CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois soccer team celebrated senior day with a dominating performance against Toledo, earning a 4-1 victory on Sunday (Aug. 21) afternoon at Demirjian Park.
Illinois (2-0-0) celebrated the careers of seven Illini seniors, including Eileen Murphy, Peyton Willie, Ashley Prell, Aleah Treiterer, Kendra Pasquale, Lilian Lucas and Summer Garrison, in a pre-match ceremony.
"I told our senior group before the game started that they each have a unique quality they have given to us and collectively, the most important thing is while they are a really good group of soccer players, they are also really great humans," said head coach Janet Rayfield. "They are writing this last chapter of their soccer careers, but what I think is going to be exciting is the chapters they are going to write after this when they go out and really make a difference in the world."
"Today I thought we did some great things in front of the goal, with four different contributors in terms of scoring goals and we have to continue to do that. I thought we probably finished our chances a little bit better today than on Thursday and that certainly has us heading in the right direction."
The Illini started off the match with high pressure against the Rockets (0-1-1) and earned the team's first scoring opportunity just five minutes into the contest as a header from sophomore Maeve Jones off of redshirt-senior Ashley Cathro's service went just wide. Illinois controlled much of the midfield in the opening period, with that hard work paying off as freshman Sarah Foley broke through for the first goal of the match in the 19th minute. Following an Illini throw-in, Cathro served up another great cross from the left flank, finding Foley's head as the freshman finished into the back of the net. Foley, who had just subbed in 30 seconds prior, was also making her Illini debut and notched her first collegiate goal on the play.
From there, the Illini continued to hold much of the possession, pressing for a second score as Foley and Garrison each had scoring opportunities just minutes after the goal, and entered halftime with the 1-0 lead.
It was all Illini to start the second half as Pasquale made it 2-0 in favor of the Illini with her first goal of the season and 12th of her career in the 54th minute as Prell sent a ball across the box from the left side that was flicked on by Foley and buried into the goal by Pasquale at the six-yard box.
Just eight minutes later junior Makala Woods registered her first career goal for the 3-0 lead in the 62nd minute as sophomore Ella Karolak lifted a service over the Toledo backline to Woods, who fought off her defender and finished into the lower left corner of the goal.
The Rockets answered back with a score of their own in the 63rd minute as a blocked clearance in the Illini box allowed Morgan Otteson to finish a ball into the net to cut the Illini lead to 3-1.
With the clock continuing to count down, the Rockets pushed for another score as the game became more back-and-forth through the midfield. Sophomore Maddie Mariani then sealed the match for the Illini with her first collegiate goal as she served up a chip from the right flank that floated over Toledo goalkeeper Karson Hill and into the upper left corner in the 81st minute for the 4-1 Illini advantage.
The Illini finished with 16 shots to the Rockets' seven, with a 9-2 advantage in shots on goal. Foley and junior Kennedy Berschel led the Illini with three shots each, while junior goalkeeper Julia Cili notched three saves in goal in the win.
Next Up
The Illini next head on the road for the first time during the 2022 season, traveling to Indianapolis, Ind., for a 7 p.m. CT match at Butler on Thursday, Aug. 25, before taking on Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., on Sunday, Aug. 28 at 3 p.m. CT.
