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Sept. 3, 2006

Box Score

AUSTIN, Texas - Looking to end a two-game skid and return home with some momentum heading into next weekend's Illini Tournament, No. 13 Illinois was unable to solve an inspired Texas team and fell 1-0 in double-overtime. The loss makes the Illini 1-3 on the season and gives the Longhorns their second straight win over a ranked Big Ten opponent after they knocked off No. 3 Penn State 2-1 on Friday.

"We deserved to win today, but soccer isn't a sport where the most deserving team necessarily wins," Illinois coach Janet Rayfield said. "We were doing what we were supposed to, but the ball just didn't bounce our way."

The Orange and Blue had two goals called back, one in regulation and one in overtime. On the first, the ball ricocheted off a hand before landing in the net, and the second time the Illini were offside.

The offside call came as the Illini were celebrating an apparent game-winner in overtime off the head of freshman Christina Sahly. Forward Chichi Nweke crossed to Shannon McDonnell, who redirected it to Ella Masar. Masar flicked it to Sahly, who headed it into the net in the 101st minute. But the Illini had been offside, which negated the goal.

"We've played three incredibly difficult games on the road and we've gotten better and better," Rayfield said. "These last three games have made us so much more ready for the Big Ten season than staying at home and picking up a couple of easy wins would have. We are going to come back to Champaign a much more hardened, seasoned and hungry team."

The Longhorns tallied the game-winner in the 104th minute when the Illini missed the pressure in the midfield and Kelsey Carpenter dribbled into the attacking third. Carpenter beat two Illinois defense and finished from 17 yards out.

For the match, Texas out-shot the Illini 16-13, but Illinois held a 4-1 corner kick advantage. In an incredible show of balance, 10 different players had at least one shot for the Orange and Blue, with Ella Masar, Emily Zurrer and Jackie Santacaterina each firing two.

"Everyone who stepped on the field for us today made a step forward," Rayfield said. "Our freshmen are starting to grow up and our upperclassmen are starting to play with confidence, and the hard part is we haven't seen the benefits of those improvements yet, but we will.

The Illini return to the Illinois Soccer and Track Complex on Friday for a match against Syracuse at 7:30 p.m. That match is the nightcap to the first day of the Illinois Tournament, featuring a 4:30 p.m. match-up between Auburn and Portland State.