Roff Wins 100th, as Redbirds Top Mastodons

September 27, 2013

NORMAL, Ill. - Goals from Rachel TejadaAnna StinsonDagny Olson and Keri Kujawa, combined with a strong defensive effort, led the Illinois State soccer team to a 4-0 victory over IPFW in its final non-conference match, Friday evening at Adelaide Street Field. The win is number 100 in the career of head coach Drew Roff.

The Redbirds (6-6-0) jumped to an early 1-0 lead over IPFW (2-7-0) three minutes into the match, when Tejada scored her Missouri Valley Conference-leading ninth goal of the season. The remainder of the first half was more even, however, with goalkeeper Aryn Newsom even being forced to make a point-blank save towards the end of the half. Stinson and Olson both scored at the outset of the second half to grab control of the match, however, before Kujawa tacked on a late tally.

"At halftime, I thought we needed to compete a little bit more in the second half and play a little bit quicker," Roff said. "I thought if we could do those two things, we'd be in good shape and that's exactly what happened. It was fun to see."

The Redbirds struck first for the first time in their last four matches with Tejada's tally. Gabbi McArtor got behind the IPFW defense along the left side of the field, before gaining enough space to play a cross into the box. Tejada was waiting unmarked, and headed the ball into the back of the net for the 1-0 lead. McArtor's assist is her fourth of the season.

Stinson's first goal of the campaign came in the 51st minute. The senior earned a penalty kick by cutting into the penalty area from the right side before being taken down. She converted the first PK attempt of her career to give the Redbirds a 2-0 advantage.

Olson made it a 3-0 cushion just over two minutes later. Kyla Cross played a ball to Tejada in the penalty area, who back-heel passed it to Olson. The Redbird freshman corralled the pass, before slotting it into an empty net for her fourth goal of the season. Cross' assist gives her a team-best six in 2013, which also matches her single-season high.

Kujawa rounded out the scoring in the 83rd minute with her first career goal. Hannah Leinert found Kujawa in the penalty area, who then headed a ball to the ground that snuck inside the right post to make it a 4-0 lead. Leinert's assist is her fourth of the season.

Roff reached the century plateau in just his ninth season as a head coach. After beginning his career with two seasons at Indianapolis, Roff has led the Redbirds to four regular-season MVC titles, three MVC Tournament titles, and three NCAA Tournament appearances since taking over in 2007. His career-record now stands at 100-57-11, a .628 winning percentage.

"To get to his point, we've had a lot of great players here at ISU, and I've worked with a lot of great assistant coaches who have helped us achieve some things," Roff said. "It's a reflection of how dedicated and committed our athletes are."

Illinois State will begin MVC play next Friday, Oct. 4, at Indiana State. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m., CT.

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

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