Illinois...

...Is hosting Pride Night on Thursday and Fan Appreciation Day on Sunday

...has defeated two ranked opponents this year for the first time since 2013

...netted 25 goals this season, scored by 11 different players

...is averaging 11.2 shots per game this year

...is third in the Big Ten for its 25 goals

...ranks 28th in the country and first in the B1G for its 53.5-percent shot accuracy

...has a 247-176-35 all-time soccer record

COMING UP

The Orange and Blue return to Champaign on Oct. 11 to host Purdue for Pride Night. The first 200 fans who sign the Illinois Athletics Diversity & Inclusion banner will receive free rainbow socks. There will also be a pregame March to the Match celebrating the LGBTQ community. The Illini will then host Indiana on Sunday for Fan Appreciation Day. 

The Big Ten regular season will close with a pair of road matches at Northwestern (Oct. 18) and Nebraska (Oct. 21). 

SCOUTING PURDUE

The Purdue Boilermakers are 6-5-3 on the season with a 1-4-2 record in league play. Purdue earned its only conference victory over Indiana in a double-overtime match, and is coming off of a 0-1 loss to Wisconsin. Purdue has scored 17 goals this season, led by Kylie Hase who has racked up seven of those scores. Purdue averages 12.6 shots per game, while allowing 12.1 from its opponents. 

INDIANA IN DEPTH

The Hoosiers are 7-5-2 on the season and 3-4-0 in Big Ten play. Indiana will face Northwestern on Thursday before heading to Champaign for Sunday's match. The Hoosiers have scored 30 goals this season, led by Abby Allen and Mykayla Brown who have netted seven and six goals each, respectively. Allen leads the Big Ten with her seven assists on the year and is among league leaders for her 41 shots. 

LAST TIME OUT

Fighting Illini Soccer split a weekend on the East coast, earning a win over Maryland and dropping a hard-fought battle against Rutgers. Illini sophomore Hope Breslin netted her second penalty kick of the season at Maryland to give Illinois the win over the Terrapins on October 4. The Illini defense forced overtime at Rutgers on October 7, but the Scarlet Knights scored in the 98th minute to earn the victory. 

ILLINI IN THE NUMBERS

Illinois is making waves in the national and conference rankings so far this season. The Orange and Blue rank third in the league with their 25 goals this season, a number that ranks 59th in the country. The Illini have tallied 69 points (4th in the league) and average 1.79 goals per game to sit third in the Big Ten. Illinois' 19 assists this season rank seventh in the league. The Orange and Blue rank 28th in the country and lead the conference for their 53.5-percent shot accuracy. 

Individually, junior goalkeeper Jaelyn Cunningham ranks seventh in the Big Ten for her 42 saves this season and sixth for her five shutouts. 

PENALTY KICKER

Illini sophomore Hope Breslin has tallied three goals for UI this season, scoring two off of penalty kicks. She is 2-for-2 when it comes to converting penalty kick opportunities this season. Her 100-percent conversion rate is tied for the best in the Big Ten and in the country. 

CONSISTENCY IS KEY

The Illini are working hard on playing tough from whistle to whistle. That consistency is showing as the Orange and Blue have netted 12 goals in both the first half and 13 goals second half of games this season. The Illini are continuing to keep the pressure up throughout matches, as the squad has taken 75 shots in the first half of games and fired 79 in the second half. The Illini have allowed opponents just four goals in the first half of games this season and seven in the second half. 

TOPPING THE TOP 25

The Fighting Illini opened the season on a hot streak, tallying victories over two top-ranked opponents in No. 3 Duke (2-1) and No. 14 Oklahoma State (2-1). Illinois' two victories over ranked opponents so far this year are the most since 2013 when the Orange and Blue went 2-3-1 against opponents ranked among the top 25 in the nation. Illinois' best performance against he top 25 came in the 2006 season when the Orange and Blue finished the year 5-3-0 against ranked foes. The Illini advanced to the NCAA Round of 16 in the 2006 campaign. 

SPREAD THE WEALTH

The Illini are proving to be a tough match for opposing defenses this season as the scoring has been spread around. UI has netted 25 goals so far this season, scored by 11 different players. Senior Katie Murray leads the charge with five goals on the year, while juniors Kelly Maday and Arianna Veland, sophomore Hope Breslin and freshman Makena Silber have each tallied three goals so far. The Illini have not had so many offensive weapons since the 2013 season when 14 players recorded at least one goal throughout the year, led by Jannelle Flaws who scored a school-record 23 goals to lead Illinois to a Sweet Sixteen appearance. 

Illinois is averaging 1.79 goals per game this year and holding opponents to just 1.00 goals per match. The Orange and Blue are putting 53.5-percent of their shots on goal this season, led by Silber who has put 13 of her 31 shots on frame.

