Week 5 Notes in PDF Format
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• Illinois Trends: The Fighting Illini are...
...4-1-2 in their last seven matches
...3-1-0 at home this season
...10-1-1 in their last 12 home games
...47-16-2 at Illinois Soccer Stadium
...26-6-2 at home under Janet Rayfield
...11-2-2 in home Big Ten games under Rayfield
...5-2-1 in Big Ten home openers
Looking Ahead
Illinois opens the Big Ten season hosting Northwestern and Wisconsin on Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m., respectively. Friday's contest is also the setting for Illinois Soccer Beach Bash, which features free admission, and fans can tailgate before the game and bring their lawn chairs into the game for "beach seating."
• Scouting the Wildcats
Northwestern comes into Big Ten play with a 7-1-0 record, and has two common opponents with Illinois. Both teams faced Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Marquette in the season-opening Milwaukee Cup. The Wildcats defeated UWM 1-0 and fell to Marquette 2-1 on the first weekend, faring only slightly better than the Illini in the event. Northwestern is on a six-game winning streak and has scored 18 goals on the season while allowing seven. Kelsey Hans leads the 'Cats with five goals and three assists. Like Illinois, Northwestern has outshot and outcornered its opponents by a large margin (128-76 and 44-18).
• Scouting the Badgers
Wisconsin enters the Big Ten season at 5-2-1 and as the second-highest scoring team in the conference with 16 goals. However, the Badgers have allowed 11 goals, the fourth-most in the Big Ten. Wisconsin recently beat Wisconsin-Milwaukee 4-0, a team the Illini tied 0-0 in the first weekend of the season. Illinois may be at an advantage as the Badgers have committed the second-most fouls in the conference (123) and have the second-fewest number of corner kicks in the league (31). Wisconsin has also allowed eight more shots and nine more shots on goal than they have attempted this season. Amy Vermeulen leads the Badgers with four goals and Katy Lindenmuth has three.
Looking Back
The Illini looked solid in a 3-0 win against Illinois State, but lacked focus and struggled in a 2-1 loss to Indiana State in Illinois' final non-conference game. The loss was the Illini's first at home since 2003, snapping an 11-game unbeaten streak.
Illinois got on the board early against the Redbirds as freshman defender Emily Zurrer notched her first career. The score came after a free kick near midfield went toward the box and was redirected by Eva Strickland and Jessica Bayne. Zurrer found herself open four yards out and punched in a goal far post to put Illinois up 1-0 in the 20th minute. The Illini kept the pressure on as Ella Masar scored 44 seconds later after a corner kick. Christen Karniski's serve was headed by Zurrer and Masar put a shot off the crossbar from the left side of the box. She stayed with it, heading the rebound into the goal at 20:14. Karniski added a goal in the 83rd minute for the 3-0 margin as the Illini allowed only four shots and none on goal.
Illinois struggled to match Indiana State's intensity from the outset, playing a bit tentative and unsure at times. However, they controlled the tempo for much of the first half. ISU got on the board first, though, as Nichole Tiggs took a pass from Lauren Podolski that Illini keeper Lindsey Carstens challenged but couldn't come up with. Tiggs fired into the open net at 41:35 for the 1-0 halftime lead. Illinois responded in the 83rd minute as freshman midfielder Marti Desjarlais scored her second career goal off a header from three yards out to tie the game 1-1. But the Sycamores scored less than three minutes later at the 84:50 mark when a goal kick split the Illini defense and Podolski beat Carstens at 20 yards before finding the back of the net for a 2-1 ISU win.
Series History
The Illini lead the all-time series with Northwestern 6-1-2 with Northwestern's only win coming in 1998, only the second year of the Illinois program. The Orange and Blue went 1-0-1 against the Wildcats last season, tying them 0-0 in the final Big Ten match of the year before smashing Northwestern 5-0 in the Big Ten tournament opener for both teams. Illinois leads Wisconsin 5-4 all-time, with the Illini taking last year's match 1-0 in Champaign. Illinois has won its last two games against the Badgers, scoring a 2-1 victory in 2003.
Home is Where the Wins Are
The Illini are 10-1-1 at home since the beginning of the 2004 campaign with the only loss coming last weekend to Indiana State. In addition, the Illini started the home season with a pair of wins against then-No. 17 Nebraska and Western Illinois, and are 25-6-2 at home under Janet Rayfield and 11-2-2 in home Big Ten games under Rayfield. In fact, Illinois has won all but three home Big Ten openers, going 5-2-1, and Rayfield is 2-0-1 in her three Big Ten home openers.
