Illinois (9-2-1, 2-2-1) and No. 23 Ohio State (5-1-5, 1-0-4) entered Sunday’s match with two of the Big Ten’s top defenses. The Buckeyes allowed only three goals all season, never giving up more than one a match. The Illini had eight shutouts themselves, but recently suffered consecutive multi-goal matches.
Coming off a win against another run-heavy team, Penn State (6-4-2, 2-2-1), Illinois needed to establish a fast pace early. The 92-degree heat slowed the team down. By the second half, Illinois’ defense was exhausted, even after extra stoppage time for water. Illinois closed Homecoming weekend empty-handed with a 3-0 defeat.
Fatigue broke down Illinois’ defense
The biggest contributor to Illinois’ loss was a tired backline. Head coach Katie Hultin recognized this. A difficult-ranked matchup combined with the mid-day heat did little to sway the game in Illinois’ favor.
“We went away from what we do best today,” Hultin said. “We played a little too individualistic and probably pressed too hard in the first half.”
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Hultin refused to simply write off her team’s lackluster performance due to weather, though.
“Overall fatigue and the heat were factors, but we can’t really use it as an excuse because Ohio State dealt with the heat today too,” Hultin said. “Playing in 90-degree weather is interesting, but we have to be a little more resilient in these tough times.”
The Illini’s exhaustion made them more sluggish and allowed more gaps to pop up in their defense. Ohio State took full advantage.
Illinois couldn’t contain another run-heavy attack
Ohio State utilized a similar direct playstyle to Illinois’ most recent opponent — Penn State. The Buckeyes pushed their attackers high and sent long balls past the defense, forcing the Illini to turn and run down the ball. This intentionally tiring style of play beat down an already exhausted Illinois defense and allowed Ohio State’s offense to dictate the rest of the game.
In the first half, junior redshirt goalkeeper Izzy Lee came out of the box multiple times to make difficult defensive plays and push Ohio State away from the goal. The defense also recovered well after being beaten. But after Ohio State scored its second goal, Illinois’ energy noticeably deflated.
As the game went on, the Illini had to keep expending energy to chase down the ball. Ohio State could rotate and adapt its attack to conserve stamina and capitalize on Illinois’ growing number of defensive lapses.
Ohio State was more adaptable
What ultimately separated the teams was adaptability. Ohio State changed tactics to a more energy-conserving style at halftime, while Illinois couldn’t adjust as effectively.
After halftime, the Buckeyes were also feeling the heat. On top of that, the Buckeyes struggled to beat Lee in one-on-one goal encounters when they slipped past Illini defenders. They came back in the second half, focusing on shooting in transition or from out wide.
Junior defender and midfielder Ava Bramblett embodied this adaptability. She scored the game’s first two goals, and her second was a long strike from just past the half field. Ohio State’s senior goalkeeper Molly Pritchard sent the ball upfield from a goal kick, and Bramblett let the ball bounce off an Illinois player before winning it and striking without taking a touch.
The second half also saw the Illini win more offensive opportunities, but they struggled to close on them. Senior forward Lia Howard played a reenergized game in the second half, putting Illinois into goal-scoring positions, but the team just couldn’t capitalize.
“She was a little off and pretty tired in the first half,” Hultin said. “But in the second half, she did a lot better. We found her a little bit more, and she was cheeky on the ball. I was proud of her second-half performance.”
Illinois also needed to condense its pass game more, instead of trying to force bigger plays. Under the heat and the heavy pressure from Ohio State, not wasting energy was a must.
“We just weren’t showing up for each other enough to move the ball like that,” Hultin said. “There were opportunities to go big today, but we overdid it, especially because we didn’t have the legs under us to do it.”
Next match
Illinois has a week off before traveling to face Maryland (6-6-0, 2-3-0) Sunday. The Terrapins have struggled to find consistency in conference play, and this match could provide a way for the Illini to re-establish themselves.
