While Illinois’ soccer head coach Janet Rayfield will bring back an experienced roster this season with seven starters from last year, someone will be missing from the front line: the program’s all-time leading scorer, graduated senior Janelle Flaws.

After missing the 2012 season due to a medical redshirt, she led the team every season since in every major offensive statistic. Last year, Flaws put 40 shots on goal, more than double the next player on the roster. She’s been the goal scoring leader for the last three seasons by an average of more than 10 goals. Flaws cemented her Illini legacy last August, becoming the Illini’s career goal leader.

Those aren’t easy shoes to fill for the offense, but there are a number of options for the Illini attack. Junior Kara Marbury looks poised to ascend to the Illini’s new No. 1 offensive option. She was the Illini’s No. 2 goal leader last year, making a jump from her freshman year when she ranked No. 3, putting up 10 more points and 15 more shots.

Another option up front is incoming freshman Kelly Maday. Maday is the Illinois High School Gatorade Player of the Year and is coming off leading New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, to a third-straight state championship.

While the team will be looking for scoring threats, there should be no lack of senior leadership, with 11 players taking on their final season.

Senior goalkeeper Claire Wheatley is one of the most decorated players on the roster. She has started in the net for the Illini since her freshman year and has the second most saves in school history. Wheatley is one of five players to start every game last season for the Illini, along with Flaws, senior midfielders Taylore Peterson and Allison Stucky and senior defender Hope D’Addario.

“This might be the deepest roster we have had here at Illinois,” head coach Janet Rayfield said in a statement. “I think fans are going to notice a lot of growth among some of our returners, led by a great group of seniors.”

The experience will be important for the Illini as they navigate a challenging Big Ten schedule, facing some of the conference’s top teams on the road. The toughest stretch comes in back-to-back weekends in late September, when the Illini travel to take on preseason No. 10 Rutgers and No. 2 Penn State.

Three days before facing Rutgers the Illini will also have a rematch at Maryland, the Illini won a two-overtime thriller in their first conference clash last season.

The team will be aiming for its sixth-consecutive appearance in the Big Ten tournament, but they’ll be looking to fare better in the tourney after first round eliminations the last three years. The Illini last won a game in the tournament in 2012, reaching the championship and then losing to Ohio State.

Illinois also hopes to compete for a spot in the NCAA tournament.

They haven’t made the trip since 2013, when Wheatley and the other seniors were freshmen.

After winning an exhibition game against Notre Dame last week, the first real test for the Illini comes Aug. 29 against rival Missouri, with the Illini traveling to Columbia to take on the Tigers.

“We’re putting our players in uncomfortable road conditions right from the beginning and that’s going to be important,” Rayfield said in a statement. “I think our non-conference schedule is really that next step of preparation for a successful season.”

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