CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Fighting Illini soccer team fought hard and kept it close with the ninth-ranked Scarlet Knights, but eventually fell to Rutgers 3-0 on Saturday afternoon at Demirjian Park. The match marked the final contest of the season for the Illini.
Illinois (5-11-1, 1-8-1 B1G) was led by 12 combined saves from goalkeepers Julia Cili (five) and Naomi Jackson (seven), and three shots from freshman Sydney Stephens. Rutgers (15-2, 10-0 B1G) was led by a brace from Amirah Ali and a goal from Allison Lowrey.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Rutgers began the match in possession of the ball for the majority of the first 20 minutes. The Illini backline held strong despite five corner kicks and ten shot attempts from the Scarlet Knights. Cili grabbed five saves in the opening 20 minutes of the match, and the Illini defense was able to defend away the six other chances to keep Rutgers off the board.
Illinois found their first chance in the 20th minute, with Stephens sending a shot wide right of the net and missing another chance above the goal four minutes later. After a Maggie Hillman shot was blocked, the Illini earned their first corner kick of the match in the 26th minute.
The Orange and Blue followed up the corner kick with chances from Kendra Pasquale and Makena Silber, but Illinois was unable to find the back of the net.
The Illini went back on the defensive, pushing three shots past the net before the Scarlet Knights found the back of the net off the foot of Lowery.
The Illini responded to the opening goal of the match with an aggressive offensive attack, finding chances from Stephens and senior Ashleigh Lefevre but were unable to find the equalizer. After Rutgers missed three chances wide of the net, the two teams went into the locker room with the Scarlet Knights holding a 1-0 lead.
Rutgers again started the second half on the offensive, but the Illini defense again responded to keep Rutgers off the board after four chances were saved by Jackson and three shots were defended away.
Rutgers found their second goal of the match in the 56th minute from the foot of Ali, who followed up the goal by finding the net again in the 61st minute to put the Scarlet Knights up 3-0.
In the 68th minute, Pasquale found a chance on goal for the Illini that was snagged by the Rutgers keeper. The defense again shut down the aggressive attack by Rutgers, with Jackson grabbing another three saves. A chance in the 90th minute from Makala Woods was blocked by Rutgers, and the match ended with Rutgers walking away with the 3-0 win.
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