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Illinois Hosts Purdue in Regular-Season Finale
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Sophomore forward Laura Knutson notched her first goal of the season against Ohio State last weekend.
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Oct. 29, 2008
ILLINOIS vs. PURDUE **Halloween Costume Contest and Trick-or-Treating**
Friday, Oct. 31 • 5 p.m. CT
Illinois Soccer and Track Stadium
Live on the Big Ten Network
Gametracker Available
Just For Kicks
Illinois is...
...59-46-9 in the Big Ten regular season
...48-28-7 versus the Big Ten under Rayfield
...7-1 at home this season
...unbeaten at home in last 14 of 15 games
The Fantastic Five
Illinois will honor five seniors in the season finale on Friday night. Defenders Jamie Alvis and Emily Zurrer, forwards Charlotte Cooke and Jessica Levitt and midfielder Marti Desjarlais have been critical to Illinois' success over the past four seasons. Here are some highlights from their tenure:
• Advanced to at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament the last three seasons, including a Round of 16 appearance
• A school-record 13-game home unbeaten streak during the 2007-08 seasons
• Three consecutive trips to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals
• A combined 39 shutouts and 337 games played
Finishing Strong
Throughout the 11-year history of the Illinois soccer program, the Illini have constantly finished the regular season on a high note. Illinois has won each of its regular-season finales since 2000, holding an impressive 10-1 record when concluding the season. On top of that, the Orange and Blue are a perfect 11-0 when finishing the regular season at home.
That Was Knuts
Sophomore forward Laura Knutson became the 10th different Illini to score this season when she tallied her first goal of the year against Ohio State. Knutson has led Illinois in assists the majority of the season and is currently tops with five.
Nweke Notches Another
Junior forward Chichi Nweke moved into a tie for ninth place all-time in the school record book with her 16th career goal against Ohio State. Nweke leads the team with six this season, including a team-leading four game-winners.
Not In Our House
Illinois is virtually unstoppable on its home turf, unbeaten in 14 of its last 15. During the span, the Illini have shut out 13 opponents, including six of the last seven.
Big Ten Opponents Not Welcome
Against Big Ten opponents, the Orange and Blue are unbeaten in 10 of their last 11 home matches and have given up just two goals at home to a conference opponent in the last two years. The Illini have lost a Big Ten home match only twice since 2004 and four during the Rayfield era, collecting a 26-4-4 home record against conference opponents since she took the helm in 2002.
A Stingy Defense
The Illini defense has been tough to crack this season. Illinois has given up just 15 goals this season, the second fewest among Big Ten teams. The Orange and Blue's 0.83 goals against average also ranks second in the conference.
Statistically Speaking
Illinois owns the advantage on virtually every stat category over its opponents this season. The Illini have out-scored their opponents 10-3 in the first half and own a 21-15 goal advantage overall. The Orange and Blue have out-cornered opponents, 92-65, and out-shot opponents, 229-172, with a 94-69 on frame advantage.
If It's the Illini, they Will Come
Illinois has been among the attendance leaders for the Big Ten throughout the season. The Illini have drawn an average of 867 fans to their conference home games, which is the second most in the Big tne this season. In overall attendance average for conference matchups, the Orange and Blue rank second with 688 fans.
Purdue At A Glance
The Boilermakers are coming off a weekend split, taking a 3-0 decision against Ohio State before dropping a 2-0 loss to Penn State. Purdue is led by Loredana Riverso with eight goals and five assists on the season, while Felicia Schroeder has contributed seven goals and a pair of assists. Keeper Jenny Bradfisch has posted four shutouts with a 0.83 GAA.
