Illinois is...
...making its fifth-straight Big Ten Tournament appearance
...ranked at No. 61 in the latest NCAA RPI rankings
...1-0-0 against ranked opponents this season
...ranked fourth in the Big Ten with 30 goals this season
...66-86-21 on the road all-time
...15-12-14 all-time in Big Ten Tournament games
...averaging 15.11 shots per game
ILLINOIS VS. PENN STATE
>Series History: Penn State leads the all-time series against Illinois, 4-23-0. The Illini earned their last victory over Penn State in the 2012 Big Ten Tournament, with a 1-0 win in Bloomington, Ind.
> Scouting the Nittany Lions: Earning a No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tournament, the Nittany Lions are ranked 10th in this week's NSCAA Coaches poll. Penn State leads the Big Ten with 38 goals this season, averaging 2.11 per game. Megan Schafer leads the team as she has put in 10 goals on the season. Penn State averages more than 16 shots per game, led by Frannie Crouse who has fired 44 shots this year.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The Illini have a 3-3-2 record on the road this season, averaging 12.5 shots per game in enemy territory. The Orange and Blue have converted all three of their penalty kicks awarded on the road, and have fired 100 shots, putting 42 on goal.
FRESHMAN PHENOMS
The Illini welcomed five freshman to the roster this season, all of which head coach Janet Rayfield said would make a major impact. They have done just that as freshman Morgan Maroney has become a consistent member of the Orange and Blue's starting defense. Katie Murray has put in two goals this year, and Patricia George has played in 17 games at forward. Caroline Ratz has started in eight matches this year, while Lauren Ciesla has racked up four appearances for Illinois.
ALL-BIG TEN HONORS
Fighting Illini redshirt senior Jannelle Flaws was named to the All-Big Ten second team, as announced by the Big Ten Conference Office on Friday, Oct. 30 . The two-time Big Ten Forward of the Year leads the league with 11 goals this season and her 54 career goals are the most in Illinois history. Flaws was twice named Big Ten Offensive Player of the week this season, with the most recent honor coming on Oct. 29 after leading the Illini to a 3-1 victory over Minnesota and the No. 8 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.
ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
Fighting Illini soccer Junior Hope D'Addario was named to the Academic All-District Second Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) on Wednesday, Oct. 29. D'Addario is majoring in health behavior change at Illinois and has started in all 18 games for the Orange and Blue this year. D'Addario has scored two goals this season, and her five assists rank second on the team.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
The Illini are dominant on their home turf, outscoring opponents 21-11 this season. Illinois has held four opponents to single-digit shots at home, and have taken 45 corner kicks to its opponents' 29.
FLAWS IS THE ALL-TIME LEADER
Redshirt senior Jannelle Flaws sits in the top 10 in several career categories in the Illinois soccer record book. She ranks first in goals (54), first in shots on goal (169), first in points (122) and in shots (346). In Big Ten games only, she owns the most goals (29) and points (64) in school history.
MULTI-GOAL MARBURY
Illini sophomore Kara Marbury headed in two goals on Oct. 18, lifting Illinois over Nebraska, 3-1. The two-goal game marks the first for Marbury in her career. She has accumulated five goals this season, good for second on the team.
stopping the streak
Illinois put a stop to two streaks on Sept. 24, as the Orange and Blue handed the Rutgers Scarlet Knights their first loss of the season. Rutgers was 8-0-0 heading into their matchup in Champaign, and had not allowed a goal in the season. Illini junior Allison Stucky scored the first goal against Rutgers this season, while sophomore Kara Marbury put in the game-winner to hand the Scarlet Knights their first loss.
LIMITING THE OPPONENT
The Illini have done a great job of limiting their opponents shots this season. UI has outshot its opponent in 12 games this season, firing a team total 271 shots while only allowing 222 shots from opponents. The Illini held Northern Kentucky to just four shots in the game, the fewest for an opposing team since Illinois allowed just four shots from Indiana last season (9/18/2014). Illinois' 29 shots in the game mark the most for an Illinois team since firing 29 shots against Oakland in 2014 (Aug. 31). The Illini have held five opponents to single-digit shots this season. Prior to facing Purdue on Sept. 20, Illinois had held three consecutive opponents scoreless for the second year in a row. The Illini shutout Nebraska (3-0), Indiana (2-0) and Purdue (3-0) in consecutive games last season.
TOP OF THE NATION
Illini standout Jannelle Flaws not only leads the team in several categories this season, but she is also among the nation's leaders. Flaws ranks 15th in the country with her five game-winning goals this season. She sits 23rd in the country for her 28 points, while her 11 goals ranks 32nd in the country and her 4.72 shots per game ranks 17th.
As a team, the Illini are 69th in the country with 7.17 shots on goal per game, 76th for their 15.11 shots per game and 88th for their 30 goals on the season.
LEAGUE LEADERS
Jannelle Flaws sits among the top-five on several conference lists so far this season. She leads the league with 28 total points and 1.56 points per game this season. She also averages 2.22 shots on goal per game to lead the Big Ten. Flaws is first in the league for her 11 goals and second for her five game-winners.
Junior Claire Wheatley grabbed a season-best nine saves against Michigan State, and boasts a season tally of 82, which ranks third in the league this season. She averages 4.56 saves per game, good for fourth in the conference.
As a team, the Illini rank sixth in the league with 84 points and fourth for their 30 goals so far this season. Penn State is in the lead with 38 goals on the year.
Scoring mentality
The Illini have put in 30 goals this seaosn, meeting the goal tally from 2014. However, last season, the Illini played 20 games, while this year's total is up to 18. Eight Illini have found the back of the net this year, and seven of those players have recorded two or more goals, led by Jannelle Flaws who has eight goals on the season.
