Illinois soccer will be traveling to Northwestern on Thursday with some wind in its sails after picking up its first conference victory of the season. In search of their sixth overall win of 2023, the Illini are preparing for a Wildcats team that currently holds a 72.7% win percentage this year.
The squad showed their grit against No. 19 Michigan on Sunday, pulling off a 2-1 upset for their second ranked victory of the season. The Illini outdueled the Wolverines in a match that demonstrated the team’s ability to compete in the Big Ten, something they’ve struggled to do over the past few years.
“Now you have to show that kind of performance on a consistent basis,” said head coach Janet Rayfield following the win over Michigan. “We challenged them to do that in the second half. I think when a team’s behind they come out and do different things and we certainly battled that, but we’ve got to come back out on Thursday on the road now and play that exact same kind of soccer.”
Putting together two complete halves is easier said than done, and it’s something the Illini have strived to do. The momentum of Sunday will undoubtedly be fueling the squad as they travel to Evanston, but the trick will be maintaining focus against a Northwestern team that holds a 7-2-2 overall record. However, the Wildcats haven’t enjoyed the strongest start to Big Ten play, having won their conference opener against the Purdue Boilermakers before dropping their next two matches against the Wolverines and the Indiana Hoosiers.
The last meeting between Illinois and Northwestern took place last season in Champaign, where the then No. 8 ranked Wildcats dominated the Illini in a 4-0 drumming. The Illini will be looking for revenge against their in-state rivals, this time having to compete in front of a sea of purple.
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One area of concern that Illinois will need to watch for is Northwestern’s attack. While the Wildcats are currently on a two-game losing streak, they’ve won games by pretty significant margins this season. Some of these results include a season opening 4-0 victory over Marquette, a 7-0 annihilation of Oakland and a 4-1 win over Weber State. The Wildcats know how to put the ball in the back of the net, but luckily for the visiting Illini know how to stop it.
Senior goalkeeper Julia Cili has been one of the top performers for Illinois this season and showed it again against No. 19 Michigan on Sunday. Cili stopped four of the Wolverines’ five shots on target to help secure the win, continuing to prove her status as one of the top goalkeepers in the Big Ten.
Illinois (5-3-2 overall, 1-1-1 conference) will kickoff in Evanston against Northwestern (7-2-2, 1-2-0 conference) at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday. With a first Big Ten win under their belts, the Illini will be traveling north looking to build a win streak.
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