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Illinois Set for East Coast Matches
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Sophomore Niki Read leads the Illini in assists with three.
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Sept. 2, 2010
Game 4: Illinois (3-0-0) at Connecticut (0-2-1)
Friday, Sept. 3 // 12 p.m. // Joseph J. Morrone Stadium // Storrs, Conn.
ON THE AIR
Radio: WHUS.org web streaming - UConn's student radio will be streaming audio from the contest on their website.
Livestats: FightingIllini.com GameTracker
Game 5: llinois at Yale
Sunday, Sept. 5 // 11 a.m. // Reese Stadium // New Haven, Conn.
ON THE AIR
Livestats: FightIllini.com GameTracker
This is the first time Illinois will face Connecticut and Yale.
FOR OPENERS
Illinois is:
• 77-31-4 in non-conference matches
• 59-31-6 in five seasons when starting the year with three victories
• 3-2-0 against Big East teams under Janet Rayfield.
LAST TIME OUT
The Illini opened the home portion of their schedule with contests against Wright State and Ball State at Illinois Soccer Stadium.
Illinois earned a convincing win, 3-1, over the Wright State Raiders on Tuesday, Aug. 24. The Illini out-shot Wright State, 34-4, and earned eight corner kicks while holding the Raiders without a corner opportunity. For the second consecutive game, Steph Panozzo and Alexandra Kapicka combined to earn the win in net.
The Illini followed with a shutout victory, 3-0, against Ball State on Sunday, Aug. 29. Freshman Vanessa DiBernardo earned the first game-winning goal of her collegiate career in the 30th minute. Sophomore Shayla Mutz and senior Jordan Hilbrands followed with their first tallies of 2010 to reach the final score. Sophomore Steph Panozzo and senior Alexandra Kapicka combined to earn the second shutout of the season for the Illini. Each spent one half in goal and teamed to make five saves.
SCOUTING CONNECTICUT
UConn opened the 2010 season with an overtime loss, 3-2, against the Siena College Saints and followed with double-overtime tie, 0-0, against William & Mary and double-overtime loss, 1-0, to Virginia during the Penn State Tournament. The Huskies graduated two-time All-American, Brittany Taylor, after the 2009 season while sophomore Linda Ruutu was named to the All-BIG EAST Preseason Team.
Junior Jessica Shufelt currently leads the Huskies with three points while senior Meghan Cunningham is second with two points on one goal. Junior Jessica Dulski has started all three Connecticut matches in goal, earning one shutout while making 10 saves and allowing four goals.
SCOUTING YALE
The Bulldogs opened their season against Penn State on Sept. 3 before the Illini visit New Haven, Conn. on Sunday, Sept. 5. Senior Becky Brown was named Ivy League Player of the Year in 2009 and led Yale in goals (13) and points (30). Kristen Forster, the Co-Ivy League Rookie of the Year returns for her sophomore season after finishing 2009 with two goals and nine assists. Teammate Miyuki Hino earned All-Ivy Honorable Mention and finished with four goals and three assists. Yale is coming off a 2009 season that saw the Bulldogs finish second in the Ivy League with an overall record of 10-6-0 and a 5-2-0 mark in league play.
DOMINATING THE CONFERENCES
Under head coach Janet Rayfield, the Illini are a combined 10-1-1 against Horizon League and Mid-American Conference opponents. In 2010, the Orange and Blue opened with wins against Horizon League foes Loyola-Chicago, 2-0, and Wright State, 3-1 before taking down Mid-American opponent Ball State, 3-0. In 2010, the Illini have outshot Horizon League and MAC opponents, 73-17, outscored them, 8-1, and taken 18 corner opportunities while holding opponents to two.
ILLINOIS TV AND RADIO BROADCASTS
The Illini are currently slated to appear on the Big Ten Network at Michigan on Oct. 31 while their Sept. 17 contest against LSU will be streamed live on Student U. WDWS Radio will be performing radio broadcasts of the Orange and Blue throughout the season as well. Below is a current list of the scheduled television and radio broadcasts:
Illinois on the Big Ten Network
Sunday, Oct. 31 at Michigan // 2 p.m.
Illinois on Student U
Friday, Sept. 17 vs. LSU // 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 1 vs. Purdue // 7 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 24 vs. Penn State // 1 p.m.
Illinois on WDWS AM 1400
Friday, Sept. 17 vs. LSU 10 p.m. // (Delay)
Saturday, Oct. 16 vs. Iowa // 7 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 24 vs. Penn State // 1 p.m.
OPENING STRONG
The Illini have opened the season with three consecutive victories for the sixth time in program history. Illinois began the season in Chicago with their first shutout of the season, 2-0, against Loyola-Chicago. Illinois then played host to Wright State and Ball State, earning victories, 3-1 and 3-0, respectively. Illinois last opened a season with three victories in 2008 when the Illini defeated Missouri, Iowa State and Dayton, eventually reaching the Round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament.
SPLITTING TIME IN NET
Sophomore Steph Panozzo and senior Alexandra Kapicka have each spent one half of the Illini's three matches in net. Panozzo has played the first half of every match, earning the first three starts of her career. Kapicka has closed each contest after assuming goalie duties at halftime. Combined, the duo of keepers have stopped eight shots while only allowing one tally for a goals-against average of 0.33 per game. The duo has also combined for two shutouts through three contests.
Freshman midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo continues to produce on offense for the Illini, notching her team-leading third goal against Ball State. The Naperville, Ill. native has recorded a goal in each of the Illini's three contests this season and also leads Illinois in points (7), shots (13) and shots on goal (7). DiBernardo recorded her first collegiate game-winning goal against Ball State, staking Illinois to a 1-0 lead by driving a pass from teammate Niki Read by Cardinals' keeper Aubrey Buehler.
DISHING IT OUT
Sophomore forward Niki Read currently leads the Illini in assists with three, one more than she accumulated over 19 games in 2009. Read finished 2009 with three goals and two assists and earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors on 9/7/2009. Read now has three goals and five assists to total 11 points in 22 career games.
