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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Freshmen Kara Marbury and Emily Osoba each found the net on Friday night to spark a 2-0 Illinois victory over Michigan State. Sophomore goalkeeper Claire Wheatley gave the Illini their seventh shutout of the season and stopped the only shot on target by the Spartans, who were outshot 25-5 at the Illinois Soccer Stadium.

"A win tonight feels good," head coach Janet Rayfield said. "Tonight took a lot of different efforts from different people. We were really able to limit Michigan State's shots and will certainly have to do that as we continue to move forward. We did some good things tonight, so we will try to take that going into Sunday's game."

Marbury put the Illini on the board in the 25th minute with her second career goal. She initially fired a shot from just outside the left corner of the box but it was blocked. The Spokane, Washington, native recovered her own rebound and drilled it into the upper-right corner past a diving MSU keeper.

"It is great to have Kara back," Rayfield said. "It takes a little bit of pressure off Jannelle and gives us back someone who defenses have to pay attention to. She also keeps the ball for us, so our possession has been better."

The Illini took the 1-0 advantage into halftime after controlling possession in the opening frame with a 12-2 edge in shots. UI also took the only corner kick in the first frame.

Illinois continued to control the possession in the second half, finishing with a 13-3 advantage in shots and 7-2 edge in corner kicks in that stanza.

On the Illini's eighth and final corner kick of the night in the 83rd minute, junior Nicole Breece sent the ball into the box where freshman Abby Elinsky volleyed it from the center of the box toward the left post, setting up Osoba to knock it in for her second career goal. Breece earned her career-high seventh assist, while Elinsky registered her first career assist.

Senior Jannelle Flaws took a team-high nine shots but saw her three-game scoring streak come to an end. Marbury was second on the squad with five shots, while Breece added four.

Illinois (10-6-1) moved into seventh place in the Big Ten standings with 16 points at 5-5-1. Michigan State (9-7-1) remained in 10th place with 10 points at 3-7-1. Maryland (3-3-5 Big Ten) sits in eighth place with 14 points, while Nebraska (3-6-2 Big Ten) is in ninth with 11 points.

"It was important for us to put a little separation between teams that are right around us," Rayfield said.

UI, which topped MSU 2-0 for the second straight year, is 17-3-2 all-time against Michigan State and has not lost to the Spartans since 2002, which includes a 15-game unbeaten streak (ties occurred in 2005 and 2008).

Up Next: The Illini will host Michigan at the Illinois Soccer Stadium on Sunday (Oct. 26) at 1 p.m.