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| WEEK 6: Illinois (4-3-1, 0-1-0) at Wisconsin (4-3-1, 0-1-0) // vs. #18 Iowa (6-0-2, 1-0-0) | |
|---|---|
| Match 9: Wisconsin | Thursday, Sept. 19 // 7 p.m. CT // McClimon Soccer Complex // Madison, Wis. |
| Match 10: Iowa | Sunday, Sept. 22 // 1 p.m. CT // Demirjian Park // Champaign, Ill. |
| Watch Live | Wisconsin // Iowa |
| Live Stats | FightingIllini.com |
| Printable Notes | Illinois // Wisconsin // Iowa |
| Shop | Online Store |
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois soccer continues Big Ten play this week when they take on Wisconsin in Madison on Thursday before returning home to Demirjian Park on Sunday to face No. 18 Iowa. Kickoffs are set 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 287-220-47 (.561), and the 23rd season under the leadership of head coach Janet Rayfield.
PROMOTIONS
Sunday, Sept. 22 vs. Iowa | 1 p.m. CT
100 vs. Illini Soccer – One hundred kids take on Illini soccer in a scrimmage following the match. Open to all kids 8th grade and under. Sign up here.
LAST TIME OUT
The Illini suffered a 1-0 defeat to Minnesota on Sept. 12 at Demirjian Park to open the conference slate.
Illinois goalkeeper Izzy Lee turned in another stellar performance, making eight saves, but an 89th minute penalty from the Gophers saw the visitors claim all three points.
SCOUTING WISCONSIN
The Illini trail in the all-time series 11-13-6 against the Badgers. The last meeting between these two programs was on Oct. 12, 2023, where Illinois fell in a 1-0 contest at Demirjian Park. After suffering a loss to Rutgers last week, Wisconsin now has a 1-1-1 record at home this season and are 4-2-1 overall.
Wisconsin was picked to finish sixth in the Big Ten this season, with defender Hailey Baumann, midfielder Madison Ishaug and forward Aryssa Mahrt being named to the Big Ten Players to watch list.
SCOUTING IOWA
Illinois holds an all-time record of 15-11-3 against Iowa, with the two programs playing to a 1-1 draw in the last matchup on Sept. 17, 2023, in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes are 6-0-2 on the season and are currently on a five-match win streak, with victories against Nebraska and Iowa State in their previous matchweek. Iowa has also been one of the best defensive teams in the country, allowing just two goals so far this season.
Iowa was picked to finish eighth in the Big Ten this season, with midfielder Sofia Bush, goalkeeper Macy Enneking and defender Millie Greer being named to the Big Ten players to watch list.
ILLINOIS NOTES
- Sarah Foley scored her first-career brace on Sept. 8 at Mercer, giving her a team-leading five goals this season…she enters the matchweek with four goals in her last five contests, amassing eight points during that span…the five goals is a career-best mark and the junior has also set a career-best mark with 11 points on the season (5 G, 1 A)…Foley also leads the squad with three game-winning goals, which is tied for the sixth-most in the nation.
- Izzy Lee has recorded two clean sheets and 43 saves through eight matches this season…her .827 save percentage is the third-highest mark among conference keepers that have seen at least 720 minutes of action on the season…she also leads conference keepers with 43 total saves…she ranks among conference leaders in saves per game (5.38, 2nd).
- The Illini head into the contest boasting one of the most potent attacks in the country…their 17 goals ranks tied for sixth in the Big Ten…Illinois also ranks tied for second the Big Ten with 23 assists, which ranks 15th nationally…the Illini have 16 players that have recorded an assist on the season…the attack is also averaging 7.1 points per game, which ranks fourth in the conference and is the 33rd-highest mark in the nation.
- 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 Lincoln on Sept. 26 to take on Nebraska before returning home on Sept. 29 to face Maryland. Kickoffs are set for 7:05 and 2 p.m. CT, respectively.
