University of Illinois
Iowa
Illini Soccer Travels to Iowa City
September 15, 2026 | Soccer
PREVIEW
| WEEK 6: Illinois (3-1-4, 0-1-1 B1G) at Iowa (5-2-2, 0-1-1 B1G) | |
|---|---|
| Match 9: Iowa | Friday, Sept. 18 // 5 p.m. CT // Iowa City, Iowa // Iowa Soccer Complex |
| Watch | B1G+ |
| Live Stats | StatBroadcast |
| Notes | Illinois // Iowa |
| Shop | Online Store |
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois soccer team is set for its first Big Ten road trip of the season to Iowa City, Iowa on Friday (Sept. 18) to take on Iowa at 5 p.m. CT.
The Illini are coming off two Big Ten matches with a scoreless draw on Thursday against No. 14 Wisconsin and dropped their first match of the year on Sunday, 2-0 to Michigan.
SCOUTING IOWA
The Hawkeyes are 5-2-2 on the season with four shut out wins, one scoring 7 unanswered goals during their season opener against Milwaukee on Aug. 12 and following that with another 5 unanswered goals in their matchup with Loyola Chicago on Aug. 15. More recently the Hawkeyes tied Nebraska in a 0-0 shutout on Sept. 13 in Iowa City.
The Illini currently have the lead in the two squads' all-time series with their record being 15-12-3 dating back to Sept. 19, 1997, with Illinois falling to Iowa 0-2 in Iowa City. The most recent meeting also resulted in 1-2 loss for the Illini on Sept. 22, 2024. Illinois last beat Iowa on Feb. 25, 2021 in a 3-0 shutout in Champaign.
ILLINOIS NOTES
- Katie Hultin is the only head coach in program history to remain unbeaten through her first seven matches in her first two seasons.
- Only head coach in program history to not lose a regular season nonconference match in her first two seasons.
- Izzy Lee has made 30 saves with a Big Ten leading (number three national) five clean sheets so far this season.
- She was named Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week on Aug. 18, the first Illini keeper to earn this distinction since Sami Sample (March 16, 2021).
- Made a season-high nine saves against Virginia Tech on Sept. 6.
- Named Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week on Sept. 8.
- Cayla Jackson has three goals and an assist on the season to lead the team in points with seven.
- Ashlyn Adams leads the team in assists with three which ranks sixth in the Big Ten.
- Alyssa White has the second most assists on the team with two, both of them coming on Cayla Jackson goals.
- Hedda Ornberg has two goals and an assist on the year to have the second most points on the team with five.
- She leads the Big Ten in shot accuracy (.647).
- She scored the game winner against Cincinnati for her first goal as an Illini off the assists from Adams and Jackson.
- Ryleigh Wood scored her first career goal as an Illini in the 1-0 victory against Virginia Tech on Sept. 6.
- Ava Arengo and Gabriella Garcia-Terrell assisted on Wood's goal to both earn their first points as Illini.
- Sutton Webb named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 8, first Illini to earn the distinction since Claire Wheatley on Oct. 11, 2016.
- Six new faces made their Illini debuts in the home opener against Georgia: Ava Arengo, Gabriella Garcia-Terrell, Kylie Marschall, Sophia McMillan, Hedda Ornberg and Alyssa White. While Abby Anderson and Avia Hughes made their debuts against UIC. Presli Houk made her Illini debut against Saint Louis and Ashleigh Vizek made her debut against Western Michigan.
- The 2026 Illini soccer season (3-1-4) is the only season in the program's history to have three ties in any four-match span. They've now tied the program record for draws in a season with four which is the third time in school history it's happened (2026, 2022, 2012).
- The shutout of UIC on Aug. 23 was the 100th home shutout in Illinois soccer history.
- Illinois begins the season ranked No. 9 in the Big Ten Preseason Poll, up from No. 15 to start last season.
