Oct. 6, 2006

Box Score

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Freshman forward Courtney Bell recorded her first multiple-goal game in the Orange and Blue and the No. 10 Illini didn't allow a shot on goal until the 81st minute as they shut out Minnesota 3-0. Illinois improves to 4-0-0 in the Big Ten for the first time in school history and 8-4-0 overall.

"We really dominated the ball in the first 25 minutes," Illinois coach Janet Rayfield said. "It was some of the prettiest soccer we've played all season, and Courtney did a great job of making the right runs and finishing her chances."

Bell (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) got the Illini on the board early, putting in a free ball in front of the net from five yards out at 6:27 after it bounded off Minnesota keeper Chelsey Turner's hands. It was the second time in four Big Ten matches that Bell had scored in the seventh minute of a match, also putting in a goal at 6:21 at Wisconsin two weeks ago.

She wasn't finished, continuing the trend of Illinois forwards scoring multiple goals in a match, as she beat a defender on the left flank and powered a shot through Turner's hands in the 28th minute to put the Illini up 2-0. Not to be outdone, senior forward Jessica Bayne (Troy, Ill.) finished a corner kick after flicks by Emily Zurrer (Vancouver, B.C.) and Jackie Santacaterina (Geneva, Ill.), punching home the ball from three yards out to increase the Illinois lead to 3-0 at halftime. It was the fourth time in the last five games that an Illini player has scored multiple goals in a match.

"I just made my runs and found some great slotted passes," Bell said. "Ella (Masar) and Jess (Bayne) and great goal-scorers, but they're also great passers."

The halftime disparity wasn't just on the scoreboard as the Illini had out-shot Minnesota 15-4, with seven shots on goal to none for the Golden Gophers. Illinois also had registered eight corner kicks in the first 45 minutes as opposed to none for Minnesota.

The second half was mostly uneventful as the Illini were content to keep the ball in the midfield and rarely look for scoring chances. Play got a bit chippy, starting before halftime when Minnesota's Kelsey Hood earned a yellow card in the 32nd minute. Kirsten Zachman collected one in the 45th, Illinois' Eva Strickland got one in the 66th and the Gophers' Clare Grimwood took one in the 75th minute. Minnesota also out-fouled the Illini 13-4 in the second half.

"It was good to see how we kept our composure," Rayfield said, "but we needed to move the ball better in the second half against their physical play."

For the match, Illinois out-shot the Gophers 23-8 and 8-1 on frame. The Illini out-cornered Minnesota 10-0, the first time the Orange and Blue have kept an opponent out of the corner since shutting out Iowa 6-0 on Oct. 28, 2005. It was also the first time Illinois has registered at least 10 corners in a match since out-cornering Indiana State 11-0 on Sept. 18, 2005.

Up Next: Illinois looks to improve its Big Ten start to 5-0-0 when it hosts Ohio State Sunday at noon at Illinois Track and Soccer Stadium. Fans are invited to bring their ticket stub from Saturday's Homecoming football game for free admission to the soccer match.