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| WEEK 1: Illinois (0-0-0, 0-0-0) vs. Wright State (0-0-0, 0-0-0) // vs. DePaul (0-0-0, 0-0-0) | |
|---|---|
| Match 16: Michigan State | Thursday, Aug. 15 // 7 p.m. CT // Demirjian Park // Champaign, Ill. |
| Match 17: Nebraska | Sunday, Aug. 18 // 1 p.m. CT // Demirjian Park // Champaign, Ill. |
| Watch Live | Wright State // DePaul |
| Live Stats | FightingIllini.com |
| Printable Notes | Illinois // Wright State // DePaul |
| Shop | Online Store |
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois soccer begins the 2024 season with a five-match homestand, opening the campaign on Thursday vs. Wright State, followed by a Sunday showdown vs. DePaul. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. and 1 p.m. CT, respectively.
The 2024 season marks the 28th season of Illinois soccer, with the Illini holding an overall record of 283-217-46 (.560), and the 23rd season under the leadership of head coach Janet Rayfield.
PROMOTIONS
Thursday, Aug. 15 vs. Wright State | 7 p.m. CT
Home Opener – Illinois soccer opens its 28th season with its season and home opener.
Sunday, Aug. 18 vs. DePaul | 1 p.m. CT
Senior Celebration – Illinois will honor seniors in a pregame ceremony for their hard work and dedication to Illini soccer.
SCOUTING WRIGHT STATE
The Illini lead in the all-time series against the Raiders, 2-0-0, coming away with a 3-1 victory in the last meeting between the two programs on Aug. 24, 2010, in Champaign. The Orange and Blue also came away with a 2-0 win in a neutral-site showdown on Sept. 10, 2004, the first game between the two programs.
Wright State went 6-7-5 in 2023, including a 4-3-3 mark in Horizon League play. The Raiders return their top two assist providers from last season’s campaign to the 2024 squad in midfielders Olivia Mace (4) and Caitlin Burger (3). Starting goalkeeper Kiera Sarka also returns to the side, where she ranked second in the Horizon League with 94 saves and tied for third with six shutouts. The Raiders were tabbed to finish fourth in the Horizon League.
SCOUTING DEPAUL
The Illini and the Blue Demons are tied in the all-time series, 1-1-0, with DePaul handing Illinois a 3-1 defeat in the last meeting between the two programs on Aug. 23, 2018, in Chicago. In the only matchup at Demirjian Park between the two sides, the Illini came away with a 2-1 triumph on Aug. 20, 2017.
DePaul went 6-7-4 last season and 2-5-3 in BIG EAST play. Midfielder Beth Smyth, who ranked second on the Blue Demons with three goals, returns the side as well as forward Freya Jupp, who ranked third on the squad with two goals. Midfielder Lea Eisenring, who finished tied for the team lead with two assists, also returns. The Blue Demons were tabbed to finish in 11th in the 2024 BIG EAST Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll.
ILLINOIS NOTES
- 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.
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 Tuesday, 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 continue this five-match homestand with a pair of rivalry showdowns next week. Illinois looks to take back Braggin’ Rights vs. Missouri on Aug. 22 before facing Illinois State on Aug. 25. Kickoffs from Demirjian Park are slated for 7 p.m. and 5 p.m. CT, respectively.
