Sept. 18, 2005

Box Score

Champaign, Ill. - A problem for much of the early part of the season, unconverted opportunities finally came back to bite Illinois, as the Illini took a 2-1 loss to Indiana State in their final non-conference game of the season. The loss was Illinois' first at home since Nov. 14, 2003. Since then, the Illini had been 10-0-1 at home.

The Sycamores (3-5-0) grabbed the lead with a goal right before halftime, but Illinois answered with a score in the 83rd minute. However, ISU retook the lead in the 85th minute and desperation attempts by the Illini were unsuccessful as they fell to 4-2-2 on the season.

"They played to stay in the game and we let them stay in the game," Illini coach Janet Rayfield said. "In all sorts of ways, our focus defensively just wasn't there. The frustrating part wasn't us dominating and not winning, it was the lack of focus we showed from the very beginning of the game to the very end of the game."

Illinois once again controlled the ball for much of the first half, but the Sycamores scored when Lauren Podolski got into the left side of the penalty box with the ball. Illini keeper Lindsey Carstens challenged her at 18 yards, but Podolski got off a pass to Nichole Tiggs, who buried it into the open net at 41:35.

After dominating the early part of the second half, the Illini nearly evened the game in the 65th minute on a corner kick by defender Christen Karniski (Iowa City, Iowa). Defender Emily Zurrer soared and connected on a solid header toward goal, but a Sycamore defender was in perfect position to knock it away and preserve the lead.

The Illini evened the game in the 83rd minute when defender Kelly Campbell's (Gaithersburg, Md.) serve from the defensive half got batted around before forward Eva Strickland (Seattle, Wash.) headed it to midfielder Marti Desjarlais (Pewaukee, Wis.), who headed it near post on the right side to tie the game 1-1 at 82:26.

What had been a physical game to that point ratcheted up a notch as both teams looked for the opening that could lead to the game-winning goal. ISU found that opportunity off a goal kick that found the Illini defenders out of position and that Podolski tracked down. She drove into the penalty box, beat Carstens at 20 yards and fired the game-winning goal into an open net at 84:50.

"I think we felt like we were getting momentum back, and then we had a little bit of a breakdown and they put it away," Desjarlais said. "One of our goals is to not let up any goals in the last 5 minutes, and we didn't do that."

Illinois dominated statistically, outshooting ISU 22-9 and 8-2 shots on goal. The Illini also outcornered the Sycamores 11-0, notching eight corner kicks in the second half. Carstens struggled in goal for the first time all season, allowing goals on the only two shots on goal by ISU. Desjarlais' goal was her second of the season and was Strickland's second assist of 2005.

The Illini open Big Ten play Friday, Sept. 23, hosting Northwestern at 7 p.m. for the Illini Beach Bash promotion.