A close matchup between Nebraska (4-6-0, 1-3-0) and Illinois (4-5-2, 0-3-1) pushed on Thursday night resulted in a narrow 1-0 win for Nebraska. The Illini haven’t won their last four matches, while the Cornhuskers ended a four-game drought of their own.
Illinois defended well, especially in the first 20 minutes of gameplay. Neither team was able to get a shot off early. However, up top, the Illini struggled to connect offensively. Illinois ended the first half with zero shots on Nebraska’s senior keeper Samantha Hauk.
Nebraska dominated the end of the opening in all areas, notably in possession, shots and corner kicks. Senior midfielder and forward Sarah Weber led her team in shots, taking five with three on target.
Weber put the pressure on Illinois redshirt sophomore keeper Izzy Lee early on, taking her first shot only eight minutes into the game. Midway through the half, Weber had an impressive five-minute stint. She took three shots, sending one wide but placed the other two low and on target for Lee to jump on and save.
Weber came back in the second half carrying that same intensity and ended the game with 10 shots taken. Four of her shots were on target, including her team’s sole goal. Thirteen minutes into the second half, junior defender Lauryn Anglim took a corner, sending the ball to Weber, who netted it in the top of the goal. The Illinois defense struggled to guard her all night, and it finally burned them.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
Another notable Husker in this game was junior midfielder Sadie Waite. Waite took three shots in the first half, with one on target. Waite started the second half and challenged Lee two more times, putting one on target but could not put it past the Illinois goalie.
Lee made nine stops on the line, tying her career-high number of saves in this game. Six of those saves came from the second half. Despite all her hard work, the rest of the team struggled to muster any results.
Illinois’ offense did appear revitalized in the second half. Collectively, seven shots were taken, finally giving Hauk a challenge. However, only two were placed on target, one by junior forward Sarah Foley and the second by redshirt freshman midfielder Ashley Stellon. The other seven were all uncompetitive tries.
Three looks at equalizers in the final 10 minutes from the Illini failed. Junior defender Ellen Persson got off her third shot of the season in the 88th minute but was unable to find the net. Foley, and freshman midfielder and forward Lauren Seppi, also placed shots, but it amounted to nothing.
It was a hard-fought game by both sides, but Nebraska came out on top. Illinois continues its hunt for a conference win at home on Sunday against Maryland in their Women’s Empowerment Match.
