Fresh faces on the sideline and on the pitch paved the way for Illinois’ first 4-0 start since 2015. The Illini reached the impressive feat by defeating DePaul on Thursday, 2-0. With 13 returners and 12 newcomers on the roster, Illinois is already putting the pieces together for a promising season.
New era for leadership
After 23 seasons leading the Illini, former head coach Janet Rayfield retired in October 2024. Rayfield had a remarkable career in Champaign. During her tenure, she developed many All-Americans and led the team to NCAA tournament appearances. She also leaves Illinois as the program’s winningest head coach of all time.
Now, Rayfield’s successor, Katie Hultin continues to build on the foundation set by her predecessor. Hultin also worked under Rayfield as an assistant coach in 2014 and 2015, so she isn’t a stranger to the program.
For the last three years, Hultin coached a successful Grand Valley State University team. She led the Lakers to postseason tournament appearances in three consecutive seasons. Hultin also has a positive impact on the players she coaches and leads them to the heights they want to reach. This past season at GVSU, she coached the GLIAC Goalkeeper of the Year and seven all-conference players.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
With her experience coaching goalkeepers, Hultin is the right coach to develop redshirt junior goalkeeper Izzy Lee. Lee led all keepers in the Big Ten last season in total saves and saves per game. She is one of the best keepers in the nation, and Hultin’s expertise will only help her improve. Their relationship will be crucial to not only Lee’s development but also the success of the program.
Hultin isn’t the only new face on the sideline for the Illini this season. Assistant coaches Aulani Whisler and Marisa Kanela also joined the staff to assist Hultin. It’s a new era for Illinois soccer, and Hultin’s competitive leadership should be a great fit.
Returners lead charge
The Illini took care of both sides of the ball in their shutout win over the Blue Demons. Thanks to stellar performances from Lee, senior forward Sarah Foley and sophomore forward Emma Yee, Illinois added another road game to the win column.
From the start of the match, Yee came ready to dominate. The Canadian created two scoring chances for the Illini in the first 11 minutes of play. In the 58th minute, Yee put Illinois up 1-0 over DePaul by knocking in a penalty kick. It was Yee’s first goal of the season.
This aggressive, confident style of play is exactly what the Illini need from Yee this season. As a freshman, Yee made 14 starts and played alongside veterans like Foley and now senior forward Lia Howard. With a year under her belt and more of an opportunity this year, Yee has the potential to make big jumps to take her game to the next level this season.
In the first four games of the season, Lee is also picking up right where she left off in 2024. For the first time in program history, Illinois hasn’t conceded a goal in its first four matches of the season. Lee’s stellar defense is a huge reason for this feat.
On Thursday, Lee made seven saves in the match and got her ninth career shutout. Although DePaul had two more shots on goal compared to Illinois, Lee didn’t waver. She also tied her career-high for single-season shutouts in the first four matches of 2025. All the momentum seems to be going in Lee’s direction, and she doesn’t look like she will slow down anytime soon.
Lee is the backbone of Illinois’ defense, and her play is a clear difference maker. As she continues to develop under Hultin, her play has the potential to reach new heights this season.
The second goal of Thursday’s match came from Foley in the 84th minute to secure the road win for the Illini. Foley had an impressive junior year. She was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team and is now back for more in her senior season. She scored 11 goals in 2024 paired with two assists. Foley’s experience and leadership on the pitch will be exciting to watch this season.
Moving forward
After their undefeated start to the season, the Illini’s momentum is high. The team travels to face Kentucky on Sunday before finishing up their non-conference schedule in early September.
Starting Big Ten conference play will be a true test for Illinois in the coming weeks. In their conference schedule, the Illini will face No. 11 Penn State, No. 12 Michigan State and No. 18 Ohio State, who are all ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Top 25 list. If the team can keep up their confidence and energy, they could steal a win in one of those upcoming marquee matchups.
