Dec. 18, 2014Big Ten Tournament Recap
After both lower seeds won to begin the first day of the Big Ten Tournament, No. 7 seed Illinois was unable to continue the trend, falling 2-0 to No. 2 seed Wisconsin. The Badgers found the net twice in the first half, while the Illini were unable to put any of their 12 shots past Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year Genevieve Richard. Illinois finished 10-8-2 overall in 2014.
Big Ten Tournament History
Illinois made its 15th appearance in the Big Ten Tournament and played as the No. 7 seed for the first time in school history. The Illini boast a 15-12-4 all-time record, which is tied for the third-most wins in tournament history. Head coach Janet Rayfield, who is in her 13th season at the helm, has never missed the Big Ten Tournament and led the Illini to a berth for the 11th time. The tournament was not held during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. The Illini are 11-8-4 all-time in the event under Rayfield.
In the Big Ten Rankings
Illinois ranked in the top six in seven categories: 297 shots (3rd), 1.60 goals per game (5th), 1.30 assists per game (5th), 32 goals (6th), 90 points (6th), 26 assists (T-6th) and eight shutouts (T-6th).
Flaws Racks Up All-America, Postseason Awards
Following the 2014 season, senior Jannelle Flaws was honored by several organizations for her stellar year in which she led the Big Ten and tied for 12th in the NCAA with 17 goals. The Glenview, Illinois, native was tabbed a third-team NSCAA All-American, a first-team All-Great Lakes Region selection and a unanimous pick for Big Ten Forward of the Year, making her the first Illini to win the conference's top honor in consecutive seasons. She was tabbed a first-team All-American by College Sports Madness, picked to the Top Drawer Soccer Best XI Second Team, named a second-team All-American by College Soccer News and was a finalist for the Soccer News Net College Boot award. Flaws equaled her career-high with three assists and led the Big Ten in shots (107) and points (37) this year. She also ranked 10th in the country in goals per game (0.850) and tied for 24th in total points (37).
Flaws Picked as Big Ten Forward of the Year Again
Senior Jannelle Flaws was named Big Ten Forward of the Year for the second straight year. Flaws, who was a unanimous pick and a first-team All-Big Ten selection, led the Big Ten with 17 goals, which was five more than any other conference player during the regular season. Flaws is the fifth player in Big Ten history to win the conference's Player of the Year honor in consecutive seasons, joining Minnesota's Jennifer McElmury (1996-97) and Penn State's Christie Welsh (1999-01), Tiffany Weimer (2004-05) and Maya Hayes (2011-12). The Big Ten honored a singular Player of the Year from 1994-2003 before expanding it to a Big Ten Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year from 2004-10. The conference began recognizing the top player at each position (Forward, Midfielder, Defender, Goalkeeper) in 2011.
Flaws T-2nd Most Goals Since 2013
After leading the nation with 23 goals in 2013 and notching 17 goals in 2014, Jannelle Flaws owns 40 goals in the past 43 games, which is tied for the second-most goals in the NCAA since the beginning of the 2013 season. Florida's Savannah Jordan is one ahead with 41 goals in 47 games, while Virginia's Makenzy Doniak also has 40 goals in 51 games.
Elinsky on Freshman All-B1G Team
Freshman Abby Elinsky was picked to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team as a defender. Elinsky started all 20 games during her debut season, primarily playing on the back line. She scored two goals and tallied an assist while taking 26 shots. The Rocky River, Ohio, native played more than 1,600 minutes and had one game-winning goal.
Wheatley's Weekly Honors
Sophomore Claire Wheatley garnered Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in her career on Nov. 3. Wheatley made a season-high 10 saves in Illinois' 0-0 draw with No. 11 Wisconsin (Oct. 31) to give the Illini to their eighth shutout of the season. She also was named the College Sports Madness National Defensive Player of the Week and selected to Top Drawer Soccer's Team of the Week on Nov. 4.
Impressive Defensive Improvement
The Illini allowed 21 goals in 2014, which was 29 fewer than the year before in 2013. Last season, with then-freshman Claire Wheatley between the pipes, Illinois had the most goals allowed in school history with 50.
