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| WEEK 7: Illinois (4-4-2, 0-2-1) at Nerbaska (3-6-0, 0-3-0) // vs. Maryland (3-5-3, 0-2-1) | |
|---|---|
| Match 11: Nebraska | Thursday, Sept. 26 // 7 p.m. CT // Hibner Stadium // Lincoln, Neb. |
| Match 12: Maryland | Sunday, Sept. 29 // 2 p.m. CT // Demirjian Park // Champaign, Ill. |
| Watch Live | Nebraska |
| Live Stats | FightingIllini.com |
| Printable Notes | Illinois // Nebraska // Maryland |
| Shop | Online Store |
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois soccer continues Big Ten play this week when they take on Nebraska in Lincoln on Thursday before returning home to Demirjian Park on Sunday to face Maryland. Kickoffs are set for 7:05 p.m. and 2 p.m. CT, respectively, with Sunday’s contest against Maryland set to be broadcast nationally on Big Ten Network.
The 2024 season marks the 28th season of Illinois soccer, with the Illini holding an overall record of 287-221-48 (.559), and the 23rd season under the leadership of head coach Janet Rayfield.
PROMOTIONS
Sunday, Sept. 29 vs. Maryland | 2 p.m. CT
Women’s Empowerment – Our female athletes are women that value their gifts, know their strengths and embrace their ability to impact the world in a positive way. We aim to inspire future female generations in and outside the world of athletics because the world is a better place when women are empowered.
LAST TIME OUT
The Illini went 0-1-1 in their previous matchweek, securing a point on the road at Wisconsin on Sept. 19 with a 2-2 draw before suffering a 2-1 defeat to No. 18 Iowa at Demirjian Park on Sept. 22.
Illinois jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Badgers thanks to Sarah Foley’s second brace of the season, but the hosts scored two goals in the second half to force the draw. Orange and Blue keeper Izzy Lee would make nine saves in the contest, matching her career high.
The Illini found offense hard to come by vs. the Hawkeyes, being limited to just two shots on goal on five total shots in the contest. The visitors scored twice in a span of less than eight minutes in the second half before Lia Howard pulled a goal back from the penalty spot in in the 88th minute.
SCOUTING NEBRASKA
The Illini lead in the all-time series between the two programs 8-6-0, with Illinois falling 4-2 to Nebraska in the last matchup on Oct. 22, 2024, at Demirjian Park. The Cornhuskers are currently 3-6-0 overall and are 0-3-0 in Big Ten play this season after dropping road matches to No. 5 Michigan State and Michigan this past matchweek.
Nebraska was picked to finish fourth in the Big Ten this season with midfielder Florence Belzile, forward Sarah Weber, and defender Jordan Zade being named to the preseason players to watch list.
SCOUTING MARYLAND
The Illini hold a slight advantage over the Terrapins in the all-time series at 4-3-1, with Illinois winning the last matchup, 3-2, on Sept. 22, 2022, in College Park, Md. Maryland is 3-5-3 on the season and 0-3-0 in the Big Ten with losses to Washington and Oregon during their previous matchweek.
Maryland was tabbed to finish 17th in the Big Ten this season while goalkeeper Liz Beardsley, defender Kennedy Bell, and midfielder Lauren Wrigley represent the Terps on the preseason players to watch list.
ILLINOIS NOTES
- Sarah Foley scored her second brace of the season on Sept. 19 at Wisconsin, her second-career brace and second of the season, with her first-career brace coming on Sept. 8 at Mercer…Foley leads the Illini with seven goals this season, tied for fourth-most in the Big Ten…it is also the first time an Illini has hit the seven-goal mark in a season since 2021…she enters the matchweek with six goals in her last seven contests, amassing 12 points during that span…the seven goals is a career-best mark and the junior has also set a career-best mark with 15 points on the season (7 G, 1 A)…Foley’s 15 points are the most by an Illini in a single season since 2019 (Kelly Maday, 18)…Foley also leads the squad with three game-winning goals, which is tied for the 11th-most in the nation.
- Izzy Lee has recorded two clean sheets and 57 saves through 10 matches this season, tied for 16th-most in the country…her 81.4 save percentage is the third-highest mark among conference keepers that have seen at least 900 minutes of action on the season…she leads conference keepers in saves…Lee also leads the Big Ten in saves per game (5.70)…that mark is also fourth-highest nationally among keepers that have seen at least 900 minutes of action.
- The Illini head into the contest boasting one of the most potent attacks in the country…their 20 goals ranks tied for sixth in the Big Ten…Illinois also ranks tied for second the Big Ten with 24 assists, which ranks tied for 24th nationally…the Illini have 16 players that have recorded an assist on the season…the attack is also averaging 6.4 points per game, which ranks fourth in the conference.
- Claire Murray became the Illini’s 11th different goalscorer this season when she found the back of the net just 42 seconds into the match on Sept. 8 at Mercer…the last time Illinois had at least that many goalscorers in a single season was 2022, also 11…with Angie Galo’s first-career goal vs. Illinois State on Aug. 25, she became the 10th different Illini to find the back of the net this season…the Illini had nine different goalscorers in the 2023 season
- Demirjian Park welcomed 1,328 fans on Aug. 25 vs. Illinois State, the largest crowd in the history of the facility, which officially opened in 2021…it’s also the largest Illinois soccer crowd since 2013.
- Regan Moody’s goal vs. Missouri on Aug. 22 was the ninth goal scored by Illinois in the 2024 season…all of the first-nine goals scored by the Illini in 2024 came from a different player.
- 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.
- The Fighting Illini began 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. Following its win over Wright State on Aug. 15, Illinois has won six-straight season openers, dating back to 2019.
- 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.
- 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.
UP NEXT
The Illini continue Big Ten play with a trip to West Lafayette, Ind., on Oct. 6 to take on Purdue. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. CT.