Dec. 8, 2010
Complete 2010 End-of-Season Notes 
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - With the recent completion of the Women's College Cup, the final chapter of the 2010 NCAA Division I women's soccer season was written. For the Illini, this year featured a dominant and experienced defense, the immersion of young talent on offense and another trip to the NCAA Tournament, the seventh in Janet Rayfield's nine years leading the Orange and Blue.
LAST TIME OUT
The Illini concluded the 2010 season with a loss to USC in the NCAA Tournament First Round in South Bend, Ind. By dropping the game, Illinois concluded the season with a 13-5-1 overall record and 6-3-1 mark in Big Ten play.
After the Trojans produced three goals, Shayla Mutz created the lone Illini tally of the match by converting an attempt from inside the USC box in the 80th minute. The Orange and Blue continued to pressure the Trojans over the final ten minutes by recording seven shots; however, they were unable to cut the deficit further.
NODS OF APPROVAL
Illinois received considerable individual awards through the year. Senior co-captain Danielle Kot earned the first of 2010, taking home Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors on Aug. 23 after a stellar performance against Loyola-Chicago to open the season.
After the Orange and Blue defense posted four consecutive shutouts, senior co-captain Krystin Miller became the second Illini to earn Defensive Player of the Week from the Big Ten on Sept. 20. In the same week, Miller was also recognized on College Soccer 360's Primetime Performers weekly release and Top Drawer Soccer's Team of the Week for her efforts in shutting down LSU, 1-0, and #23 Louisville, 3-0.
Vanessa DiBernardo earned a multitude of awards during the season in recognition of her immediate impact for the Illini. DiBernardo was first tabbed Freshman of the Week on Aug. 30 for her one-goal matches against Wright State and Ball State as well as Freshman and Co-Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 13 for her two-goal game at Cincinnati. DiBernardo secured yet another Offensive and Freshman Player of the Week combination with her four-goal game against Purdue on Oct. 1.
Upon completion of the regular season, DiBernardo was awarded the Big Ten Freshman of the Year Award in addition to a spot on the All-Big Ten First Team and a unanimous selection to the All-Freshman Team. Dibernardo also earned a spot on the NSCAA All-Region First Team and was tabbed as a finalist for the Soccer News Net Women's Player of the Year. The Naperville, Ill., native was joined on the All-Freshman Team by classmate Megan Pawloski, who earned the nod after producing five goals and two assists in 841 minutes of action.
THE NEWEST MEMBER TO THE CLUB
Senior defender Danielle Kot earned membership in the exclusive 7,000 minutes-played club against Michigan State, becoming the sixth player to do so in the history of the program, joining former Illini greats Christen Karniski (7,710), Leisha Alcia (7,698), Kelly Campbell (7,556), Emily Zurrer (7,487) and Mary Therese McDonnell (7,352) as the newest member.
To earn entrance into the club, an athlete must play an average of 1,750 minutes per season during a four-year career - which equates to 19.5 full contests in each season. Kot recorded a career-high 2,131 minutes as a sophomore in 2008. The Brookfield, Wis., native's seasonal playing time totals also include 1,794 (2007), 1,770 (2009) and 1,576 minutes (2010). Kot concluded her 80-game career with 7,271 total minutes, an average of 90:48 per game due to the Illini's 15 overtime contests since 2007.
SHUTTING OUT THE STARS
The Illinois defense combined to hold Big Ten points leaders Laura Heyboer (MSU), Laurie Nosbusch (Wis.), Tani Costa (PSU), Katie Bethke (Minn.), Paige Maxwell (OSU) and Danielle Toney (PSU) to five points on two goals and one assist in 13 shots. Combined, these six opponents scored 51 goals and tallied 27 assists for 129 points against other defensive units.
With the remaining seven athletes who round out the points leader board for the conference; Olivia Stander (MSU), Christine Nairn (PSU), Nkem Ezurike (Mich.), Paige Maxwell (OSU), Carly Samp (Ind.), Shari Eckstrom (Minn.), Molly Rouse (Minn.), and Tiffany Cameron (OSU), the Illini backline only allowed two goals on 22 shots.
In total, the Orange and Blue defense held this group of 13 dynamic scorers responsible for 269 points on 106 goals and 57 assists to just four goals and 1 assist when facing Illinois.
MAKING THE LAST PASS
When Vanessa DiBernardo converted the game-winning goal against Michigan State, Niki Read earned her team-leading sixth assist on the season. During the NCAA Tournament First Round game with USC, Marissa Mykines joined Read as a team-leader in assists when she earned her sixth on Shayla Mutz's tally.
Read's and Mykines' six assists each are the most for an Illini since Chichi Nweke tallied seven during the 2007 season. Read now has 16 points on eight assists and four goals through 35 games while Mykines has earned 22 points on six goals and 10 assists in 60 career games. Kelly Buszkiewicz set the single-season program record for assists in 1998 when she tallied 10 in her second year playing for Illinois.
BOUNCEBACK QUEENS
The Illini finished undefeated at 4-0 in games directly following a loss in 2010, only the second time in team history they have accomplished this feat (2003). In 2010, Illinois outscored its opponents, 7-1, after dropping a regular season game.
2010 SEASON RECAP
The Illini improved considerably in 2010, ending with an overall record of 13-5-1 to go with a 6-3-1 finish in Big Ten games to earn their seventh NCAA Tournament berth under head coach Janet Rayfield.
Illinois began the season with consecutive wins over Loyola-Chicago, Wright State and Ball State - outscoring the opposition, 8-1, during the three contests. Freshman Vanessa DiBernardo established herself as a legitimate scoring threat out of the midfield during this season-opening win streak, notching three goals and one assist.
After dropping their first contest of the season at Connecticut, the Illini responded with shutouts of Yale, Cincinnati, LSU and #23 Louisville to finish regular season non-conference play with a 7-1 record.
Illinois dropped its first conference match of the season to Minnesota, snapping a streak of 430 consecutive shutout minutes. Following the loss, the Orange and Blue responded with a five game unbeaten streak, downing Purdue, Indiana, Iowa and #17 Ohio State while tying with Wisconsin after playing through double overtime. During this stretch, DiBernardo broke the program record for goals and points in a game by notching every Illini tally during the team's 4-1 win over the Boilermakers. To conclude this five game stretch of dominance, Illinois earned a last-minute victory, 2-1, over the NCAA Tournament College Cup-bound Buckeyes in their final regular season home game, only the second and final home loss of the season for Ohio State.
To round out its conference victories and earn fourth place in the Big Ten, Illinois earned identical shutout victories, 1-0, over Michigan State and Northwestern. DiBernardo tallied the lone goal against the Spartans while sophomore Niki Read provided the difference against the Wildcats.
In the NCAA Tournament Opening Rounds, Illinois was bracketed with eventual 2010 NCAA Champion Notre Dame, Mountain West Conference Champion New Mexico and USC, falling to the nationally ranked Trojans in South Bend, Ind.
Throughout the 2010 season, the Illini improved in nearly every offensive statistical measure from their 2009 performance - recording more points, goals, assists, shots, shots per game, and corner kicks. On defense, Illinois held its opponents to a lower goals total, shot percentage and fewer shots attempts. In net, Alexandra Kapicka concluded her career with another great season, allowing only 15 goals in 1,522 minutes for a goals-against average of 0.89. The Arlington Heights, Ill., native stopped 82% of the shots she faced, making 68 total saves en route to an 11-5-1 record and six individual shutouts.