Fast-Acting Freshmen
Illinois' highly-touted freshman class is quickly proving itself worthy of the accolades, as midfielder Marti Desjarlais and defender Emily Zurrer both scored last weekend. Zurrer scored her first career goal off a restart, where she is a prime target for the Illini, in the 20th minute of the Illinois State game. Desjarlais scored her second goal of the season off a header pass from Eva Strickland, heading in a shot from three yards to tie the game 1-1 in the 83rd minute. Jessica Levitt earned a starting role against the Sycamores, and Charlotte Cooke put a shot on frame against Indiana State.
Illini Stats Stack Up
Heading into conference action, the Illini lead the Big Ten in shutouts (5) and are second in goals allowed with four. Illinois also leads the league in corner kicks with 55 and has the fourth-fewest number of fouls (92). After notching an assist against Illinois State, Jessica Bayne remains in second in assists with four and Lindsey Carstens leads the league in shutouts with four and is second in goals-against average (0.48). Illinois also ranks 15th in national shutout percentage with 0.63 shutouts per game, and 20th in goals-against average (.474).
Back to Back Jacks
Normally a deliberate team offensively, the Illini showed some explosiveness against Illinois State by scoring two goals within a minute. Freshman defender Emily Zurrer started the outburst with a four-yard putaway off a free kick at 19:30. Sophomore forward Ella Masar followed that up with a score off a restart at 20:14. Two goals in 44 seconds is the eighth-shortest time in between two goals in Illini history.
Injuries Mount for Illini
After a physical pair of games against Illinois State and Indiana State, the Illini will be playing shorthanded as they open Big Ten play. Senior midfielder Laura Redmond strained the medial collateral ligament in her right knee on a hard slide tackle against the Sycamores and is out for the conference-opening weekend. Junior forward Jessica Bayne collided with the Illinois State goalkeeper and knocked knees, sending both to the turf. Bayne was carried off and sustained a deep thigh bruise just above the knee. She is questionable heading into action against Northwestern and Wisconsin.
Beach Bash, Scout Day Head Promotions List
Illinois soccer is full of fun opportunities for fans this weekend, as Friday is the Illini Soccer Beach Bash and Sunday is Girl Scout Day. Admission is free on Friday for everyone, and fans are encouraged to tailgate before the game and bring their lawn chairs for the game. Special concessions items will be available and the Ka Melia Hula Club, as well as the Illini dance team and cheerleaders will be performing at halftime. Sunday, fans can get in free by bringing their ticket stub from the Michigan State football game, and it is also Girl Scout day, featuring over 100 scouts.
Orange and Blue Century Club
With the win over Western Illinois, the Illini recorded the 100th victory in program history. Illinois notched its 100th win in only nine years, and Janet Rayfield has recorded nearly half of them, winning 43 games with the Illini. Of the six other Big Ten teams that have won 100 games in their histories, Illinois reached the mark faster than three of them. Only Penn State (six years), Michigan (eight) and Minnesota (eight) reached 100 wins faster than Illinois.
Double the Scoring, Double the Fun
Junior forward Eva Strickland became the second Illini forward in as many weeks to score a pair of goals in a weekend. One week after Natasha Karniski scored once in each game against Nebraska and Western Illinois, Strickland pushed across a pair of goals versus Stanford and San Francisco. The goals were Strickland's first tallies since Oct. 24, 2003, and the score against USF was her first career game-winning goal.
Canadian Connection
After the success former Illini goalkeeper Leisha Alcia had the past four years, Janet Rayfield and her staff continue to go north of the border for recruits. Freshman defender Emily Zurrer and sophomore midfielder Kristy Weeks both hail from the Vancouver, B.C., area and start for the Illini. Both have international experience as Zurrer played for the U-19 National Team in Thailand in the fall of 2004 and Weeks was a member of the U-15, U-16 and U-17 National Teams.
Five-Year Faherty
After attempting to recover from a stress fracture of her tibia since the summer, senior midfielder Paula Faherty has decided to redshirt the 2005 season and return for her final season of eligibility in 2006. While the Illini will miss her leadership in the midfield, the team will look forward to her return in '06.
Karniski Within Sight of Record
Senior defender Christen Karniski is on pace to move into the top three on the Illinois career games started list this season. Karniski, who has started all 75 games of her career, currently sits eighth on the list. She would have to start every regular season game this season and two postseason games to pass current record holder Tara Hurless' 86 games started. Karniski and senior defender Kelly Campbell both rank 12th on the career games played list after playing in all eight of Illinois' games this season. Both Karniski and Campbell have played in 75 matches in their career. Hurless also holds that record with 88 games played.
