There was a noticeable lack of energy on the Illini soccer team’s part Thursday evening, and the team’s play suffered as a result. The Illini dropped a 1-0 match to Iowa, who was previously winless in the Big Ten.

Junior defender Hope D’Addario was able to find the net in the loss, but she put it past her own goalkeeper, Claire Wheatley, instead of into the Hawkeyes’ net.

D’Addario was attempting to clear a ball that deflected off of Illinois’ post after an Iowa strike, but she reacted late and the ball bounced off of her leg and into the net.

Illinois’ own-goal was the only score of the game for either team. The loss had serious implications in the Big Ten standings.

Ohio State moved ahead of Illinois in the Big Ten standings, bumping Illinois to ninth – only eight teams make the Big Ten tournament.

Fast forward to Sunday: the Illini came out with a renewed energy and sense of urgency, knowing that a loss to Nebraska would potentially put their tournament hopes to an end.

It was only fitting that Nebraska sat one spot behind Illinois in the standings heading into the matchup. Illinois was looking to avoid further falling in the standings, while Nebraska aimed to climb up them.

The Cornhuskers matched the Illini’s high energy and while the two teams combined for six shots in the first half, neither side scored.

Illinois came out firing in the second half and overwhelmed Nebraska.

In the 57th minute of play, Illinois defender Sarah Warren executed a pinpoint lobbed ball over the heads of the Cornhusker defense and found forward Kara Marbury.

Marbury floated a header of her own over the reach of Nebraska goaltender Erika Johnson and straight into the upper right corner of the net.

The Illini amped up their energy level even more following Marbury’s goal, as the team was determined to put the game out of reach.

Marbury struck again five minutes later for Illinois, after midfielder Allison Stucky fired a cross in from eighteen yards out. Stucky’s ball found Marbury on the left side just in front of the goal, and the sophomore sent it rocketing into the net.

The Illini fed off of the newly found momentum and continued to pour it on.

In the 65th minute, midfielder/forward Katherine Ratz scored after a touch pass from Taylore Peterson inside the box, stretching Illinois’ lead to three.

Nebraska was able to shrink the Illini’s lead back to two in the 82nd minute after Nebraska forward Haley Hanson booted in a strike from 25 yards out, but the score stayed put for the remainder of the match.

“Both Sarah (Warren) and Allison (Stucky) played perfect balls over the back of (Nebraska’s) line,” Marbury said of her goals. “I think they saw me there, and I just happened to get my head on the end of it.”

Marbury attributed the team’s success Sunday to a light-hearted change in coaching philosophy. After the Illini’s loss last Thursday, Rayfield reminded her team to have fun, live in the moment and enjoy its season.

“It’s letting go of the things you want in order to get them,” Rayfield said. “We should play like we did at the beginning of the season, and play just because we love to play.”

With her team’s fate unknown at this point, Rayfield is keeping her message short: “Just go for it.”

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