Following a late, game-tying goal from sophomore forward Cayla Jackson, Illinois (12-4-2, 5-4-2) officially earned a spot as the No. 9 seed in the Big Ten tournament this past Sunday. On Thursday, the team will take on Ohio State (8-3-6, 4-2-5) in the first round.
Illinois has already faced Ohio State this season. The Buckeyes were one of only three teams to shut out the Illini in their 3-0 victory earlier this month. Illinois got off to a slow start and never quite got its footing in that game.
However, there will be two major differences between the last meeting and this one. First, Illinois was coming off another ranked matchup, against then-No. 18 Penn State (9-6-3, 5-4-2), four days prior.
This time, Illinois closed its season Sunday against unranked Michigan (6-8-4, 3-4-4) in a 1-1 draw. The Big Ten is competitive, but having a lower-scoring, less intense matchup should allow the Illini to feel a bit fresher heading into Thursday.
Second, the weather should be kinder to the teams this week. In their loss to the Buckeyes, temperatures soared to nearly 90 degrees Fahrenheit at midday. Much cooler weather is expected Thursday. This should help prevent the players from tiring as quickly as they did last time.
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Illinois backline vs. Ohio State frontline
In the Illini’s last four games, they’ve scored three goals and allowed seven. It has also been four games since they netted multiple goals in a match. Ohio State, on the other hand, has scored seven goals and allowed six in its last four games. This presents an interesting matchup between Illinois’ sturdy backline and Ohio State’s volume-shooting frontline.
Both teams have weaknesses that the other side can take advantage of. For Illinois to win, it will need to create efficient scoring opportunities. It has a strong frontline that is more than capable of making shots, but they need space. A big focus of the team should be to pull defensive pressure away from shooters.
Last time out against the Buckeyes, the Illini shot just nine times, with only four on target. In every conference win this season, the Illini registered at least 10 shots. Now, in the single-elimination stage, applying consistent pressure on Ohio State’s keeper will be key.
For Ohio State, its backline will need to step up its game. When the Illini’s midfielders and forwards can establish a strong connection, they move the ball efficiently, making them hard to contain. The Buckeyes allow over 12 shots per game, so the Illini should aim to keep attacking their net.
New experiences
The conference tournament will be uncharted territory for this lineup. Jackson saw limited minutes in the 2024 SEC tournament with Georgia, but played a small role. This time around, she’s a starting forward who converted seven goals during the regular season. Jackson is a strong shooter with good footwork, so the Illini tend to keep her higher up the field in case they can connect on a long ball to her.
With the way that head coach Katie Hultin has raised the expectations for Illinois, getting reps in for her younger squad could do wonders for next season and beyond, should they continue to obtain tournament bids.
Tournament information
Purdue hosts both the first round, which kicks off Thursday, and the quarterfinals. Illinois’ game is set for 3 p.m. CDT and will be available to stream on B1G+.
The winner will face No. 1 seed Washington in the quarterfinals. After that, the tournament will move to St. Louis, Missouri.
