CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – [9] Illinois is set to face [8] Ohio State in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday (Oct. 30) at 3:30 p.m. CT at Folk Field in West Lafayette, Ind.
Illinois is back in the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2020 under first year head coach Katie Hultin. The Illini are seeking their first Big Ten Tournament win since 2018 when they defeated Wisconsin in PKs on Oct. 28.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Ohio State leads the all-time series with 15 wins to 9 losses, with 4 draws. Their last meeting came a little over a month ago on Sept. 28th this season which resulted in a 3-0 win for Ohio State in Champaign.
Ohio State brings a well-established program foundation under head coach Lori Walker-Hock, and they are typically strong in postseason settings. Their roster includes veteran talent in senior goalkeeper Molly Pritchard and senior forward Ella Giannola, among others. They have demonstrated the ability to generate offense and defend effectively in Big Ten play.
In a tournament setting, Ohio State will aim to lean on their experience and depth. They will likely pressure Illinois early, seek to control possession in key moments, and capitalize on set-pieces or transitional opportunities. Their historical success in this series provides a psychological edge. Ohio State has been efficient on the attack when given chances, and Illinois must stay compact defensively, manage transitions carefully, and aim to keep Ohio State off the scoreboard early to build momentum.
NOTES
- Illinois has two top-10 point scores in the Big Ten with Sarah Foley and Cayla Jackson tied for eighth (17 points).
- Illinois scored 28 goals throughout the season which was the fourth most in the Big Ten.
- The Illini have eclipsed 12 wins in a season for the first time since 2011 (17 wins).
- Only two teams in top 100 RPI played 11 road games being Illinois and Weber State.
- Illinois is 1-of-12 teams in all Division IÂ soccer with 11 or more away matches carrying a 7-3-1 record in those outings.
- Out of those 12 teams only Illinois (7-3-1), Weber State (6-4-1) and North Dakota (6-3-2) have winning records.
- The Illini's seven road wins are the most in the nation tied with Texas Tech, Saint Louis, Ball State, Dayton and TCU.
- 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 18 appearances, making 102 saves across those 18 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.
- Her 102 saves are a new single season career high and the fourth most in program history.
- She became the first Illinois keeper to make 100+ saves in a season in 12 years since Claire Wheatley had 101 in 2013.
- She's the fifth Illini keeper to make 100+ saves in 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 fifth most in the conference and her seven goals on the year are the eighth 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 seven goals and three assists for 17 points on the season to tie Foley for the team lead in points and goals.
- She also has three game winners on the year as well also 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 for the third most on the team Â
- 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 and seven assists 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.
