April 17, 2008

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Illinois soccer team concludes its spring season on Saturday with an exhibition match against Ball State at the Illinois Soccer Stadium. The Illini, who have won four straight exhibition games, will take on the Cardinals at 2 p.m. as part of the Spring Sports Festival.

"This is a transition time for us to try to take all the individual pieces that we've worked on and put them out there in a more complete setting that will feel and look and have expectations that are much more similar to the fall," head coach Janet Rayfield said. "It's really an opportunity for us to see the pieces almost as good as they can be. We've done a lot of work on those individual pieces and it's time for them to really put it out there and show us where they are."

Overall the Illini have had a successful spring, going 4-1-1, including a shutout against the Mexican National Team. Although it has been the underclassmen who have led the charge during the spring, with freshman Jordan Hilbrands and sophomore Chichi Nweke each netting four goals through the exhibition season, Rayfield said they have taken more of an upperclassmen approach in their work ethic.

"The 17 players we've had here this fall have all trained and competed like upperclassmen and that's been a really exciting thing to see," Rayfield said. "Our freshmen started the spring saying `We're not freshmen anymore, we're upperclassmen who are here to make a statement and do things within this program,' and to me that's what has created a good spring season."