Wheatley Stepped Up in Year Two
Sophomore Claire Wheatley started the final 18 games in goal and played in all 20 contests this season, posting an 8-7-2 record with six solo shutouts along with being part of two other shutouts with sophomore Michelle Denley. Wheatley made 66 saves, which tied for ninth in the Big Ten. She allowed 19 goals in 1,715 minutes for a 1.00 goals against average (GAA). The Plano, Texas, native allowed 31 fewer goals compared to 2013 when she allowed 50 goals in the 23 contests. Denley started the first two games of the year and played in three games, notching a 2-1-0 record. The transfer from Bowling Green owns 10 saves and a 1.26 GAA.
Eight Clean Sheets By the Illini
Illinois boasts eight shutouts through 19 games, which is tied for fifth in the Big Ten and five more than the Illini posted last season (3). The Illini blanked Louisville (2-0), Oakland (1-0) and College of Charleston (3-0) during non-conference action and five Big Ten foes - Nebraska (3-0), Indiana (2-0), Purdue (3-0), Michigan State (2-0) and No. 11 Wisconsin (0-0). 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, which ranks 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. For the season, she scored in 11 of 20 games.
Flaws Tied for Third in School History with 43 Career Goals
With her team-high 17 goals this season, senior Jannelle Flaws has 43 career goals, which is tied with Vanessa DiBernardo for third on the school's all-time list. Flaws is chasing the top two goal scorers in program history: Tara Hurless (47 goals) and Emily Brown (46 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 (129), tied for third in goals (43) and fourth in points (94) and shots (261). In Big Ten games only, she owns the most goals (27) and points (57) in school history.
Breece's 3 Assists Tied Illini Record
Junior Nicole Breece equaled the school record with three assists against UAB, becoming the fifth Illini to accomplish the feat and first since 2003. Breece added her name to an exclusive list of Illini who have tallied three assists in a game, joining Eva Strickland (2003), Tara Hurless (2002), Kelly Buszkiewicz (1998) and Rachel Smith (1997). The St. Louis, Missouri, native tied for eighth in the Big Ten with a career-high seven assists.
Feher Nets Two Game-Winners
Despite playing on the back line, junior Amy Feher boasted two game-winning goals. She connected on the golden goal in overtime at Oakland and delivered a header goal to put the Illini in front of UAB for good.
Goals by Eight Different Illini
Eight different Illini found the net in 2014, giving Illinois 32 goals, which ranked sixth in the Big Ten. Senior Jannelle Flaws accounted for 53 percent of the scoring with her Big Ten-leading 17 goals. She was followed by sophomore Allison Stucky with three goals and five players - juniors Amy Feher and Reagan Robishaw and freshmen Abby Elinsky, Kara Marbury and Emily Osoba - each with two goals. Sophomore Casey Conine rounded out the scoring with one goal.
Flaws Named National, Big Ten Player of the Week
Senior Jannelle Flaws garnered national recognition for her impressive performance during the week of Sept. 15-21, as she took home Disney Soccer/NSCAA, ESPNW, Top Drawer Soccer (TDS) and College Sports Madness (CSM) National Player of the Week honors. Flaws, who shared the laurel with Cal Poly's Elise Krieghoff, became the first Illini to earn the official top weekly honor from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), which began awarding the accolade in 2010. She also earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors after netting five goals during Illinois' shutouts of Indiana and Purdue.
Second-Quickest Illini Hat Trick
The three goals in 9:27 by Jannelle Flaws against Purdue (9/21/14) is the second-fastest hat trick in school history behind only Vanessa DiBernardo, who scored three goals in 8:49 as part of a school-record four goals against Purdue (10/1/10).
Longest Winning Streak Since 2011
Illinois' five-game winning streak from Aug. 24 to Sept. 7 was its longest since rolling off eight in a row in 2011 (Sept. 30-Oct. 29). The Illini only allowed two goals over 457 minutes during their streak. UI started the season 5-1-0 for the first time since 2011 and fourth time in program history. The best start in school history came in 2004 when the Orange and Blue won their first seven games. Illinois also rolled off four wins in a row from Sept. 14-26, leading to a 9-2-0 start for the third time in school history.
