The story of the season thus far for the Illini soccer team has been its scoring attack. This weekend, the Illini got six goals from four different players en route to two victories, besting Southeast Missouri State 2-0 on Friday, and Evansville 4-0 on Sunday.

At the beginning of the season, one of the team’s goals was to diversify its scoring attack. Last season, the Illini primarily relied on three players’ scoring. Senior forward Tara Hurless, with 13 goals, sophomore forward Jessica Bayne, with seven goals, and senior forward Andrea Ridgeway, with five goals, were the only Illini players to record more than two goals last fall.

This season, it will be harder to key on those three. In Illinois’ first three games, eight different players accounted for 10 goals. Ridgeway, Hurless, Bayne, junior midfielder Laura Redmond, senior midfielder Christine Sinak, senior midfielder Alaree Gunville, junior defender Christen Karniski and freshman forward Ella Masar have all scored. Masar and Bayne lead the team with two goals apiece.

“It’s very nice when we can spread the goal scoring out,” Illinois head coach Janet Rayfield said. “To get 10 goals from eight different players shows that it has been a team attack.”

The Illini are not only getting different players involved in the scoring attack, but also getting different positions involved. The Illini have scored four goals outside the forward position this fall.

“The midfielders and forwards want to see who can get the most goals between them,” Redmond said. “It’s all friendly though. Scoring goals for the team is what it’s all about. If we get more goals from other areas than our forwards, that will help our team out a lot.”

Rayfield still believes the offense could improve.

“We still need to do a better job finishing opportunities,” Rayfield said. “We are creating plenty of opportunities; we just aren’t putting them all in.”

In the first half of the Evansville game on Sunday, the Illini recorded 10 shots but only came away with one goal.

“In that first half, we had plenty of opportunities to put them away early,” Rayfield said. “I think we need to develop some more sense of urgency early in games, rather than later in the game. We did do a lot better job in the second half; scoring three goals, improving our percentage of goals to shots.”

Another concern for the Illini is clearing the ball on the defensive end. Despite shutting out both Southeast Missouri State and Evansville, the Illini are letting too many balls bounce in their own zone.

“When we go up against the tougher Big Ten opponents, we need to be clearing the ball better if we are going to be successful,” Rayfield said. “We cannot allow the tougher teams those opportunities because they will capitalize.”

Overall, the team was pleased to come back to Champaign with two victories.

“It was a great weekend,” Rayfield said. “Any time you can record two shutouts on the road, it’s a good thing. One of our goals was to play well on the road and this was a good start.”

The Illini return to action on Friday against Wright State in the “Clash of the Conferences” Tournament in West Lafayette, Ind. The Illini conclude tournament play on Sunday against Miami (Ohio).