[9] Illinois Blanks [8] Ohio State in Opening Spherical of Big Ten Tournament, 1-0

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – [9] Illinois (13-4-2) defeated [8] Ohio State (8-4-6), 1-0, on Thursday night in West Lafayette, Ind., at Folk Field. This is the primary Big Ten Tournament win for Fighting Illini girls’s soccer since defeating Wisconsin in penalty kicks on Oct. 28, 2018.

“I’m incredibly proud of the resilience we showed today,” stated head coach Katie Hultin. “The way we were able to apply the second half adjustments was nice to see. The individual efforts on both sides of the ball were second to none. I’m really excited for the next game against Washington on Sunday!”

Izzy Lee made 11 saves within the match, together with 9 within the first half, to convey her as much as 113 saves on the season, which is now this system document for single-season saves. She handed Steph Panozzo, who made 111 stops in 2012. Her 11 saves are additionally a single-match career-high, and he or she grew to become the third Illini keeper in program historical past to have 11 in a sport, tied for seventh-most in a match in class historical past (Julia Cili, Sept. 25, 2022, and Claire Wheatley, Nov. 16, 2013).

Additionally, Lee saved her tenth clear sheet of the season, which is now the third-most in program historical past for a single season, passing Alexandra Kapicka, who had 9 in 2008.

Ohio State utilized strain very early with 16 photographs within the first half; 9 of them have been on purpose, although Lee answered the bell every time. Momentum began to shift early within the second half because the Illini received a pair early possibilities earlier than Lia Howard pressured a turnover off a Buckeye throw-in and buried the game-winner within the fifty fifth minute. It’s Howard’s fourth purpose and second game-winner of the season.

The Illini have been outshot by the Buckeyes, 22-10, and 11-4 in photographs on purpose, however the Illini boast an excellent document once they get outshot by their opponent as they improved to 9-3-1 in such matches. Hultin is now the third head coach in program historical past to win a Big Ten Tournament match in her debut season.

UP NEXT

The Orange and Blue are again in motion on Sunday (Nov. 2) for the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal spherical in opposition to [1] Washington. Kickoff is slated for 11:30 a.m. CT.