April 16, 2005
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The Fighting Illini soccer team traveled to St. Louis for a Braggin' Rights match of their own against the Missouri Tigers, but fell short of the win this time around, falling 2-1 this afternoon.
It was a game of two halves, with Missouri taking possession of the first period with a 2-0 lead heading into the break. While the Illini were able to make adjustments to dominate in the final period, Mizzou's early lead would be enough for the win.
"Missouri came out and played a low pressure and counter attack style that we did not adjust to quick enough and we were down 2-0 at the half," said Illinois head coach Janet Rayfield. "Their style challenged us to execute passes and when we didn't, they capitalized on our mistakes and got behind us very quickly."
Illinois' improvement could be seen in the second half as forward Jessica Bayne (Troy, Ill./Triad) was able to convert a mistake by the Tigers into a late goal.
"We made some very good adjustments in the second half and dominated the possession," Rayfield commented. "However, we continue to create chances without converting them. Jessica scored late when we took advantage of a Missouri mistake in the back but as will happen, our missed chances in that half left us short on the scoreboard in the end."
Despite the loss, Rayfield again saw great things out of goalkeeper Lindsey Carstens (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota East), who made several key saves in the first half to keep the match within the Illini's reach.
The Orange and Blue now look ahead to Tuesday evening, when they will wrap up the spring season at home in a 7 p.m. match against the Mexican National Team. From today's performance, the Illini are aware that their ability to execute on offense and adapt early to the Mexican National team's style of play is essential for success against a talented team accustomed to playing at an elite level.
"The good thing is that for the most part, our tactical understanding has improved both offensively and defensively," said Rayfield. "Now we have to execute those tactics with more consistency." Rayfield continued. "We must adjust to defend where they are trying to exploit and also recognize where and how we can break down their defense. This will be a great final test for us. A great opponent, an unknown style, a great field and hopefully a great crowd to see what should be a tremendous soccer game."
Kickoff for Tuesday's match is at 7 p.m. at the Illinois Soccer Stadium. Admission is $2.