ILLINI IN THE POLLS

Fighting Illini Soccer has made its way into the polls twice this season as the Orange and Blue were receiving votes in the Sept. 4 and Aug. 21 United Soccer Coaches National Polls. Illinois' last appeared in the United Soccer Coaches poll to start the 2016 season (Aug. 23). Prior to that, UI was ranked in the poll during the 2014 season, appearing for three consecutive weeks (weeks 4-6), entering the poll at No. 22 on Sept. 16 and checking in at No. 19 in the following two weeks. 

HURLESS ENTERS HALL OF FAME

Illini alumni Tara Hurless was honored by the Illinois Athletics Department on Sept. 22 as she will be inducted into the Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame. Hurless was a two-time Second-Team All-American for the Fighting Illini women's soccer team, and finished her career as the program's all-time leading scorer with 47 goals, a mark that lasted 11 years. She was named First-Team All-Great Lakes Region twice in 2003 and 2004, and was second-team in 2002. Hurless was named First-Team All-Big Ten in 2003 and 2004 after being named to the second-team in 2002. She was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament team in 2001, 2003 and 2004, earning offensive MVP honors at the tournament in 2003. Hurless was the Illini's offensive MVP all four years. After helping lead the 2003 squad to the Big Ten Tournament title, Hurless led the Illini into the NCAA Elite Eight in 2004. Hurless currently lives and works in Champaign-Urbana as a police officer.

NETTING NUMBERS VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS

The Illini opened the 2018 home slate with a commanding, 8-0, victory over Northern Illinois on August 26. Illinois' eight goals in the match mark the third-most in a game in school history. The number is also the most scored by the Illini in a single game since also scoring eight on Oct. 27, 2000 against Western Illinois. The Illini tallied eight assists in the match as well, marking the second-most for the squad in a single-game in school history. Illinois' 35 shots in the contest are just one shy of Illinois' single-game school record.

WILLIE'S WORK

Illinois freshman Peyton Willie was a major contributor in Illinois' victory over NIU. She netted her first career goal in the match, and was credited with three assists while also posting five shots. Her three assists are tied for the most in a game by an Illinois freshman. The last time a newcomer dished three assists in a game was October 5, 2003 when Eva Strickland racked up three dimes. It is the first time an Illini has recorded three assists in a match since Nicole Breece earned three assists against UAB in 2014. 

DOWNING DUKE

Illinois opened the 2018 campaign against two top-ranked opponents in No. 6 North Carolina and No. 3 Duke. Thanks to first-half goals from freshman Makena Silber and sophomore Katie Le, Illinois captured its first victory of the season against the Blue Devils, 2-1. Silber netted her first-career goal with a long-range shot that sailed over the Duke goalkeeper. Just a few minutes later, sophomore Katie Le tapped in a goal kick from senior Patricia George to put Illinois on top. UI netted three goals total on the weekend, as Kelly Maday posted the first goal of the season against North Carolina. Illinois' victory over Duke marks the program's first win over a top-three ranked opponent since beating No. 3 Penn State, 1-0, on November 2, 2012.

WEEKLY CONFERENCE HONORS

Illini freshman Makena Silber was recognized by the Big Ten Conference on August 21 as she was named the league's Freshman of the Week. Silber was a key component to Illinois' victory over the third-ranked Duke Blue Devils over the weekend as she netted her first-career goal in the match. She fired two shots in the game, and put both on frame. She also racked up two shots in Illinois' season opener at No. 6 North Carolina.

COMPETITIVE SLATE

The Fighting Illini have been set up for a competitive schedule this season, as the program opened regular season play with two top-ranked opponents in No. 6 North Carolina and No. 3 Duke. The complete 2018 slate features eight opponents ranked or receiving votes in the final 2017 United Soccer Coaches Top 25, including three top 10 opponents. The Illini will also see eight 2017 NCAA Tournament teams during the 2018 season including Duke, North Carolina, Oklahoma State, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Rutgers and Penn State. UI has one of the most action-packed schedules in the Big Ten as only Ohio State and Nebraska will take on as many ranked opponents.

B1G PRESEASON HONORS

Three Illini were named to the Big Ten Conference Preseason Honors List on August 13, as announced by the Big Ten Conference. Seniors Katie Murray and Morgan Maroney and junior Alicia Barker were listed on the conference's honor list. The Preseason Honors List is decided upon by the league's coaches and is composed of 42 student-athletes. The league also announced the 2018 Preseason Women's Soccer Poll, where the Illini checked in at No. 12 on the list. Coming in at No. 1 was Penn State, who the Illini will host on Sept. 22.

RECORD BREAKING SOPHOMORE SEASON

Illini junior goalkeeper Jaelyn Cunningham is coming off of a strong sophomore campaign. She finished the 2017 season ranked second in the Big Ten this season for her 106 saves on the year, a number that also ranked 23rd in the country. Cunningham averaged 5.6 saves per game to sit second among all players in the Big Ten. 

The sophomore had a record day at Penn State on Sept. 17, 2017, making a career-best 10 stops in the match. Her 10 saves on the day marked the most for an Illini in a single game since Michelle Denley grabbed 10 saves against Illinois State on August 21, 2016. 

