERIES: Overall, EMU holds a combined record of 10-9-5 against this weekend's opponents, with two wins over Illinois State and eight against Detroit.
   Friday evening's match with the Redbirds marks the sixth time the Eagles will square off with ISU on the pitch, with the series standing at 2-2-1. The most recent meeting came during the 2015 campaign when the two squads played through lightning and sprinkler delays, ultimately coming away with a 2-2 draw after 110 minutes.
   The Eagles are more familiar with in-state foe Detroit. EMU holds a slight edge in the all-time series at 8-7-4 but the Titans came away victorious in the last meeting via a 81st minute goal.

RECON ON THE REDBIRDS: A challenging schedule has the Redbirds traveling to Ypsilanti with a 3-5 overall record, including a 0-3 mark on the road. Illinois State slid past North Dakota, 2-0, Sept. 11, but has dropped matches to No. 24 Northwestern, No. 23 Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Marquette.
   Lauren Koehl headlines a balanced attack for ISU that features seven different players who have recorded goals. Koehl is the team-leader with two goals, while adding an assist for a team-best five points. The Redbirds fire off 18.8 shots per game, but have averaged just 1.12 goals per match with a .060 shot percentage and .473 shot on goal percentage.
   In goal, Haley Smith has platooned the ISU defense. Smith leads the team with 24 saves, a 0.86 goals against average, and a .800 save percentage. Of Illinois State's three wins on the season, two have come via a clean sheet by Smith.

TACKLING THE TITANS: Detroit enters the weekend with a 2-5 record and is set to open Horizon League play Friday, Sept. 16, against Wright State before traveling to Ypsilanti. Most recently, the Titans were blanked by Michigan State, 2-0, in East Lansing, Sept. 11.
   Offensively, the Titans average 1.00 goals per game and have been shutout four times this season. Anna Mindling has been Detroits top threat offensively, leading the team with four goals and eight points. Mindling's four tallies make up more than half of the Titans' total offense, as three other players have added one goal each.
   On the defensive end of the pitch, the Titans are surrendering 1.87 goals per game to the opposition. Marina Manzo has manned goal for the Titans in all seven games this season. The 5-foot-9 keeper owns a 2-5-0 record and has allowed 13 goals, while making 27 saves and facing 85 shots.

LOOKING AHEAD: After closing out non-conference play and a five-game homstand this weekend, Sept. 16-18, the Eagles turn their focus to a grueling Mid-American Conference slate. EMU opens league play on the road, Sept. 23-25. The Green and White's conference season opens in Kalamazoo against 2015 MAC Tournament Champion Western Michigan, Sept. 23. From there, the Eagles travel further west, stopping in DeKalb, Ill. for a showdown versus the Huskies, Sept. 25.

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Players Mentioned

Madison Hirsch

Gabriella Mancini

Sabrina McNeill

Michelle Rollins

Ellie Tillar

Alex Wilbanks

Eastern Michigan Athletics