Illinois State (10-9-2, 4-3-0) fell 2-1 to Loyola (10-6-1, 6-1-0) in a hard-fought semifinal match in the Missouri Valley Conference Soccer Championships Friday night. Junior Mikayla Unger scored the lone goal for the Redbirds at Loyola Soccer Park, in the match that saw them eliminated from postseason play. Junior Haley Smith had six saves in between the pipes for Illinois State.
Loyola struck first in the fourth minute, when Lindsey Hardiman sent in a ball to Madison Kimball, who then directed it into the goal from just outside the six yard-box.