Illinois All-Time Wins Counter
Since becoming a varsity sport in 1997, the University of Illinois women's soccer team has compiled an overall record of 218-139-30 (.602) with 12 NCAA Tournament appearances in 18 seasons. Head coach Janet Rayfield, who is in her 13th season, is responsible for 74 percent of those wins (161) and 10 NCAA Tournament appearances.
When Illinois Was Ranked
Illinois was ranked in the NSCAA/Continental Tire coaches poll for three straight weeks (Week 4-6), entering the poll at No. 22 on Sept. 16 and checking in at No. 19 the following two weeks before dropping out of the Top 25.
0-0 Tie to End Regular Season
On a blustery night with the wind chill below freezing, Illinois and No. 11 Wisconsin played to a 0-0 draw in a double-overtime Big Ten battle. Sophomore goalkeeper Claire Wheatley totaled a season-high 10 saves to give UI its eighth shutout of the season. The Illini back line of junior Amy Feher, sophomore Hope D'Addario and freshmen Abby Elinsky and Sarah Warren played strong throughout the game to maintain the 0-0 draw, as Wisconsin finished with a 26-11 edge in shots and 6-3 mark in corner kicks. Prior to the game, Illinois recognized Megan Green and Noelle Leary as part of Senior Night.
Homecoming Weekend Recap
During Homecoming weekend, Illinois split its games against Michigan State and Michigan to clinch a Big Ten Tournament berth. Against the Spartans, freshmen Kara Marbury and Emily Osoba each found the net on Friday night (Oct. 24) to spark a 2-0 Illinois victory. Sophomore goalkeeper Claire Wheatley gave the Illini their seventh shutout of the season and stopped the only shot on target by the Spartans, who the Illini outshot 25-5. Despite falling 2-1 to Michigan on Sunday (Oct. 26) at the Illinois Soccer Stadium, the Illini remained in seventh place in the Big Ten and assured themselves a spot in the Big Ten Tournament with the loss by Nebraska. Against the Wolverines, junior Reagan Robishaw struck first to give Illinois a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute, but Michigan responded with a goal in the ninth minute and the game-winning goal in the 60th minute, both coming on restarts.
First Trip to Rutgers, Maryland
Illinois made its first trip to new Big Ten members Rutgers and Maryland on Oct. 17-19. In a Big Ten battle at Yurcak Field, UI suffered a 2-1 loss on a late goal in the 86th minute by No. 14 Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights and Illini traded goals less than a minute apart in the first half and were even for nearly the entire match until RU came out on top in their first-ever meeting. At Ludwig Field, Illinois and Maryland played to a 1-1 tie in their first-ever meeting. Sophomore goalkeeper Claire Wheatley made nine saves and stopped two penalty kicks, including a clutch PK save with 31 seconds remaining in double overtime. Senior Jannelle Flaws, who scored both Illini goals on the weekend, blasted one from midfield against Rutgers and inside the box against Maryland.
Against the Golden Gophers
On a rain-soaked Sunday (Oct. 12) 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. During regulation, 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.
Stumble at Northwestern
No. 19 Illinois stumbled on the road at Northwestern, suffering its second 2-0 shutout of the season on Oct. 5. The Illini outshot the Wildcats 17-11, but NU's Addie Steiner scored twice with a goal in each half at Lakeside Field. Senior Jannelle Flaws, who led the Illini with six shots, saw her streak of five straight games scoring a goal come to an end. Freshman Abby Elinsky took five shots and put three on target, but NU goalkeeper Lauren Clem turned in a clean sheet with six saves.
Split at Ohio State, Penn State
Illinois split a pair of road Big Ten games out east during the final weekend of September. The Illini, who were ranked No. 19 in the nation, defeated Ohio State, 4-1, but dropped a 2-1 decision to No. 8 Penn State in Happy Valley. Against the Buckeyes, Illinois scored a season-high four goals and won its fourth straight game. Senior Jannelle Flaws turned in two tallies to become the first-ever Illini with multiple goals in four consecutive contests, while OSU had an own goal and sophomore Casey Conine added a late score. Against the Nittany Lions, UI battled to the end, but had their four-game winning streak snapped. Midway through the second half, Flaws connected on the equalizer less than a minute after the Nittany Lions scored, but PSU delivered the game-winning goal in the 84th minute.
