Saturday was a great day to be an Illinois soccer fan, as the team took down both Illinois State and Indiana in exhibition matches at Demirjian Park. The Illini did much more than just survive the doubleheader day, instead dominating it. Illinois outscored its opponents by a combined 6-1 and saw strong performances throughout the afternoon.

The first match against ISU kicked off at noon, and within ten minutes Illinois gained the lead. It was sophomore forward Julia Eichenbaum to finish for the Illini, assisted by junior forward Ashley Prell. From this point forward the match evened out, with both teams having their share of possession and chances. The Redbirds pressed high but the Illini managed to play out of the pressure. Illinois in particular had a couple of chances that nearly went in, only to either barely miss or force a top save out of ISU’s goalkeeper. The Illini were unlucky to head into the break only up by one but had the advantage regardless. Halftime score: Illinois 1-0 Illinois State.

Instead of choosing to sit back and defend the one-goal lead, the Illini came out firing in the second half. The team pressed high early and was even more aggressive than in the first half. The Redbirds were clearly caught off guard by the increased pace of the Illini and quickly went into survival mode as the Illini fired chance after chance on goal. The high press that ISU utilized in the first half vanished as Illinois gained momentum. Sure enough, the Illini’s second goal came in the form of a through ball to sophomore forward Makala Woods, who dribbled into the box and finished from close range. Illinois 2-0 Illinois State.

The Redbirds never managed to truly match the intensity of the Illini during the second half. Illinois gained full control of the game, retaining the ball, combining well and setting up chances for teammates. Despite the increasing lead, the Illini did not back down and kept searching for more goals. Soon enough, Woods found herself through on the left wing before delivering a beautiful cross into the box that was finished off by senior defender Ashleigh Lefevre for the third goal of the game. The Illini cruised past the Redbirds and never looked to be in any real trouble over the course of the match. Final score: Illinois 3, Illinois State 0.

After a little over an hour break, Illinois prepared for a 3 p.m. kickoff against Big Ten rivals Indiana. The Illini started off hot, pressing high and forcing the Hoosiers backline to clear the ball on numerous occasions. However, this momentum began to wear off following an injury to senior forward Makena Silber, who did not return to the game.

While Indiana put up a stronger fight than ISU, Illinois managed to keep pushing and eventually found a lucky break. A fumbling of the ball from the Hoosier goalkeeper saw it land to sophomore defender Joanna Verzosa-Dolezal, who composed herself and drove the ball low and into the bottom left corner to break the deadlock. Illinois 1-0 Indiana heading into halftime.

Both teams continued to share possession and had opportunities. A highlight of the afternoon for the Illini was freshman goalkeeper Naomi Jackson, who had numerous key saves in both the match against ISU and against Indiana.

An Illini counter attack saw the team through on goal, firing off multiple close-ranged shots in the span of seconds. The ball deflected high in the air before landing to freshman forward Maeve Jones, who dealt with the awkward falling ball well. The forward managed a first time finish, lobbing the ball into the far post side of the goal for the Illini’s second of the match. Illinois 2-0 Indiana.

Jones wasn’t finished, however, and approximately 15 minutes later scored her second goal of the match. Another through ball to Woods saw the forward fire a low shot on goal from the left wing, which Indiana’s keeper managed to save. However, the ball then fell to the middle of the box and Jones was there to rifle the ball into the roof of the net. Illinois 3-0 Indiana.

The match appeared well and truly over, which it was, but Indiana didn’t back down and snagged a goal with 13 seconds left. A through ball past the Illini backline saw the Hoosiers one on one with Jackson, who was unable to make the difficult save. The Hoosiers slotted the ball into the left corner for their one and only goal of the match. Despite putting themselves on the board, Indiana were out of time as Illinois claimed its second victory of the day. Final score: Illinois 3, Indiana 1.

The Illini are undefeated in their spring exhibition matches and have performed well in their first matches at Demirjian Park since the end of the regular season last fall. Illinois soccer will be back in action for its final friendly on April 30, where it will take on Saint Louis at 2 p.m.

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