Nov. 14, 2003
Box Score?|?
Quotes
Champaign, Ill. - The best soccer season in Illinois history unexpectedly came to a close on Friday evening with a 2-0 loss to Western Michigan in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. 859 fans braved the cold, windy and wet conditions at Illinois Soccer Stadium to watch No. 16 seed Illinois (16-4-2) fall in the opening round of the tournament for the second time in three seasons, despite statistically dominating the game. WMU (14-7-1) got goals from Chantal Robinson and Jessica Patterson to earn its first ever NCAA Tournament victory. It was the Broncos 10th win a row; they now advance to the second round to face Purdue, 2-1 winners over DePaul earlier in the day, on Sunday.
Western Michigan had the wind at its back early on and took advantage in 21st minute. Following an Illini foul just outside the penalty box, freshman Chantal Robinson gave the Broncos the lead and a huge confidence boost when she fired a left-footed rocket from 25 yards out that curved just inside the near post to put WMU on top 1-0. The goal was Robinson's seventh of the season and was the first allowed by the Illini in over six games and 631 minutes.
The Illini had several good chances to tie the score before the break, including two golden opportunities in the final 10 minutes. The first came in the 35th minute when freshman Eva Strickland took a Brittany Ward cross and fired a shot that ricocheted off the left post and caromed back in front of the goal before being cleaned out by the WMU defense.
Later, in the 41st minute, senior forward Tiffani Walker, along with virtually everyone else in Illinois Soccer Stadium, thought the game was tied up. Walker broke behind the defense down the right side and WMU goalkeeper Kate Perz came out to challenge at the edge of the 18. Walker lofted a shot over Perz towards the center of the open net, but a slight hook, combined with a gusty headwind pushed the ball just off course where it hit the left post before being cleared out by the defense.
The Illini went into the break down 1-0, but were still confident, especially given the fact that the wind would be at their backs for the final 45 minutes. UI put loads of pressure on Western Michigan early on, firing eight shots and six corner kicks in the first 25 minutes of the second stanza, while allowing WMU no shots or corners. For the half, the Orange and Blue out-shot the Broncos 13-2 and held a 7-1 edge in corner kicks. Unfortunately for the Illini, they were unable to take advantage of those opportunities when they arose.
In the 85th minute, the Broncos iced the game when senior Jessica Pattison wrestled the ball away from Illini defender Sarah Brown on the Illinois baseline and beat UI GK Leisha Alcia just inside the near post from close range to give the Broncos a 2-0 lead. Illinois was unable to mount a serious threat after that point.
The Illini were without leading-scorer Tara Hurless for most of the game because of a knee injury she suffered in the Big Ten Tournament Title game last Sunday. Illini head coach Janet Rayfield put Hurless in the game with 25 minutes remaining hoping to provide a spark for the offense, but it made no difference.
Alcia made just one save on the night and allowed both Bronco goals. Backup goalkeeper Rachel Frank rotated in with Alcia in the final five minutes to stop the clock and did not face a shot. Perz made four saves for the Broncos and earned the shutout, her eighth of the season. For the game, Illinois took 18 shots, four shots on goal and nine corner kicks, while WMU fired five shots, three shots on goal and one corner kick.
The loss brought the most successful season in Illinois history to a screeching halt. In 2003, the Orange and Blue set school records for most wins (16), most shutouts (13), highest national ranking (9th) and least goals-allowed (12) just to name a few.
Post-Game Quotes
Illinois Quotes
Illinois Head Coach Janet Rayfield
On her feelings after the match
"Obviously this is a tough night for us. Western Michigan came out and did what they had to do. This is a tough situation for us. I told the team that we cannot let tonight take away from what has been an absolutely tremendous year. This team has taken this program places it hasn't ever been. Tonight's loss can't take away from that. When the sun comes up tomorrow, I hope the team is very proud of what they've done this year.
On the bad breaks of the game
" Tonight things just didn't go our way. A couple of balls in the first half that with the wind at our back blow into the goal, but with the wind in our face blew out of the goal. We fought hard. We created some chances. We didn't finish those chances. Western Michigan did. This is a game of chances. They made the most of theirs so they get to go on and play."
On what is coming back
"We'll obviously miss our senior class. When you see these emotions, that's who you feel emotional for. That senior class has led us to the best season ever. The sad part about tonight is that it's over for them. The core that's coming back, I think, has something to build on. We took what happened to us last year and built on that and had a great regular season and a great conference tournament. The players coming back will lead next year's team, we hope, to even great heights.
Illinois senior defender Meghan Kolze
On the team's outlook coming into the second half
"We were positive going into halftime. We had the wind at our back. We were confident coming out into the second half. We have very good attackers and very good forwards that finish the ball very well. That's the way things go in soccer. You win some, you lose some. We just couldn't put one in and they did."
Illinois junior goalkeeper Leisha Alcia
On the prospects of next season
"After all the emotions, tomorrow we'll sit down and realize (what we accomplished this year) and be proud of what we have done."
Western Michigan Quotes
Head Coach Mike Haines
On the overall play of his team...
"We are happy to be here and happy to be able to come out here today and get that early goal by Chantal Robinson. To be up in that spot 1-0 twenty minutes in, you couldn't script it any better for us. We just held on and played well defensively and got that goal late in the second half to put the match way. I couldn't be more happy on how the game plan went today." Coach Haines
On what they expected from Illinois and how his team executed its game plan...
"We played the best team in the Big Ten as far as the last few week,s and one of the better teams in the nation, so we knew that it was going to be an uphill battle and we might not see much of the ball. But we just had to keep on working hard and competing and get in on our tackles and not let them get in behind us and win the balls that they serve into the box. I think we did a good job of that. We kept things in front of us and got our clearances out. If we do something better in the second half, we would have liked to keep the ball more and not do as much work as we did defensively. In the end, it all worked out for us."
On how Illinois played...
"I think they started off a little slow in the beginning of the match. I think we had some of our better opportunities in the first twenty minutes and felt we did some good things against them. We created some situations where they made some mistakes pressing their backs a bit and created some turnovers and got some chances off those things. As the match wore on, you got to see how dangerous they are and how athletic and fast they are and what they can do. And obviously, when they are mixing in players with Tara Hurless' stature and she is only able to play the last twenty minutes of the match because an injury that she is dealing with, that made our job easier. But they still have a ton of talent, and any time you face a team that runs a 3-4 front like they do and we were able to shut them down as well as we did, that is still phenomenal for us."
Senior Forward Jessica Pattison
On the second goal...
"I think anyone on our team would agree it was a relief. In the end it always gets pretty intense and especially this game, it had its ups and downs and it was just nice to get that goal and relax a little bit."
On the chemisty of the team...
"I said this all year it's the group of girls. I've never wanted to see 23 faces more than I want to see these. I think anyone on our team would agree."
