Oct. 15, 2014
| Game 15: Illinois (9-5-0, 4-4-0 Big Ten) at No. 14 Rutgers (10-1-1, 6-1-1 Big Ten) |
| Date | Friday, Oct. 17, 2014 |
| Time | 6 p.m. CT |
| Location | Yurcak Field | Piscataway, N.J. |
| Live Video | Watch on BTN Plus (subscription required) |
| Live Stats | Gametracker |
| Series History | First Meeting |
| Game 16: Illinois (9-5-0, 4-4-0 Big Ten) at Maryland (5-4-4, 3-2-3 Big Ten) |
| Date | Sunday, Oct. 19, 2014 |
| Time | Noon CT |
| Location | Ludwig Field | College Park, Md. |
| Live Stats | Soccer Stats |
| Series History | First Meeting |
Illinois...
...will play Rutgers and Maryland for the first time
...is tied for seventh in the Big Ten with 12 points (4-4-0)
...is 9-0 when allowing fewer than two goals and 8-0 when scoring at least two goals
...forward Jannelle Flaws leads the Big Ten and is tied for second in the nation with 15 goals
Illini to Make First-Ever Trip to Rutgers, Maryland
East Coast Trip: Illinois will make its final Big Ten road trip of the regular season to the east coast, where the Illini will play Rutgers (Oct. 17) and Maryland (Oct. 19) for the first time in school history. The Orange and Blue will face Rutgers at 6 p.m. CT on Friday followed by a Sunday match at Maryland at noon CT. UI will look to snap its current three-game skid, the longest of the season.
Scouting the Scarlet Knights: No. 14 Rutgers is one of the hottest teams in the Big Ten after knocking off No. 6 Penn State on the road for its fourth consecutive win. The Scarlet Knights are 10-1-1 overall and tied for second in the Big Ten with 19 points at 6-1-1 in league play. RU is undefeated at home with a 7-0-0 mark and suffered its only loss at Maryland to begin the conference season. Rutgers ranks eighth in the Big Ten with 22 goals scored but leads the league with only four goals allowed and is tied for second with nine shutouts, including six 1-0 victories. Goalkeeper Casey Murphy has started every game and made 37 saves, while Stefanie Scholz leads the team with five goals.
Scouting the Terrapins: Maryland is tied with Illinois for seventh in the Big Ten at 12 points. The Terrapins are 3-2-3 in the conference and 5-4-4 overall. They have outscored opponents 16-13, with their leading scorer Shade Pratt boasting three goals. Goalkeeper Rachelle Beanlands ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 45 saves.
Last Time Out
On a rain-soaked Sunday at the Illinois Soccer Stadium, the Illini and Golden Gophers battled past the 100th minute, where Minnesota grabbed a 2-1 victory on a golden goal in double overtime. The Gophers scored first in the 51st minute and led until the 88th minute when senior Jannelle Flaws netted the equalizer off a penalty kick. Twenty seconds into the second overtime, Minnesota pushed up the field after the kick off and scored the game-winning goal off the foot of Taylor Wodnick.
Flaws' 15 Goals Sit Second in NCAA
Senior Jannelle Flaws leads the Big Ten and is tied for second in the NCAA with FGCU's Tabitha Tindell with 15 goals, trailing only East Tennessee State's Hannah Short (20 goals). Flaws led the nation in scoring last season with 23 goals in 23 games (1.00 goal per game) and is currently on the same pace as last year, as she boasted 15 goals through 14 games in 2013. Since the beginning of the 2013 season, Flaws owns 38 goals in 37 games, which is six more goals than any other player in the nation. Cal Poly's Elise Krieghoff is the next closest with 32 goals in 34 games. Flaws has been held scoreless in consecutive games just twice since the start of 2013 - Oct. 20 (at Penn State) and Oct. 25 (vs. Michigan) last year plus Aug. 31 (at Oakland) and Sept. 5 (at College of Charleston) this year.