Cunningham tallied her 100th save against Michigan last season, becoming one of just four Illini to record 100 saves in a single season in program history. Cunningham finished the year just five saves shy of the school record (111), set by Leisha Alcia in 2004 and matched by Steph Panozzo in 2012. Her 106 saves in 2017 ranks third all-time. 

HONORING OUR ALUMNI

Fighting Illini Soccer announced the development of the Laura Redmond Ramirez Legacy and Inspiration Award in the 2016 season, prior to the team's 3-0 shutout of No. 19 Michigan. The award is given annually to an Illini player who exhibits the traits that former Illini Laura Redmond developed and demonstrated during her time at Illinois: courage, resiliency and fortitude, and the traits that she exhibited during her battle with Leukemia. Recipients of the Laura Redmond Ramirez Legacy and Inspiration award include Jenna Carosio (2016) and Dr. Rachel Frank (2017). 

ILLINI ROSTER FEATURES 11 NEWCOMERS

For the second year in a row, the Illini squad features a large class of newcomers. The 2017 campaign featured 10 freshman, while this season the program welcomes 11. The 2018 signing class includes Katelynn Buescher (Naperville, Illinois), Ashley Cathro (Victoria, British Columbia), Amaya Ellis (Monte Sereno, California), Meredith Jo Johnson-Monfort (Mahomet, Illinois), Ashleigh Lefevre (Brighton, Australia), Erin McKeown (Ann Arbor, Michigan), Kendra Pasquale (Naperville, Illinois), Maeve Riordan (Naperville, Illinois), Makena Silber (Crystal Lake, Illinois), Lauren Stibich (Western Springs, Illinois) and Peyton Willie (Yorkville, Illinois).

"The 2018 Illini class will add athletic talent, academic excellence, and great character to the Illini Soccer family," head coach Janet Rayfield said. "We are excited about the diverse experiences that these players have had, and look forward to what they will bring to our program.  International playing experience, top-level club experience, and successful high school careers will synergistically blend to create a challenging environment that drives this class and this program towards its collective potential.  With several proven goal-scorers and top-level defenders, this class will complement a strong returning midfield core and strengthen our game in front of the goal – both ours and our opponents."

WATCH THE ILLINI ON BTN

Illinois appeared live on Big Ten Network on Thursday, October 4 at Maryland. Sophomore Hope Breslin netted a penalty kick in the 56th minute of play to give Illinois an advantage early in the second half. The Illini battled to keep the Terrapins scoreless on the night and earn their second-straight shutout. It marked Illinois' fifth shutout of the season. BTN will also air the Big Ten Tournament beginning Oct. 28 and continuing through the championship game on Sunday, Nov. 4. Illinois' remaining home and conference matchups will be live streamed via BTN Plus. 

DEMIRJIAN PARK

University of Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman announced plans on Dec. 6, 2017 for the construction of new soccer and track and field facilities on the UI campus. The new complex will be named Demirjian Park, in honor of a lead gift from the Demirjian family of Decatur, Ill. The project, which will be executed in phases with full completion scheduled for the spring of 2021, remains subject to approval by the UI Board of Trustees. Demirjian Park will feature two new soccer fields, one for competition and one for practice, located directly east of the existing track and field complex, which will itself be renovated. The project's centerpiece will be Demirjian Park Stadium, located between the new soccer fields and the renovated track.

TIME TO BREAK GROUND

The University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics has announced it will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, Oct. 12 at 11:30 a.m. to celebrate the beginning of construction for Demirjian Park, a new state-of-the art facility for Fighting Illini soccer and track and field. The Demirjian family, Director of Athletics Josh Whitman, Head Soccer Coach Janet Rayfield and Head Track and Field Coach Mike Turk, along with other members of the DIA staff and student-athletes from the Fighting Illini soccer and track and field teams, will take part in the ceremony at the field just east of the current soccer and track stadium. 

Demirjian Park will feature two new soccer fields, one for competition and one for practice, located directly east of the existing track and field complex, which will itself be renovated. The project's centerpiece will be Demirjian Park Stadium, located between the new soccer fields and the renovated track. The stadium will directly benefit more than 25 percent of the Fighting Illini student-athlete population by housing team facilities for women's soccer, men's track and field, and women's track and field. State-of-the-art amenities will include locker rooms, video and meeting rooms, lounge and study spaces, sports medicine and nutrition facilities, and coaches' offices. It will also contain spaces for visiting teams and officials. Construction of the new soccer fields will be completed in time for the 2019 season. Demirjian Park will be fully complete and open for the 2020 soccer season, which will allow Illinois to host the 2021 Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Renovations to the track and accompanying field event venues will be performed as a separate project.

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 243-176-35 with 12 NCAA Tournament appearances in 20 seasons. Head coach Janet Rayfield (190-134-32) is responsible for 76-percent of those wins and 10 NCAA Tournament appearances in her 16 seasons at the helm.

UI NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY

Illinois has played in the NCAA Tournament 12 times in 20 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.