Women kick off Big Ten season with Beach Bash

Laura Redmond heads the ball over Illinois State´s Yvonne Northover on Sept. 16. Illinois won 3-0. Austin Happel

Laura Redmond heads the ball over Illinois State´s Yvonne Northover on Sept. 16. Illinois won 3-0. Austin Happel

By Majesh Abraham

There might not be a real beach anywhere near Illinois Soccer Stadium, but the people attending the game tonight will feel like they are at one.

Tonight, the Illinois Soccer Beach Bash takes place when the soccer team takes on Northwestern at 7 p.m. Fans can bring lawn chairs to the game, special concession items will be available, and the Ka Melia Hula Club will perform at halftime. The team will finish the weekend off against No. 19 Wisconsin on Sunday.

The Illini hope to use the festive environment to rebound from a disappointing 2-1 loss to Indiana State last Sunday, a team they expected to dominate. The Illini shutout Illinois State last Friday 3-0 and ended with a non-conference record of 4-2-2.

No. 25 Northwestern (7-1-0) travels to Champaign riding a five game winning streak and looks to prove that its unexpected hot start is not a fluke. The Wildcats have outshot their opponents by a huge margin, 114-69, and have only allowed seven goals on the season.

No. 19 Wisconsin (5-2-2), is the second highest scoring team in the Big Ten, and is widely regarded as the second best team in the Big Ten behind No. 2 Penn State.

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“Both teams pose challenges as far as being a little more athletic than the previous teams” said assistant coach Eric Bell. “It’s conference play, and everybody gets up for conference games. The records get thrown out and we’re very familiar with all the teams in the conference, and we’ll be prepared for everybody.”

The Illini started the season as one of the Big Ten favorites, but inconsistency has cost them a couple of games. The Indiana State game was a perfect example, as the Illini lost with three minutes left to a team they should have beaten.

“It’s a matter of focus that we’ve had or haven’t had in some of the games,” Bell said. “When we’re focused we can play against anybody, and when we’re not, we tend to struggle.”

The Illini were also hit with injuries last weekend, as they lost senior Laura Redmond to a ligament injury in her knee. She is expected to be out for 2-4 weeks. She had two goals on the season, and is tied for the second most points on the team.

Junior Jessica Bayne collided with the Illinois State goalie and was carried off the field with a deep thigh bruise. Bayne is the team leader in assists.

“The knee is fine, and I’m going to play this weekend,” Bayne said. “I’m excited to play in the Beach Bash on Friday. The funny thing is that none of us really knew about it, and we were just told about it. It’ll be great to have a lot of fans this weekend to open up the Big Ten season.”

This is a vital weekend for the team, not only because it opens the Big Ten season, but they are facing two higher ranked teams and these games will test the true caliber of the Illini.

The team had lofty expectations coming into the season, and so far have not lived up to them, dropping out of the NSCAA poll from No. 13. The team can gain positives from their defeat over then-No. 17 ranked Nebraska, and the stellar play of their defense.

“The past couple of games we’ve got a lot of shots off, but couldn’t convert them as much as we needed to,” said freshman defender Emily Zurrer. “We also seem to play well on Friday and are pumped up for those games, and it’s hard to focus on Sunday’s games. That’s definitely one of the things we need to improve on.”

Sophomore goalkeeper Lindsay Cartens has been exceptional, with five shutouts on the season, allowing only four goals. The defense will be looked to carry the team again this weekend, and help the Illini re-establish their position as preseason Big Ten favorites.

“It’s a matter of being consistent on a game in and game out basis,” Bell said. “We’re getting close to it. Hopefully this weekend we’ll be able to show what we’re made of. This is the second half of the season and everything is on the line. We’re going to come out ready to play and try to win a Big Ten title.”

Austin Happel The Daily Illini

Laura Redmond heads the ball over Illinois State’s Yvonne Northover on Sept. 16. Illinois won 3-0.