Before kickoff, head coach Katie Hultin laid out what Illinois (8-1-1, 1-1-1) needed to do to take the bark out of the Washington Huskies (5-1-4, 2-0-1): settle into the game early and disrupt their offensive plays. But those simple directives proved hard to execute.
The Huskies broke through with a solid run game. Their midfielders were vicious at forcing turnovers. Washington also positioned two centerbacks down low to aid its new starting keeper in the box.
Washington’s efforts paid off, as Illinois struggled from the get-go. The team couldn’t move the ball forward and played a timid, disconnected game in the opposing half. The Illini finally had a fire under their feet with a goal in the second half, but the game was already out of reach.
Defense collapses, offense responds
The Illinois defense has been sturdy this season, but proved lackluster in this contest. Seasoned players like sophomore midfielder/defender Lauren Seppi and senior defender Ellen Persson often anchor the line for redshirt junior goalkeeper Izzy Lee. But against Washington, the team looked disorganized and slow, conceding 10 shots in the first half alone.
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At halftime, Hultin knew that her team was stronger in the second half. Offensively, this proved true. Sophomore forward Cayla Jackson scored Illinois’ only goal at the 60-minute mark off a corner kick. After that, Illinois attackers made better, faster offensive passes and runs, but struggled to close them out.
After the team’s last home game, sophomore forward Emma Yee mentioned that the team wants to use restarts to reset and collect themselves. Fittingly, their two best second-half looks came off of restarts, including Jackson’s goal. Against tougher opponents, forcing these stoppages may be even more crucial to staying in the game.
On the other side, Washington had superior speed and control. From the starting whistle, it aggressively won the ball and protected it. The Huskies easily beat out the fastest Illini defenders multiple times and managed over twice as many shots.
Huskies thrown a bone
While Washington undoubtedly controlled the tempo from the start of the game, it struggled to score on their runs. Its first shot attempt shows this best.
At the seven-minute mark, junior midfielder Jadyn Holdenried shook herself free of the Illinois defenders and sprinted at Lee. She had two steps on the four defenders closing in, but her pace caused her to send the ball well over the post.
Of the 10 shots that Washington got off in the opening half, none were converted. Instead, Washington’s timely lead came from a defensive miscommunication on Illinois’ end. Freshman defender Téa Mayson attempted to clear the ball but instead flicked it into the net for an own goal, giving Washington the lead.
Mayson seemed to hesitate before getting a foot on the ball, possibly expecting Lee to collect it instead. In any case, this mistake put Illinois on the back foot for the first time this season. The team struggled to adapt.
Superior run game lets Huskies take leash
Holdenried was the Huskies’ biggest threat, and the Illini never quite figured out how to contain her. She lived in the attacking third and took multiple shots, but was either closed out or forced into a tough look at the last minute.
On one run, Yee, Jackson and Foley found themselves in a three-on-three. Yee had the ball while defenders collapsed on her and Jackson, leaving Foley to her right wide open.
Normally, that guarantees at least a shot when Foley is unguarded. Instead of crossing, Yee cut left and tried to take on a defender one-on-one, but the ball was tapped away. After the play, Foley threw her arms up in frustration.
Additionally, in the final moments of the game, Washington was able to keep Illinois away from a tying goal by holding possession in Illinois’ half. The Huskies forced the ball wide to a speedy forward, who shielded the ball on the sidelines and forced the Illini to tip the ball out, wasting precious minutes. Illinois couldn’t even attempt a draw.
Returning home to tough competition
After splitting its games out west, Illinois returns to Demirjian Park Thursday to face its first ranked opponent of the season, No. 8 Penn State (5-3-2, 1-1-1).
This will be the Illini’s toughest matchup. The Lady Lions boast a talented lineup. TopDrawerSoccer included two of their players in its Preseason Top 100: graduate student forward Kaitlyn MacBean at No. 18 and redshirt junior defender Kayleigh Herr at No. 80. MacBean also nabbed a spot on the TDS Preseason Best All-XI team Second Team.
The Illini must refocus on establishing themselves early. They played a noticeably slow and sloppy game against the Huskies, yet only conceded two goals. Prior to conference play, the Lady Lions scored two or more goals in five of their seven games. If Illinois gives Penn State as many chances as it gave Washington, the final result could be even worse.
