CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois soccer (7-0-1, 0-0-1) battled to a scoreless draw against Indiana (3-2-2, 0-0-1) on Friday night (Sept. 12) in Demirjian Park to set the program record best start through eight matches. This breaks the 21-year-old program record set by the 2004 team which was 7-1-0 through their first eight matches.
Izzy Lee made three saves to keep her sixth clean sheet of the season which ties the national lead and increases her lead in the conference. It's the 11th shutout of her career as well.
Her best save of the night came in the 68th minute where Indiana split the Illini back line which led to a clean shot on goal from roughly 12 feet out. Lee leaped up and punched the ball away with her right hand to deny the top shelf opportunity.
Sydney Stephens and Ashley Stellon led the charge for the Orange and Blue offense with two shots on goal apiece. Stephens recorded her first one in the 39th minute and the final shot of the game in the 87th minute, both denied by the Hoosiers keeper.
Stellon's came three minutes apart from each other in the 54th and 57th minutes. Her shot in the 57th minute, set up on a pass by Emma Yee, was labeled for the back of the net had it not been for a sliding close out by the Indiana keeper to deflect it wide.
Sarah Foley had the highest quality chance for Illinois with her top shelf shot in the 61st minute from the top of the box, but again the Indiana keeper made a leaping save to punch it away and keep the match scoreless.
Illinois emptied the tank in the final five minutes recording three shots on goal in that span. Today's attendance was 1,008.
The Orange and Blue soccer club returns to action on Thursday (Sept. 18) for their west coast trip to Oregon. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. CT on BTN.
