Homecoming weekend started strong as Illinois (9-1-1, 2-1-1) got its first ranked win this season, defeating No. 18 Penn State (5-4-2, 1-2-1) 4-3 at home Thursday. This was a statement win for head coach Katie Hultin and her team after losing their first match of the season to Washington (5-1-5, 2-0-2) Sunday.
“I think it’s incredibly exciting,” Hultin said. “Obviously, it gives us a little bit of confidence, but we’ve talked about it all season, and I say it time and time again: we take it one game at a time.”
The Illinois home crowd was excited and energetic the whole 90 minutes. The atmosphere at Demirjian Park helped the Illini set the tone of the match from the beginning, and they didn’t let up.
“These are the games you live for,” said sophomore forward Emma Yee. “This is why you play it. They brought the energy, we brought the energy on the field. It was super fun.”
Returners lead charge
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In a tough back-and-forth match, Illinois’ returning players stayed confident throughout. Even after Penn State sophomore forward Aubrey Kulpa scored on an early run in the ninth minute, Illinois regrouped. Shortly after, in the 13th minute, sixth-year midfielder Sydney Stephens faked out her defender to tie up the match at 1-1.
“We set the tone,” Stephens said. “We can always continue to work. Our team had energy off the field, on the field. We had energy in our warm-up, and that’s something we really value.”
While the West Coast created some fatigue for the Illini, they brought their usual energy from the start at home. The ball movement on offense and sense of urgency in Illinois’ play for all 90 minutes stood out.
Senior forward Lia Howard capitalized on not only the Illini’s energy, but the home crowd’s as well. Howard tallied her second and third goals of the season against the Nittany Lions. Even through the traffic of Penn State’s defense, Howard stood her ground for her first goals since Sept. 4.
“We knew it was going to be a game,” Howard said. “When they tied it 2-2, I was like, ‘This is why we play soccer. This is a game.’ The energy was just insane.”
Although the Illini only had five shots on goal compared to the Nittany Lions’ 13, they took full advantage of each one. The Illinois forwards each have unique strengths, and when those come together, it’s dangerous for opposing defenses.
After Penn State fifth-year forward Kaitlyn MacBean tied the match at 3-3 in the 65th minute, both teams were looking for chances to go ahead. That was until Emma Yee substituted in for the Illini in the 77th minute. Yee had a relatively quiet night, but her teammates’ energy kept her engaged. In the 84th minute, Yee sent the ball into the bottom left corner of the net for the game winner.
Lee’s masterclass in net
When Penn State had possession in its attacking third, it took advantage. The Nittany Lions ended the match with 18 shots total. This challenged Illinois redshirt junior goalkeeper Izzy Lee. However, Lee accepted the challenge and excelled.
“She did awesome today, owning the space in behind the back line,” Hultin said of Lee. “That second half when she was coming out, it’s not easy. It’s kind of scary. She was brave.”
Lee had 10 saves in the match, a career high for her at Illinois. Her play in the goal is truly a difference maker in helping the Illini continue to win games in the Big Ten. This won’t be the last time the Illini play against a tough offense, but Lee’s performance Thursday proved she is tough to get past.
Containing run game
Penn State forwards’ speed was evident right out of the gate. By leaving two of their forwards midfield when the Illini was in its attacking third, the Nittany Lions were ready to get out and run when the ball went in their direction.
Kulpa and senior forward Amelia White capitalized on this strategy. Their speed and quick turns were tough to defend, but the Illini stayed resilient. They didn’t back down from the challenge of slowing down the Penn State offense. And when the Nittany Lions didn’t convert on easy goals, the Illini got the possession and utilized it.
“We talk about resilience, we talk about love, we talk about trust,” Hultin said. “They all showed up today. The skill was fantastic. We worked really hard, but our resilience was unreal today.”
Coming up
Illinois is right back at Demirjian Park Sunday as it tries to get its second win over a ranked opponent of the season against No. 23 Ohio State (4-1-5, 0-0-4).
