On Saturday, the Illini (3-0-1) go up against the Kentucky Wildcats (4-0-0) in the team’s fifth home game this season, closing out a five-game homestand before hitting the road. The Illini are coming off a 4-0 win over the Illinois State Redbirds and will have to fight hard against the Wildcats to continue their no-loss start to the 2024 season.
Illinois has an all-time record of 0-2-0 against Kentucky but Saturday is the first time the two will meet in Champaign. A bit of home-field advantage may prove to be a turning point as the Illini look for their first ever win against the Wildcats. Only two goals have been scored against Illinois’ starting redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Izzy Lee. In her second season, Lee has started every game for the Illini and has made an impressive 14 saves so far, seven of which came against Missouri. Lee and Illinois’ defense have also produced two shutout games in a row.
Looking at the opposition, the Illinois offense is facing off against an experienced Kentucky keeper: graduate student Marz Josephson. Josephson started the past four games for the Wildcats and has recorded three saves so far. Last season, Josephson totaled 52 saves and will be looking to make progress toward meeting that mark again this weekend. The first three games of Kentucky’s season were shutouts, and Josephson and the Wildcats have conceded only one goal overall.
The Illini defense will be working hard against the Wildcats’ front line, who have backed up Josephson and the defense with 10 goals in four games. As a result, Kentucky is one win away from starting 5-0 for the first time since 2012, which would also be head coach Troy Fabiano’s first time recording a five-match win streak.
The Wildcats are coming off a 4-1 win against the previously undefeated Jackson State Gamecocks (2-1-0). Graduate student Maddie Kemp notched her first two goals of the season against Jackson State while senior Makayla Woods scored her second of the season. Woods started all 17 games for Illinois in 2023, totaling three goals and three assists before transferring to Kentucky ahead of the 2024 season.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
Junior Thalia Morisi and senior Grace Phillpotts have stood out as facilitators for Kentucky in the early season, leading their team in assists (2) while injecting vital pace and energy into the Wildcat attack.
The Illini have also been firing on offense, recording more goals (13) via a similar number of shots on goal (33). Fifth-year midfielder Kennedy Berschel has started the season on fire for the Illini, recording two goals and one assist in four games. Redshirt freshman midfielder Regan Moody and junior forward Sarah Foley will also be putting pressure on the Kentucky defense alongside Berschel, as the trio have already combined for 11 shots on goal and six goals.
This fierce matchup will kick off at 2 p.m. CST at Illinois’ Demirjian Park on Saturday. The game will also be televised on the Big Ten Network +.
