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| WEEK 2: Illinois (2-0-0, 0-0-0) vs. Missouri (1-1-0, 0-0-0) // vs. Illinois State (1-0-1, 0-0-0) | |
|---|---|
| Match 3: Missouri | Thursday, Aug. 22 // 7 p.m. CT // Demirjian Park // Champaign, Ill. |
| Match 4: Illinois State | Sunday, Aug. 25 // 5 p.m. CT // Demirjian Park // Champaign, Ill. |
| Watch Live | Missouri // Illinois State |
| Live Stats | FightingIllini.com |
| Printable Notes | Illinois // Missouri // Illinois State |
| Shop | Online Store |
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois soccer continues its season-opening five-match homestand with a pair of rivalry showdowns vs. Missouri and Illinois State. Kickoffs from Demirjian Park are set for 7 p.m. and 5 p.m. CT, respectively.
The 2024 season marks the 28th season of Illinois soccer, with the Illini holding an overall record of 285-217-46 (.562), and the 23rd season under the leadership of head coach Janet Rayfield.
PROMOTIONS
Thursday, Aug. 22 vs. Missouri | 7 p.m. CT
Kick Stigma – Students across the country are feeling increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. This game is designed to increase awareness of on campus groups as well as raise money for mental health resources to help expand programs that make a difference.
Sunday, Aug. 25 vs. Illinois State | 5 p.m. CT
Back to School Tailgate – Featuring pre-match inflatables and food trucks on the practice field.
Postmatch Autographs – Following the match, players will be signing autographs.
Fans attending the match on Sunday that plan on parking in the grass lot will need to enter through the Goodwin Avenue gravel driveway. Parking will remain available in the Atkins Tennis Center lot, but the grass lot will not be accessible through the lot.
SCOUTING MISSOURI
The Illini trail in the all-time series against the Tigers, 5-7-2, falling 2-1 in the last meeting between the two programs on Sept. 8, 2023, in Columbia, Mo. Illinois also trails 2-3-0 in games played at Demirjian Park, but came away with a 1-0 win in the last contest in Champaign on Sept. 8, 2022.
Missouri went 1-1-0 in its first matchweek, opening the 2024 campaign at home with a 2-0 win over Missouri State before falling 2-0 to No. 10 Memphis. The Tigers were tabbed to finish 16th in the SEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, with goalkeeper Bella Hollenbach, defender Rachel Kutella, midfielder Keegan Good and forward Kylee Simmons all named to the 2024 SEC Soccer Preseason Watchlist.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS STATE
The Illini lead the all-time series against the Redbirds, 12-4-2, with the Orange and Blue capturing a 1-0 win in the last meeting between the two programs on Aug. 28, 2022, in Champaign. Illinois also holds 9-0 advantage in the series in matches played at Demirjian Park.
Illinois State went 1-0-1 in its first matchweek, opening the season with a 2-1 win over Green Bay at home on Aug. 15 before playing to a scoreless draw at Purdue Fort Wayne on Aug. 18. The Redbirds were tabbed to finish 10th in the MVC Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll.
ILLINOIS NOTES
- All eight of Illinois goals this season have been scored by a different player…the Illini had nine different goalscorers in the 2023 season.
- In the Illini’s season opener on Aug. 15 vs. Wright State, 15 different players recorded a point in the contest, the most by any team in the country in the first matchweek. The six goals scored were the most in a single match by the Illini since an 8-0 triumph over Northern Illinois on Aug. 26, 2018.
- Orange and Blue newcomers have made an instant impact on the pitch, with Lauren Seppi (1 G, 1 A), Lindsey DuSatko (1 A), Mia Gildea (1 A), Emma Yee (1 A) and Bella Zanoni (1 A) recording goal contributions in their Illini debuts on Aug. 15 vs. Wright State.
- Illinois finished the 2023 season with a 6-8-3 record, including a 2-6-2 mark in Big Ten play. The Illini went 4-3-0 on the home pitch at Demirjian Park and 2-5-3 on the road.
