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Before December 19th, 2024, many Carp and sports fans asked a similar question: why not a women’s team in Peoria? That question was answered in a town hall press release in downtown Peoria, which announced Peoria City Soccer Club would include a women’s side in the spring of 2025. Jim DeRose, the club president who made the announcement, has long been associated with soccer in the Peoria area.
Meanwhile, in Normal, IL, the Redbirds Women's Soccer Team is led by head coach Raleigh DeRose, who will begin her second season this fall. 4 members of the 2025 Illinois State Soccer team will be playing with the WPSL expansion squad this spring/summer in Peoria, IL. The club announced on February 12th the addition of Erika Wells, a junior winger from Indiana who played for FC Pride in the 2024 WPSL season. Peoria native and Dunlap High School Graduate Sami Cenek, named the Journal Star Player of the Year as a senior, is a Redbird junior midfielder who joined the Carp on February 16th. Sammi is joined by fellow ISU midfielder Rylann Law (Freshman), who announced on August 3rd, 2024, that she would play her NCAA soccer in Normal, IL, for coach DeRose. The fourth and final ISU Women’s soccer player to sign with Peoria City was junior Aniya Seymore, a defender from Lincoln, Nebraska, who dons the number 8 for the Red and White.
The Women’s Premier Soccer League is a pre-professional league that gives additional opportunities for those seeking to improve their game and/or play beyond college. The WPSL season does not interfere with the NCAA season or remove any eligibility. These Illinois State Redbirds will be playing with athletes from Heartland, IWU, and the University of Illinois. Players from schools such as Creighton, Kansas, and Valpo will also compete with the Redbird Carp. Former Illinois State midfielder Leah Crotty will return to central Illinois for the inaugural Peoria City women's soccer team; she plays NCAA soccer with Coastal Carolina.
The Carp home games will be played at Shea Stadium in Peoria, IL. While that is the same place the Bradley Men’s Soccer team competes, they are separate entities, and for the sake of ISU fans, there is no Bradley women’s soccer team to poach ISU Carp players. The experience against other like-minded and talented college players gives the Redbirds an advantage in the 2025 season. The Redbirds playing for Peoria City this NCAA offseason will get a chance to learn from competitors and grow as teammates with those who also play for Raleigh DeRose. Also, the Peoria City SC games are an absolute blast from a fan’s perspective. Food trucks, free parking, inexpensive tickets, and you can bring noisemakers to the matches! Carp games provide an affordable, family-friendly environment that supports local businesses, women’s athletics, and Redbird Soccer players all at once.
The first home game for the women’s Peoria City side is on May 24th at 7:30 pm at Shea Stadium. Supporters can get tickets online or in person at the gate, with individual match tickets starting at $6. Bring your people for a historic night loaded with family-friendly fun!
Up the Carp and Roll Birds!!!
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