Illini Lead Early, Drop Road Match at Indiana

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – An early afternoon conference match in IU's Bill Armstrong Stadium saw the Fighting Illini soccer team take an early lead, before ultimately falling to the host Hoosiers, 2-1.

Illinois (4-6-0, 0-3-0 B1G) was led by a seventh-minute goal by redshirt junior Kendra Pasquale, who took both of Illinois' two shots-on-goal this afternoon. Indiana (8-2-1, 2-1-0 B1G) was aided by Paige Webber's 66th-minute equalizer before Melanie Forbes scored the game-winner in the 79^th minute.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Illinois began the game strong, with Naomi Jackson grabbing an early save in the seventh minute of the match. Jackson's distribution started an Illinois possession that would penetrate the Hoosier defense through the midfield and down the right side to find Maeve Jones who drove endline and played a ball across that box that ultimately landed at the feet of Kendra Pasquale who put it past the Hoosier keeper to start the scoring for the Illini.

The Orange and Blue controlled the ball for the majority of the first half, attempting to create chances to add another score, but ultimately produced no shots the rest of the half. Indiana began to respond to the Illini's early goal with chances of their own, producing five shots following the Illini goal. The Illinois defense was there each time to deny the Hoosiers, and the Illini went to the locker room with a 1-0 lead.

Indiana began the second half possessing the ball in their attacking half and looking for the equalizer. But a Jackson save in the 58^th minute denied the Hoosiers of their first chance in the half, and the two teams began trading possession looking for another goal. 

The Hoosiers broke through for the equalizer in the 66^th minute, when Webber's shot from just outside the top center of the box found its way past Jackson to tie the match, 1-1. Illinois responded with two corner kick opportunities in the 77^th minute, resulting in a Maeve Jones shot that was blocked by the Hoosiers.

Indiana found the go-ahead goal in the 79^th minute of the match, with Forbes taking a deep shot around three Illini defenders that took a wild bounce past Jackson and found the back of the net to put the Hoosiers up 2-1.

The Illini found a great corner kick opportunity just four minutes after the Hoosiers' go-ahead goal. Junior Aleah Treiterer sent the ball in to Pasquale who took a dangerous shot in front of the goal that was snagged by the Hoosiers keeper. Illinois kept the fight up in the final ten minutes of the match, attempting to create opportunities for an equalizing goal to send the match to extra time, but were ultimately stopped by the Hoosiers, who held on for the 2-1 victory.

QUOTING COACH RAYFIELD

"This team is capable and for large portions of every game we've played we've shown that. I need to help our players understand what it takes. We need to prepare this team so that they are ready to put together the sort of 90 minute lock-down, collective, consistent and relentless performance from every player that it takes to break through and win tight games. This is the place where you have to believe, you have to keep fighting, and you have to will yourself and your teammates across that thin line between good and great. " 

ILLINOIS NOTES

• Illinois drops to 4-6-0 (0-3-0 B1G) following the loss at Indiana.
• Illinois is now 4-2-0 on the road, including 0-2-0 in road B1G matches, after going a perfect 4-0 on the road during nonconference play.
• Redshirt junior Kendra Pasquale scored her third goal of the season at Indiana. 
• Senior Ashleigh Lefevre played a season-high 21 minutes.
• Freshman Maeve Jones played a career-high 85 minutes.
• Redshirt junior Ashley Cathro played the full 90 minutes at Indiana, extending her streak of playing every minute in each of the team's past seven matches.

UP NEXT 

Illinois will split home and away matches this upcoming weekend, with a trip north to battle in-state rival Northwestern on Thursday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. CT, before a Sunday home match against Maryland on Oct. 3, set for a 1 p.m. CT kickoff at Demirjian Park. Both matches will be streamed on B1G+.