Illini Shut out Indiana, Purdue
Through 10 games, Illinois started the season 8-2-0 for the fourth time in school history, which it also did in 1999, 2004 and 2010. UI blanked both its opponents during the second week of Big Ten play, downing Indiana (2-0) and Purdue (3-0) at SoccerFest. Senior Jannelle Flaws scored all five goals in the two shutouts, connecting on two set-piece goals against the Hoosiers and posting a hat trick in the final 10 minutes against Purdue. Sophomore Claire Wheatley posted two more shutouts, giving Illinois six clean sheets after 10 games.
Opening Big Ten Play Split
Illinois split its first two Big Ten games to begin conference play. The Illini saw their five-game winning streak come to an end at the Iowa Soccer Complex, falling 2-0 in the Big Ten opener against Iowa. Illinois rebounded with its first Big Ten win, downing defending Big Ten champion Nebraska on the road, 3-0. Against the Hawkeyes, neither team scored in the first half, while Iowa netted two goals in a seven-minute span in the second half. Against the Huskers, sophomore Allison Stucky scored in the first half and senior Jannelle Flaws put two away in the second half, while sophomore goalkeeper Claire Wheatley made three saves as part of the Illini's fourth shutout of the year.
College of Charleston Cup Recap
Illinois won both its games in South Carolina during its final non-conference weekend and had four players named to the All-College of Charleston Cup Team. Sophomore Hope D'Addario was named tournament MVP and was joined on the team by juniors Nicole Breece, Amy Feher and Reagan Robishaw. On Friday, Sept. 5, Illinois defeated College of Charleston, 3-0, at Patriots Point Stadium. Three different Illini - Robishaw, sophomore Allison Stucky and freshman Kara Marbury - provided the goal scoring, while sophomore goalkeeper Claire Wheatley notched her first solo shutout of the season. Illinois continued its winning ways on Sunday, Sept. 7, earning its fifth consecutive win with a 3-1 victory over UAB. Breece equaled the school record with three assists, becoming the fifth Illini to accomplish the feat and first since 2003. Three different Illini - senior Jannelle Flaws, Feher and freshman Emily Osoba - scored goals.
Second Weekend Sweep
Illinois swept its slate of games during the second weekend of the year, as the Illini only allowed one goal in their wins over Arizona State and Oakland. Sophomore Allison Stucky gave the Illini an early lead and senior Jannelle Flaws put Illinois back in front with two second-half goals in the 3-1 victory over Arizona State on Friday, Aug. 29. The Orange and Blue back line kept the Sun Devils in check, while sophomore goalkeeper Claire Wheatley played the entire game and made four saves. In its first road contest of the year on Sunday, Aug. 31, junior Amy Feher delivered the golden goal in the 98th minute to give Illinois a 1-0 overtime victory over Oakland. The Illini dominated possession with a 29-4 advantage in shots, but OU's keeper Alison Holland made 10 saves to keep the game close. Wheatley and Michelle Denley combined for their second shutout of the season.
Elinsky Scored Twice in Opening Weekend Split
Illinois split its opening weekend of the year, falling 3-1 in the season opener to No. 16 Notre Dame (Aug. 22) before bouncing back with a 2-0 shutout of Louisville (Aug. 24). Freshman Abby Elinsky scored a goal in each game, while senior Jannelle Flaws found the net in game two. In the opener, UI struck first, but No. 16 Notre Dame netted the final three goals to spoil the season and home opener at the Illinois Soccer Stadium. Elinsky scored the first goal of the year in the 23rd minute, but the Fighting Irish scored twice in the final six minutes in the first half and added another in the second stanza. The Illini rebounded for their first win of the season with a 2-0 shutout of Louisville on a steamy Sunday at the Illinois Soccer Stadium. Elinsky connected for a goal off a corner kick late in the first half, while Flaws scored early in the second half. Sophomore goalkeepers Michelle Denley and Claire Wheatley each played a clean half in front of the net.