- The Fighting Illini begin the season for the third-straight year at Demirjian Park, coming away with wins over Illinois State (1-0, 2022) and Loyola (3-2, 2023) in the last two curtain raisers. Overall, Illinois has won five-straight season openers, dating back to 2019.
- Illinois will face six opponents in 2024 that begin the season ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Top 25; Nebraska (6), UCLA (11), Georgia (14), Wisconsin (19), USC (23) and Iowa (25). The Illini went 2-3-0 against ranked opponents last season, their most ranked wins in a single season since 2018.
- The Illini return 16 letterwinners to the 2024 squad, seven of which started double-digit matches in 2023; Kennedy Berschel (17), Ella Karolak (17), Mya Archibald (16), Ellen Persson (16), Sydney Stephens (15), Sarah Foley (15) and Lia Howard (11). Illinois also returns a large portion of its offensive output, with 67 percent (14/21) of its goals and 68 percent (15/22) of its assists.
Archibald Named to Canada’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Roster
Sophomore defender and Fall River, Nova Scotia, native, Mya Archibald has been named to Canada’s roster for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia, the association announced on Monday. This marks the second time that Archibald has represented Canada at a youth-level World Cup Finals, having also been named to the U-17 squad that competed in India in 2022. She started two matches, helping Canada to a pair of 1-1 draws.
Following the World Cup, Archibald went on to earn a bronze medal the 2022 CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship, making seven appearances and five starts.
Canada’s preparation camp will run from Aug. 22-26 in Bogotá, before the team heads to Medellín on Aug. 27, ahead of its opening-round match on Aug. 31 vs. France. Canada, drawn into Group B, will also be taking on Fiji (Sept. 3) and Brazil (Sept. 6).
Illini Trio Named to Big Ten Women’s Soccer Preseason Players to Watch List
The Big Ten announced its Women’s Soccer Preseason Players to Watch List on Aug. 15, with fifth-year Kennedy Berschel, senior Ella Karolak and sophomore Mya Archibald representing the Illini.
A midfielder from Bensenville, Ill., Berschel started in all 17 matches last season, setting new career-high marks in goals (2) and assists (2) during the campaign, playing in 1,317 of a possible 1,530 minutes. She also registered career-best totals in shots (16) and shots on goal (9) during the 2023 season.
A defender from Grosse Pointe, Mich., Karolak has been a mainstay in the Illinois backline, making 35-consecutive starts over the past two seasons while not missing a single minute. She anchored an Illini defense that kept three clean sheets and allowed 25 goals on the season, the program’s lowest mark in a full season since 2018. Karolak also tallied one assist last fall.
A defender from Fall River, Nova Scotia, Canada, Archibald played in all 17 contests last season, making 16 starts. She scored the match-winning goal on her debut on Aug. 17, 2023, vs. Loyola and later provided her first-career assist on Oct. 15, 2023, vs. Purdue.
ILLINI ROSTER FEATURES 12 NEWCOMERS
The Fighting Illini soccer program and head coach Janet Rayfield will welcome 12 newcomers, including 10 freshmen to the 2024 roster. The freshmen include goalkeepers Emily Coral and Peyton Rhodes, defenders Mia Gildea and Bella Zanoni, midfielders Ava LeGault, AJ Mayock, Lauren Seppi and Izzi Wirtz, and forwards Claire Murray and Emma Yee. Anessa Arndt (Old Dominion) and Lindsey DuSatko (Valparaiso) join the squad as transfers.
“This class is a diverse group of winners,” Rayfield said. “They come from winning programs, they are driven to win and they are coming to Illinois to help us win. They each have special talents and unique strengths to bring to the field and their collective competitive mentality will help us enter the new Big Ten conference poised to compete and expecting to win.”
UP NEXT
The Illini wrap up this five-match homestand with a match vs. Kentucky on Aug. 31. Kickoff from Demirjian Park is slated for 2 p.m. CT.
