CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois soccer (3-0-0) emerged victorious in its home opener on Monday (Aug. 25) over Boston College (2-1-1) on a breakaway goal by Sarah Foley, 1-0, in Demirjian Park.
Foley's first goal of the season did not disappoint as she sprinted over half the field to chase down a clearance by Ashley Stellon in the 57th minute. She beat the Eagles defender to the ball in their defensive end, cut inside to the box and bent the ball around keeper off her left foot for the game winning goal. It's her eighth game winner in her career and 16th-career goal.
Izzy Lee posted her third straight clean sheet of the season with three more saves this evening. It's the Western Springs, Ill. native's eighth-career shutout and her longest active shutout streak of her career as well. She's almost matched her single-season shutouts career high (four) which she set last year.
Illinois applied pressure early when Emma Yee took a shot from the top the goal area just nine minutes into the contest. Ashlyn Adams recorded the team's first shot on goal of the night in the 33rd minute when she found a loose ball off the deflection of a BC defender, but the Eagles keeper snuffed it out to keep the game scoreless at the break.
The Orange and Blue started off the second half fast with two stellar chances before the eventual Foley goal. In the 53rd minute a corner kick from Stellon deflected to the top of the box where Sutton Webb was waiting and rifled a shot to the top of the net that forced the Eagles keeper to make a leaping save. Two minutes later Yee rocketed a shot off the cross bar allowing the Boston College goalie to cover and end the chance.
Following the Foley goal, Illinois played 30 minutes of great defense allowing only one shot to reach Lee the rest of the night. Tonight's attendance was 1,083.
The Orange and Blue soccer club returns to action on Thursday, Aug. 28, with a road trip to Chicago to take on DePaul at Wish Field. Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m. CT.