Flaws Breaks Career Goals Record in style
Redshirt senior Jannelle Flaws shattered Tara Hurless' career goals record in style on Sunday, Aug. 30. After tying the record (47) against TCU on Aug. 28, Flaws notched a hat trick in a span of nine minutes against Saint Louis to break the record. She finished the game with 50 career goals. Next up for Flaws is the Big Ten career record, which is set at 91 by Penn State's Tiffany Weimer.
Second-Quickest Illini Hat Trick
The three goals in 9:27 by Jannelle Flaws against Purdue last season (9/21/14) was previously the second-fastest hat trick in school history behind Vanessa DiBernardo, who scored three goals in 8:49 as part of a school-record four goals against Purdue (10/1/10). Flaws surpassed that record against Saint Louis on Aug. 30 as she recorded three goals in exactly nine minutes, leading the Illini over Saint Louis (3-1) and breaking the Illinois career goals record.
Starting Strong
With four consecutive wins to start the season, the Illini notched one of the best starts to the year since 2011 when Illinois won its first four games and finished with an NCAA second round appearance. The Illini topped Gonzaga, Toledo, Ball State and Louisville before falling to USC in the fifth game of the year.
Preseason Big Ten Polls
Illinois was slated to finish fifth in the league in this year's Big Ten Preseaon Poll. After finishing seventh in the league last season, the Illini return nine of 11 starters from last year's team, bringing back a wealth of experience. Redshirt senior, Jannelle Flaws, junior defender, Hope D'Addario, and senior midfielder, Nicole Breece are on the Big Ten's Preseason Players to Watch List.
Breaking Down the Schedule
Illinois saw a challenging 2015 schedule, featuring matchups with several top-25 opponents. Illinois has faced two opponents for the first time in Northern Kentucky and TCU. The Illini also saw a familiar face in former Illini assistant coach, Eric Bell, who led the Horned Frogs to Champaign for the first-ever match up with his former team. The Illini faced three NCAA Tournament teams during the 2015 slate.
Illini in Exhibition Play
Before jumping into the 2015 season, the Illini put themselves to the test with some challenging exhibition matchups. Illinois went head-to-head with NCAA runner up, Virginia before facing last year's No. 11-ranked Notre Dame. Rayfield was excited for the two challenges, hoping they would help point out areas in which the team could fine tune prior to the season opener against Oakland.
Summer Soccer
The Illini were busy this summer as several of the Orange and Blue spent their time playing all over the country. Redshirt senior Janelle Flaws and junior Kara Marbury spent their summer making an impact in the W-League for the Seattle Sounders Women, while junior Hope D'Addario was called up to help the United States on the U23 National Team at the Four Nations Tournament.
OSMUNDSON JOINS STAFF FOR 2015
Head coach Janet Rayfield welcomed Missouri State graduate, Allie Osmundson to the Fighting Illini staff for the 2015 season. Osmundson brings with her four years of coaching experience, working with both men's and girl's programs. Osmundson led the Marshalltown High School girls soccer program to two-straight winning seasons, while also coaching 25 All-Conference players, four All-District players, one All-Division player and one All-State team player. Osmundson also served as the Assistant Men's Soccer Coach at Marshalltown Community College where she helped with preparing drills and scouting reports as well as managing equipment and travel arrangements. She helped guide the team to the 2012 NJCAA Tournament and has coached three NJCAA All-Americans. Osmundson was a team captain and three-time All-Conference player at Missouri State.
Flaws on MAC Hermann Watch List
Senior Jannelle Flaws was selected to the Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy watch list for the 2015 season, which is the most prestigious individual award in NCAA soccer. The nomination marks the second consecutive season Flaws has been recognized on the watch list prior to beginning the year. She also was named to Top Drawer Soccer's Preseason Best Second Team and a Big Ten Preseason Player to Watch. Flaws is coming off a 2014 season in which she was named a third-team NSCAA All-American, a first-team All-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.
Wheatley Stepped Up in Year Two
Junior Claire Wheatley started the final 18 games in goal and played in all 20 contests last season, posting an 8-7-2 record with six solo shutouts along with being part of two other shutouts with junior 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.
Breece's 3 Assists Tied Illini Record
Senior Nicole Breece equaled the school record with three assists against UAB last season, 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.
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 225-144-32 with 12 NCAA Tournament appearances in 18 seasons. Head coach Janet Rayfield (168-103-29) is responsible for 74-percent of those wins and 10 NCAA Tournament appearances in her 13 seasons at the helm.
UI NCAA Tournament History
Illinois has played in the NCAA Tournament 12 times in 17 seasons and are 11-12-3 all-time in tournament action. UI's top finish was the Elite Eight during the 2004 season, while they also reached the Sweet Sixteen in 2006, 2008 and 2013.
Illinois on the Big Ten Network
Two University of Illinois women's soccer home games appeared live on the Big Ten Network during the 2015 season. The Illini's game against Rutgers on Sept. 24 (7 p.m.) was selected to air on BTN along with Illinois' contest against Nebraska on Oct. 18. BTN will also televise the semifinals and championship game of the Big Ten Tournament, which will be hosted by the highest remaining seed of the tournament following the quarterfinal round.
Illinois Online
Seven Illinois games were slated to stream online this season. The Illini will have six games on BTN+, which can be accessed at BTN2Go.com, and the others can be accessed through FIGHTINGILLINI.com. Links to the games will be posted on the Illini Soccer schedule page and also promoted through social media.
