After a rough two-game stretch against Nebraska and No. 20 Ohio State, Illinois soccer managed to avoid defeat against Wisconsin on Thursday night. The Illini made the trip up to Madison and left with a point to show for it, thanks in large part to another strong performance from junior goalkeeper Julia Cili.

The match kicked off with a defensive approach to the game from Illinois. Aside from a shot by junior forward Julia Eichenbaum in the fifth minute, the Illini did not have any attempts after the first 45 minutes of play. Wisconsin had numerous chances but could not break the visitors’ backline.

The Illini had a scare in the 41st minute as the Badgers came close to breaking the deadlock. A corner kick was met by the Badgers but cleared off the line by redshirt junior forward Ashley Prell, before another attempt was saved at point-blank range by Cili

Cili came up big once again in the 44th minute, after a cross into the box by Wisconsin. Riley Philbin volleyed the shot towards the top right corner, only to have the chance saved following a diving save by Cili.

The halftime score read 0-0, with Illinois’ defensive efforts thwarting any goals for the home side.

Coming out of the break, the Badgers were denied yet again by Cili, this time in the 52nd minute. The junior showcased quick reflexes to deflect a powerful shot by Claire Odmark away from the near post.

The best chance of the night for Illinois came in the 65th minute. After earning a free kick from well outside the area, the Illini pulled off a tricky set-piece routine that resulted in redshirt senior midfielder Kendra Pasquale firing a rocket that sailed just over the crossbar.

Three minutes later, Eichenbaum found space following some quick cuts and sent a dangerous shot towards the Badgers’ net, only to be tipped over the bar at the last second.

Neither team were able to find a game-winner, with the match ending scoreless in Madison. Final score: Illinois 0, Wisconsin 0.

While not the most exciting of results, Illinois’ draw with Wisconsin was earned. The Badgers have been strong in 2022 and the Illini certainly came into the game as the underdogs. While there were no significant offensive highlights for Illinois, there were plenty of defensive highlights, particularly for its goalkeeper.

Cili pulled off eight saves on Thursday night to keep the Illini level. The junior has been one of the team’s top performers in 2022, and is one of the best keepers in the Big Ten. Cili averages an impressive 5.71 in 17 matches played this season.

The Illini have only one remaining match in the regular season. Despite the conference campaign not going as planned, the team still has a chance to finish on a high note.

Illinois (7-7-3 overall, 2-5-2 B1G) will close out Big Ten play on Sunday, as it welcomes Minnesota (8-7-2 overall, 4-4-1 B1G) for a 1 p.m. kickoff in Champaign.

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