FightingIllini.com
The Official Home of University of Illinois Athletics
- Men's Sports
- MEN'S SPORTS
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cheerleading
- Football
- Golf
- WOMEN'S SPORTS
- Basketball
- Cheerleading
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Soccer
No. 17 Illini Kick Off Big Ten Season at Wisconsin, Northwestern
  |
|
Sophomore forward Laura Knutson leads the team with four assists.
|
Sept. 24, 2008
Wisconsin, Northwestern Game Notes 
#17 Illinois at Wisconsin
Friday, Sept. 26 • 7 p.m.
Madison, Wis. • McClimon Soccer Complex
#17 Illinois at Northwestern
Sunday, Sept. 28 • Noon
Evanston, Ill. • Lakeside Field
Just for Kicks
Illinois is...
...55-41-9 in the Big Ten regular season
...44-23-7 in the Big Ten under Rayfield
...6-4-1 in Big Ten openers
Visitors Not Welcome
Illinois continued to make visitors feel unwelcome at the Illinois Soccer and Track Stadium as the Illini won their 10th and 11th straight home matches over the weekend. The Orange and Blue posted shutouts against two previously unbeaten opponents in Colorado College and Washington, blanking the competition for the 10th time during the dominating span at home.
One Week At a Time
The Illini continue to rake in weekly awards, as junior goalkeeper Alexandra Kapicka, junior forward Chichi Nweke and senior defender Emily Zurrer each earned honors af the pair of shutouts. Kapicka was named Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week after posting a career-high six saves and was also named to Soccer America's Team of the Week. Nweke collected her first career weekly honor from Top Drawer Soccer after a two-goal, one-assist performance. Zurrer notched the game-winner against Washington to collect her second weekly honor of the season, this time coming from Soccer Buzz.
EZ Gets The W
Senior defender Emily Zurrer's second goal of the season against Washington was also her second game-winning goal this year. Zurrer has already equaled her career-high for game-winners in a season, as she had two during her freshman campaign. She also tallied a game-winner during her sophomore season, bringing her career total to five.
Spreading the Wealth
The Orange and Blue had a variety of contributors as they outscored their opponents 5-0 over the weekend. Eight different Illini tallied points, including four different goal-scorers and five different assistors. Overall, 11 different Illini have notched at least one point this season.
Big Ten Begins
Illinois kicks off Big Ten season this weekend, traveling to Wisconsin and Northwestern. The last time the Illini faced Wisconsin in the Big Ten opener was 2006, when the Orange and Blue won a 4-2 decision.
Wisconsin At a Glance
The Badgers are unbeaten in their last three matches, including wins over Pepperdine and Nevada. Wisconsin is led by Laurie Nosbusch with 14 points, coming on five goals and four assists. Taylor Walsh has notched a team-leading six goals for the Badgers this season.
Northwestern at a Glance
The Wildcats won three in a row before tying against St. Louis in their last outing. Northwestern is led by Amanda Hoffman with five goals, while Jenny Dunn and Sam Greene have each contributed a team-leading four assists.
A Quick Recap
Illinois continued its dominance at home, blanking a pair of previously unbeaten opponents to extend the winning-streak to 11 games at the Illinois Soccer and Track Stadium, with 10 shutouts during the span. The Illini knocked off Colorado College, 2-0, on Friday thanks to junior forward Chichi Nweke's eventual game-winning goal just three minutes into the match. Senior midfielder Marti Desjarlais added her second goal of the season on an assist from sophomore forward Laura Knutson to seal the win.
The Orange and Blue came out firing again against Washington on Sunday, notching three goals in the first half. Senior defender Emily Zurrer contributed her second game-winner of the season, while Nweke added her team-leading fourth goal and third assist during the match. Senior forward Jessica Levitt also tallied her first goal of the season.
While the offensive attack was the story in the first half against Washington, the defense was outstanding in the second to preserve the shutout. Junior goalkeeper Alexandra Kapicka was particularly impressive between the posts, collecting a career-high six saves.