Illini Top Sycamores in Exhibition
Before beginning regular season action, the Illini played an exhibition game during preseason training (Aug. 16), defeating Indiana State 3-0 and outshooting the Sycamores 14-2. Summer Schafer scored a goal in the first half off the first of two assists by Reagan Robishaw. Alia Abu-Douleh netted the second goal in the 66th minute, while Jannelle Flaws delivered the final goal on a pass from Robishaw.
Breaking Down the Schedule
Illinois played a challenging 2014 schedule, including contests against five NCAA Tournament teams - Penn State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Rutgers and Arizona State. Illinois made trips to both new members of the Big Ten, Maryland and Rutgers, as part of a new 13-game conference slate, and traveled nearly 6,000 miles round trip during the 2014 regular season (5,812 total miles).
Preseason National, Big Ten Polls
Illinois received votes in the NSCAA preseason poll and was just outside the Top 25 at 29th in the country heading into 2014. In the Big Ten preseason coaches' poll, Illinois was picked to finish seventh out of 14 teams, as new additions Maryland and Rutgers made their debuts. Senior Jannelle Flaws and juniors Taylore Peterson and Aliina Weykamp were named Preseason Players to Watch in the conference.
Flaws on MAC Hermann Watch List
Senior Jannelle Flaws was selected to the Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy watch list at the beginning of the 2014 season, which is the most prestigious individual award in NCAA soccer. She also was named to Top Drawer Soccer's Preseason Best XI Second Team and a Big Ten Preseason Player to Watch. Flaws was an offensive force throughout the 2013 season, scoring 23 goals to lead the nation along with St. John's Rachel Daly. Her 23 goals also eclipsed the previous school record of 18 by Emily Brown in 1999. Flaws was a first-team All-Big Ten and All-Great Lakes Region selection along with being chosen as the University of Illinois Dike Eddleman Female Athlete of the Year.
Rayfield Earns Career Win No. 200
Head coach Janet Rayfield collected her 200th career victory in Illinois' 3-0 shutout at College of Charleston (Sept. 5). Rayfield boasts an all-time record of 206-161-34 between her six years (1993-98) at the University of Arkansas (45-64-7) and 13 years (2002-14) at the University of Illinois (161-97-27). She is the all-time wins leader at Illinois with 161 victories.
Associate Head Coach Freeman
On Sept. 19, 2014, University of Illinois soccer head coach Janet Rayfield announced the promotion of Jeff Freeman to the position of associate head coach. Freeman is in his fourth year on staff and helped Illinois reach at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament during his previous three years, highlighted by a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2013. The Illini have turned in two of the top four single-season goal totals in school history under Freeman. The Orange and Blue netted 54 goals in 2013 and 53 goals in 2011, which rank third and fourth, respectively, on the all-time list. Since Freeman joined the staff in 2011, UI boasts three NCAA Tournament appearances, a Big Ten Tournament title in 2011 and a Big Ten Tournament runner-up finish in 2012.
New Goalkeeper Coach Katie Hultin Joins Coaching Staff
Illinois featured a new goalkeeper coach with Katie Hultin in her first year on staff in 2014. Hultin joined the Orange and Blue following a five-year stint with the Seattle University women's soccer team. She works with the Illini's three goalkeepers: sophomores Claire Wheatley and Michelle Denley and freshman Darci Dietrich.
DiBernardo on the Sidelines
Former Illini Vanessa DiBernardo served as a student assistant coach during the 2014 season while she completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois. DiBernardo finished her collegiate playing career in 2013 as one of the most decorated Illinois soccer players in school history and became the highest drafted player in school history when she was selected fourth overall by the Chicago Red Stars in the NWSL Draft. DiBernardo is a two-time All-American, collecting NSCAA second-team honors in 2011 and third-team accolades in 2012, and was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List three times. She excelled immediately on the field as an Illini, beginning her career as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2010. She followed up a stellar rookie season by earning Big Ten Midfielder of the Year honors in 2011 while leading the Illini to its second-ever Big Ten Tournament title.
