CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois soccer team is set to open the 2023 season at Demirjian Park with the season and home opener vs. Loyola on Thursday, with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. CT.
The 2023 season marks the 27th season of Illinois soccer, with the Illini holding an overall record of 277-209-43 (.564), and the 22nd season under the leadership of head coach Janet Rayfield.
Admission is free to all home Illinois soccer matches, with spectator parking available in the Atkins Tennis Center parking lot and the grass lots just east of the soccer practice field.
Promotions
Thursday, Aug. 17 vs. Loyola | 7 p.m. CT
Home Opener – Illinois soccer opens its 27th season with its season and home opener on Thursday Night.
Illini Hour – Get to Demirjian Park early for Illini Hour from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. for $5 drink specials.
Last Time Out
The Illini earned a pair of exhibition wins during the preseason, starting things off with a 3-0 win over SEMO on August 6, before taking a 2-0 victory over Illinois State in Normal, Ill.
Scouting Loyola
The Illini lead in the all-time series with the Ramblers, 4-0-1, including a 3-0-1 mark in Champaign. The two teams played to a 1-1 draw last season on Sept. 11.
Loyola, is coming off of a 8-8-3 season, including a 4-5-1 mark in its inaugural season in the Atlantic 10. The Ramblers were picked to finish fifth in the A10 this season.
2022 Illini Notes
- Illinois finished the 2022 season with a 7-7-4 overall record and a 2-5-3 Big Ten record. Illinois also finished with a 4-4-3 record at Demirjian Park and a 3-3-1 record on the road.
- Kendra Pasquale led the Illini with five goals scored on the season, which included the second-fastest goal in program history, scoring in just 15 seconds at Purdue...Pasquale also led the squad with 11 points on the season.
- Goalkeeper Julia Cili made 13 saves at Notre Dame, setting a career high. She became the seventh keeper in program history to record at least 13 saves in a single match. Cili led all Big Ten keepers with 99 saves on the season, which was the fourth-most saves in a single season in program history.
- The victory over No. 17 Butler on Aug. 25 was Illinois' first win over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 22 Pepperdine on Aug. 30, 2019. The Illini handed the Bulldogs, which at the time, was just their fourth loss at Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl since 2017.
- For the fourth-straight season, the Illinois soccer team opened the year with a victory as the Illini posted a 1-0 win over Illinois State in the season opener on Aug. 18 at Demirjian Park.Â
- Freshman Sarah Foley had an impressive debut for Illinois as she scored her first collegiate goal just 30 seconds after subbing into Illinois'Â 4-1 win over Toledo on Aug. 21. She also added an assist later in the match for a total of three points on the day. She tallied six shots, with three on goal in her first collegiate match.
Illini Trio Named to Big Ten Players to Watch List
The Big Ten announced its Women's Soccer Preseason Players to Watch List on Tuesday, with seniors Kennedy Berschel and Makala Woods along with junior Ella Karolak representing the Illini.
A midfielder from Bensenville, Ill., Berschel played in all 18 matches, starting 14, last season for the Illini and was one of nine outfield players to log over 1000 minutes during the campaign. Berschel is also coming off a season in which she scored the first goal and registered the first assist in her collegiate career.
Woods, a senior forward from Monroe, Ohio, also featured in all 18 matches last season, scoring a career-high three goals. Woods found the back of the net twice in the final four games of the 2022, including a spectacular solo effort in the season finale vs. Minnesota.
A mainstay in the Illinois backline, Karolak started all 18 matches for the Illini last season, the only outfield player to do so. The defender from Grosse Pointe, Mich., who was named the team's Defensive MVP in 2022, helped the Orange and Blue keep four clean sheets during the season.
Illini Roster Features Three Newcomers
The Fighting Illini soccer program and head coach Janet Rayfield will welcome three newcomers, including two freshmen to the 2023 roster. The freshmen include defender Mya Archibald and midfielder Sophia Wampler. Bel Rolley also joins the Orange and Blue as a graduate transfer from Oregon.
Archibald joins the Illini following a summer that featured her representing Canada at the U-17 level at two international competitions. She made seven appearances and five starts at the CONCACAF U-17 Women's Championship, helping Canada to a bronze medal finish, and two starts at the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.
Not only is Archibald a budding star at the international level, she is a decorated track and field athlete. She was a 2022 provincial gold medalist in the 400m and long jump while capturing a silver medal in the 200m. Archibald was the 2019 U-16 Athlete of the Year for Athletics in Nova Scotia after becoming a national champion at high jump.
Wampler joins the Illini bringing a wealth of international experience to Demirjian Park. She was called up to train with Peru's U-17 in the winter of 2021 as it prepared for the 2022 South American Championships and has also previously trained with the federation's U-15 squad.
Wampler played her club soccer for both the Kings Hammer Academy and Cincinnati United Premier, helping her Kings Hammer Academy squad to a 2018 USYSA Region II title and national runners-up honors.
The Cincinnati native was simply dominant in her lone season at St. Ursula Academy, scoring 12 goals and adding nine assists in 19 games in the 2022 season. Wampler was named a Cincinnati Enquirer Division I First-Team All-Star, Division I First-Team All-Southwest Ohio, First-Team Greater Girls Catholic League All-Conference and was selected to play in the Cincinnati All-Star Game.Â
Next Up
The Illini embark on their first road trip of the season with a two-match swing against Xavier on Aug. 24 and Dayton on Aug. 27. Kickoffs are set for 6 p.m. CT and 12 p.m. CT respectively.
