Oct. 7, 2007

Box Score

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Illinois soccer team busted out six goals from four different Illini en route to a 6-0 thumping of the Iowa Hawkeyes (6-2-4, 1-2 Big Ten) in front of 799 fans on Sunday afternoon at the Illinois Soccer and Track Stadium. Freshman midfielder Cory Steigerwald and sophomore midfielder Courtney Bell led the onslaught with two goals apiece, as the Illini improve to 7-4 overall, 2-2 in the Big Ten.

The Illini dominated from start to finish, as they out-shot their opponents for the eighth straight match, holding a 26-5 advantage over the Hawkeyes. Illinois also out-cornered Iowa, 6-1, and fired eight shots on goal.

"It was good for this team to get [a high scoring win]," head coach Janet Rayfield said. "We have been playing great soccer and getting a lot of chances. We have been playing well enough to have games like this. We knew we could put up some goals, so it's nice to be able to do that."

Illinois notched its first goal of the game at 28:51 after junior midfielder Marti Desjarlais took a corner kick and passed the ball in to senior defender Mary Therese McDonnell. McDonnell quickly crossed to Steigerwald on the right post and she headed in the ball to give the Illini a 1-0 lead. The goal was the first of Steigerwald's collegiate career.

"[Steigerwald] has gotten better and better every time that she steps on the field," Rayfield said. "It is great to see her do what she has been doing in practice in a game, having an impact and making a difference."

Freshman forward Laura Knutson added Illinois' second goal in the 35th minute when she picked up a loose ball in the midfield and drove down the center of the field before firing a shot from 14 yards out. It marked Knutson's fifth goal of the season and gave the Illini a 2-0 lead at halftime.

"Knutson got a goal today because she was playing defense for us," Rayfield said. "She was denying a service so her backs would not have to chase, and she benefited from it."

The Orange and Blue turned it up a notch in the second half, as the offensive attack produced four more goals. Steigerwald again led the charge, notching her second goal of the game in the 54th minute when she centered a pass from sophomore forward Chichi Nweke and fired the ball into the net from 12 yards out.

Senior forward Ella Masar added her team-leading sixth goal of the season with a diving header three minutes later. Desjarlais crossed from the left flank to Masar inside the six-yard box and she punched it in with her head as she dove to the ground, giving the Illini a commanding 4-0 lead.

The Illini continued to pour on the offense when Bell notched her first goal of the season in the 70th minute then added her second at 81:37. Bell took a pass from sophomore defender Brittany Garrett at the top of the box and launched the ball over the head of Iowa goalkeeper Lindsey Boldt to make it 5-0. The Bainbridge Island, Wash., native netted her second goal on a penalty kick after freshman Jordan Hilbrands was knocked to the ground on an Iowa foul inside the box.

"[Courtney's] got tremendous goal-scoring ability, and she is now asserting herself in terms of getting some balls, playing people in and putting herself in the box," Rayfield said. "That goal she scored today was a world-class finish. That's a kid that comes out and kicks a lot of balls every day before practice. That's going to help her confidence, and I think we will only see her continue play better."

Illini goalkeeper Lindsey Carstens inched closer to the career shutout record as she picked up her fifth of the season on Sunday. Carstens has 22 career shutouts, two shy of the record set by current assistant coach Leisha Alcia.

Sunday's match marked the first time that the Illini have tallied six goals in a game since Aug. 31, 2003, when Illinois defeated Ohio 6-0.

The Illini will continue their homestand next weekend when they host conference foes Northwestern and Wisconsin. Illinois will take on the Wildcats on Friday at 7 p.m. before finishing the weekend against the Badgers on Sunday at 1 p.m.