Impressive Defensive Improvement
An improved defense and experienced goalkeeper have proven to be key factors in Illinois' 9-5-0 record. The Illini have allowed 14 goals through 14 games, which is 15 fewer than at this point last year. Last season with then-freshman Claire Wheatley between the pipes, Illinois equaled the second-most goals allowed in school history through 14 games with 29.
Wheatley Steps Up in Year Two
Sophomore Claire Wheatley has started the last 12 games in goal and played in all 14 contests this season, posting a 7-4-0 record with four solo shutouts along with being part of two other shutouts with sophomore Michelle Denley. Wheatley has made 34 saves and allowed 12 goals in 1,135 minutes for a 0.95 goals against average (GAA). The Plano, Texas, native has allowed 17 fewer goals in the first 14 games this year compared to 2013 when she allowed 29 goals in the first 14 contests. Denley started the first two games this year and has played in three games, notching a 2-1-0 record. The transfer from Bowling Green owns 10 saves and a 1.26 GAA.
Six Shutouts So Far
Illinois boasts six shutouts through 14 games, which is tied for fourth in the Big Ten. The Illini blanked Louisville (2-0), Oakland (1-0) and College of Charleston (3-0) during non-conference action and three Big Ten foes - Nebraska (3-0), Indiana (2-0) and Purdue (3-0). The school record for shutouts in a season is 13 in 2003. For the season, the Orange and Blue are giving up a goal per game (1.00 GAA), which is seventh in the Big Ten.
School Record by the Defense
Illinois' stingy defense set a school record by holding eight consecutive opponents to single-digit shots from Aug. 31 to Sept. 26 and only allowing 39 shots, the fewest ever by an Illini team during an eight-game span. Over those eight games, Illinois outshot its opponents 135-36: Oakland (29-4), College of Charleston (17-2), UAB (14-2), Iowa (11-9), Nebraska (13-6), Indiana (20-4), Purdue (17-6) and Ohio State (14-6). The two shots allowed against the Cougars and Blazers equaled the fewest since Sept. 12, 2003, when UI did not allow a shot to Evansville. Illinois has only given up two shots four times since 2003. It also was done on Oct. 27, 2006 at Iowa and Oct. 2, 2011 vs. Purdue.
Flaws Scored in 5 Straight Games
From Sept. 14-28, senior Jannelle Flaws scored in five consecutive games, equaling the school record set by Emily Brown in 2000. She scored 10 goals during that stretch, the most ever by an Illini in that span. The Glenview, Illinois, native became the first Illini to tally multiple goals in four straight games to start her streak: 2 at Nebraska; 2 vs. Indiana; 3 vs. Purdue; and 2 at Ohio State. Her fifth straight game with a goal came at Penn State, while the streak ended when she was held scoreless at Northwestern.
Flaws Second-Fastest to 40 Career Goals in School History
With her team-high 15 goals this season, senior Jannelle Flaws has 41 career goals, which ranks fourth on the school's all-time list. Flaws is chasing the top three goal scorers in program history: Tara Hurless (47 goals), Emily Brown (46 goals) and Vanessa DiBernardo (43 goals). Flaws reached 40 career goals in 57 career games, which ranks as the second-fastest in program history behind Brown, who did it in 54 games. It took DiBernardo 64 games and Hurless 74 games.
Tracking Flaws' Career Stats
Senior Jannelle Flaws sits in the top 10 in several career categories in the Illinois soccer record book. She ranks second in shots on goal (115), fourth in goals (41) and points (89) and fourth in shots (223). In Big Ten games only, she owns the most goals (25) and points (52) in school history.
Goals by Eight Different Illini
Eight different Illini have found the net in 2014, giving Illinois 27 goals, which ranks fifth in the Big Ten. Senior Jannelle Flaws has accounted for 56 percent of the scoring with her Big Ten-leading 15 goals. She is followed by sophomore Allison Stucky with three goals and junior Amy Feher and freshman Abby Elinsky each with two. Junior Reagan Robishaw, sophomore Casey Conine and freshmen Kara Marbury and Emily Osoba each have one goal.
