Fighting Illini Soccer Concludes Regular Season at Michigan

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Fighting Illini soccer team is set for their regular season finale on Sunday (Oct. 26) when they travel to Ann Arbor, Mich. to take on the Wolverines. Kick off is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT

Illinois heads into its last regular season match with a 12-4-1 record on the year with the 12 wins being the most wins the program has seen since the 2011 squad won 17 matches.

SCOUTING MICHIGAN

Michigan holds an 18-10-1 advantage in the all-time series over Illinois. Their record in Ann Arbor against Illinois is 11-2, and their mark in Champaign is 6-6-1.  The most recent meeting between the squads was a victory for Illinois, 2-1, in Champaign on Sept. 24, 2023.

Key players to watch are sophomore forward Elle Ervin who leads Michigan with seven goals and two assists through 17 games this season. Freshman Adi Walick has recorded seven assists and ranks second in the Big Ten in that category. Michigan tends to generate more shots and corner-kick chances in the second half (they've scored 12 of their 17 goals this year after halftime).  They will aim to press in transitions, use their fresh attacking options, and challenge Illinois' defensive structure. Illinois will need to be alert on Michigan's flank and set-piece opportunities.

NOTES

• Illinois has two top-11 point scores in the Big Ten with Sarah Foley in seventh (17 points) and Cayla Jackson in 11th (15 points)
• The Illini have eclipsed 12 wins in a season for the first time since 2011 (17 wins) going 5-1-1 at home, their best won-lost-tied percentage (.786) since that same 2011 team went 10-2-1 (.808)
• Head coach Katie Hultin recorded the best start in program history at 7-0-1 through eight matches and extended it to 9-1-1 through 11 matches.
  • She's the only head coach in program history to win her first seven games in her debut season and not concede a match in her first nine games.
  • She earned her first ranked win against No. 18 Penn State on Sept. 25.
• Izzy Lee has posted nine clean sheets this season in 17 appearances, making 95 saves across those 17 games.
  • She has 14 career shutouts and continues to build on her single-season shutouts career high.
  • Her nine shutouts are now tied for fourth most in program history for a single season.
  • She leads the Big Ten with those nine shutouts and set a new single game career high with 10 saves against No. 18 Penn State on Sept. 25.
  • She's three saves away from setting a new single season career high in total saves and five saves away from being the fifth Illini keeper in program history to make 100 saves in a season.
• Sarah Foley leads the team in goals (seven) and points (17). She recorded her first career hat trick against Valparaiso on Sept. 7.
  • She's the first Illini to have a hat trick since Hope Breslin in 2021.
  • She has three game winners on the season which is the third most in the conference and her seven goals on the year are the sixth most in the Big Ten.
  • Her two assists in the match against Maryland on Oct. 5 was a new single game career high for her.
• Cayla Jackson has six goals and three assists for 15 points on the season.
  • She also has three game winners on the year as well tying Foley for the team lead.
• Emma Yee registered her first career brace against Valparaiso on Sept. 7 and has six goals on the season to tie Jackson for the second most on the team.
  • Her 13 points on the season are the third most on the team.
  • She also has two game winning goals, the second most on the squad.
• Lia Howard recorded her first career brace against No. 18 Penn State on Sept. 25; she now has three goals on the season which is the fourth most on the team.
• Ashley Stellon's four assists lead the team.
• Sydney Stephens has three goals and an assist on the year for seven points which ranks fourth on the team.
  • She netted the game winner against Rutgers on Oct. 9, her second on the season which is tied for the second most on the team.
• Freshman Ashlyn Adams dished out two assists in the win against No. 18 Penn State on Sept. 25, she now has three on the season which is the second most on the team.
• Freshman Kyra Berman recorded her first career assist against DePaul on Aug. 28.