Editor’s note: The Daily Illini sports desk sits down Sunday nights and decides which Illinois athlete or coach is our Illini of the Week. Athletes and coaches are evaluated by individual performance and contribution to team success.

In the 83rd minute of Illinois soccer’s game against Michigan State, junior forward Jannelle Flaws placed down the ball just a couple of yards outside the Spartans’ penalty area in preparation for an Illinois free kick. Flaws’ strike sailed into the top corner of the far post to put the Illini 2-0 up over their opponents and retain hopes for qualification into the Big Ten Tournament.

It also gave Flaws her 19th goal of the season, and the title of the most prolific goal-scoring season in Illinois soccer program history along with it. She’s currently one goal behind first place in the country in goals scored. 

“It seems like it’s from nothing to leading goal scorer in the country, but what’s been happening for two years behind the scenes is what people don’t understand,” head coach Janet Rayfield said. “Jannelle studies the game, and as she does that, she becomes instinctive. She’s hard to stop — in terms of goal scoring — because she can do a lot of different things and physically, she’s in the place to do them.”

Coming from a great athletic pedigree certainly played a huge part in Flaws’ formative years. In addition to older generations producing athletes on the collegiate level, Flaws recalls a certain point during high school when nine cousins attended Glenbrook South High School in Glenview, Ill., and all participated in a sport.

In addition to earning a letter for soccer all four years in high school, Flaws was a member of Glenbrook South’s basketball and volleyball teams. 

“Basketball actually used to be a bigger influence early in high school, but in basketball I was more of a defensive player, and I liked the offense of soccer,” Flaws said.

Flaws netted 43 goals for the Titans in her final season but tore her ACL in the final game of her high school career (against current teammate Vanessa DiBernardo’s Waubonsie Warriors), and she had to miss her first season in college.

She joined the Illini on the field for the first time in 2011, starting in only one of 22 games and finishing the season with three goals and three assists. She reinjured her leg during the 2012 preseason and missed her second full year of college soccer.

“I wasn’t as prepared as I should have been (in 2011),” Flaws said. “Having only three goals, I have never been on a soccer team where that has been the case before. The second time around with the ACL, I was making sure that when I got the chance to get back on the field, I would be prepared.”

Flaws focused her energy on strength and fitness-building exercises during her rehab sessions. She said she wanted to make sure she was fully prepared to face the rigor of a full collegiate season.

That change from two seasons ago is apparent in Flaws’ play. She had surpassed her former career-high tally with five goals by the fourth game of this season, and she has two hat tricks so far.

Megan Pawloski is the other half of Illinois’ forward duo and says the strides Flaws has taken have improved their partnership.

“We’ve learned to play very well together this season,” Pawloski said. “I know I can always find someone in the middle of the box who can score goals, and I enjoy playing with her.”

In the years before high school, Flaws and current teammate Kassidy Brown helped their club team ELA Elite win two state titles (2003, 2004) and a Region II title (2007). Over the years of watching her teammate develop, Brown said she has been impressed by a consistent aspect of Flaws’ personality.

“She is intense,” Brown said. “In every part of her life she is very competitive but with a fun nature.”

After overcoming two major injuries and a 14-year-old record, Minnesota is next on Flaws’ checklist. Her team needs a win over Minnesota or a loss by either Iowa or Wisconsin this weekend to secure a spot in the Big Ten Tournament the Illini will host this November.

“We have to go out there like how we approach every game,” Flaws said.

Lanre can be reached at [email protected] and @WriterLanre.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly misspelled Jannelle Flaws’ name as Janelle Flaws. The Daily Illini regrets the error.