2025 Soccer Roster
Jersey Number 22
Lia Howard
- Position:
- Forward
- Height:
- 5-3
- Class:
- Senior
- High School:
- Massapequa
- Hometown:
- Massapequa, N.Y.
 2025 Big Ten All-Tournament Team |
Senior - 2025
- Big Ten All-Tournament Team
- Appeared in all 21 games, all as a starter.
- Recorded 1515 minutes of action in her senior campaign...season-high 90 minutes on Oct. 30 vs. Ohio State.
- Tallied nine points on the season (4 G, 1 A).
- Fired 30 shots with 13 on goal...her shot on goal percentage of .433 Scored her first goal of the year against Missouri on September 4.
- Had two goals in the big win over Penn Stats on September 25.
- Added another assist in the win over Rutgers on Oct. 9
- Scored the lone and game winning goal against Ohio State on Oct. 30
Junior - 2024
- CSC Academic All-District
- Appeared in 17 matches, making 12 starts.
- Recorded three goals and a tied for the team lead with four assists on the season...all three of her goals came in the 80th minute or later.
- Scored the game-winner in the Illini's 2-1 victory over DePaul in the 83rd minute.
- Assisted on Sarah Foley's winner on Sept. 8 at Mercer.
- Assisted on Kennedy Berschel's second-half equalizer at Purdue on Oct. 6 and later scored the winner in the 83rd minute.
- Assited on another Foley match-winner on Oct. 17 at Indiana.
Sophomore - 2023
- CSC Academic All-District.
- Academic All-Big Ten.
- Played in all 17 matches, making 11 starts...both are career-high marks.
- Logged a career-best 907 minutes of action.
- Led the Illini in goals (5), assists (4), points (14) and game-winning goals (2)...all are also career-best marks.
- Fired 12 of her 20 shots on target (.600).
- Picked up first assist on the season in the opener vs. Loyola on Aug. 17.
- Scored the match-winning goal at No. 17 Xavier on Aug. 24 and bagged another winner at Louisville on Aug. 31.
- Tallied second assist of the season on Sept. 10 vs. Pepperdine.
- Scored her third goal of the season on Oct. 1 at Ohio State.
- Collected third assist of the season on Oct. 8 at Minnesota.
- Picked up a goal and an assist in the Illini's 2-1 victory over Purdue on Oct. 15.
- Scored her fifth goal of the season in the finale on Oct. 22 vs. No. 25 Nebraska.
Freshman - 2022
- Named team's Most Improved Player.
- Appeared in six games, all of the bench.
- Recorded a season-high 31 minutes of action on Oct. 23 vs. Minnesota.
- Made her Illini debut on Aug. 21 vs. Toledo.
- Tallied one shot on Oct. 16 vs. No. 20 Ohio State.
High School/Club
- 2021-22 Gatorade New York Girls Soccer Player of the Year
- Class AA Player of the Year
- Two-time All-State honoree
- Nassau County Player of the Year
- United Soccer Coaches All-American selection
- Helped Massapequa High School to two Nassau County Championship Titles and two Long Island Championship Titles, including a goal and three assists in one playoff game
- Scored 16 goals to go along with 29 assists during her senior season, leading the Chiefs (20-0-1) to the Class AA state championship
- Holds the Massapequa High School season and career assists record with 48 career assists and 27 assists during her senior year
- Illinois hero growing up was Hope Breslin, fellow Massapequa native.
- National Honor Society member
Illinois Soccer I NCAA Tournament Postgame Press Conference vs. Memphis 11/15/25
Monday, November 17
Illinois Soccer I Head Coach Katie Hultin Media Availability Ahead of NCCA Tournament 11/12/25
Wednesday, November 12
After 23 Years, Illinois Soccer Starts a New Chapter
Wednesday, August 06
Meet Katie Hultin: Illinois Soccer’s New Leader
Sunday, June 15
