Friday, October 30
Champaign, Ill.
6 PM CT
University of Illinois
vs
Minnesota
October 28, 2026 | Soccer
PREVIEW
| WEEK 12: Illinois (5-5-7, 2-5-4 Big Ten) vs. Minnesota (8-6-3, 4-5-2 Big Ten) | |
|---|---|
| Match 18: Minnesota | Friday, Oct. 30 // 6 p.m. CT // Champaign, Ill. // Demirjian Park |
| Watch | B1G+ |
| Live Stats | StatBroadcast |
| Notes | Illinois // Minnesota |
| Shop | Online Store |
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illini soccer team is at home to finish out their 2026 season on Friday (Oct. 30) against the Minnesota Gophers at 6 p.m. CT.
The Illini were at home last week where they beat Northwestern in a 3-2 win. They ended the week on the road traveling to Columbus, Ohio where they fell 0-3 to No. 3 Ohio State.
SCOUTING MINNESOTA
The Gophers are 8-6-3 on their season with a 4-5-2 conference record. Their most recent win was a 4-0 shutout against Oregon who the Illini have also beat in a shutout. Minnesota recently had a big 1-1 tie against No. 12 Washington on Oct. 22.
The two squads have a deep-rooted all-time series record of 13-12-5 only narrowly favoring the Illini. Their matchups date back to Sept. 1997 with a 0-1 win for Minnesota. The Illini have not beaten the Gophers since Oct. 27, 2019, when they grabbed a 4-1 win in Champaign. Illinois will be looking to change that this week.
ILLINOIS NOTES
- Katie Hultin is the only head coach in program history to remain unbeaten through her first seven matches in her first two seasons.
- Only head coach in program history to not lose a regular season nonconference match in her first two seasons.
- Izzy Lee has made 82 saves with eight clean sheets so far this season which is the fourth most in the conference (18th in the nation).
- She was named Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week on Aug. 18, the first Illini keeper to earn this distinction since Sami Sample (March 16, 2021).
- Made a season-high nine saves against Virginia Tech on Sept. 6.
- Named Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week on Sept. 8 and Oct. 20.
- Ranks second in the Illinois career saves list with 306.
- 368- Leisha Alcia (2001-04)
- 306 - Izzy Lee (2023-pres.)
- 292 - Claire Wheatley (2013-16)
- 242 - Jaelyn Cunningham (2016-19)
- Ranks third in the Illinois career shutouts list with 23.0.
- 28.0 - Lindsey Carstens (2004-07)
- 24.0 - Leisha Alcia (2001-04)
- 23.0 - Izzy Lee (2023-pres.)
- 18.0 - Alexandra Kapicka (2006-10)
- Cayla Jackson has four goals and an assist on the season to lead the team in points with nine.
- Hedda Ornberg has three goals (two are game winners which leads the team) and two assists on the year to have the second most points on the team with eight.
- She scored the game winner against Cincinnati on Aug. 20 for her first goal as an Illini off the assists from Adams and Jackson.
- Scored her second goal against Western Michigan on Sept. 3.
- Scored the game winner against Northwestern on Oct. 22
- Ashlyn Adams leads the team in assists with five which ranks 11th in the Big Ten.
- Gabriella Garcia-Terrell has two goals and an assist on the season to have the second most points on the team with five.
- Scored her first goal as an Illini against Oregon on Sept. 27 which was the eventual game winner.
- Scored her second goal against Northwestern on Oct. 22.
- Ashley Stellon has a goal and two assists (second most on the team) on the year to have four points.
- Scored the game winner against Western Michigan on Sept. 3.
- Both assists have came off corner kicks first was to Ashleigh Vizek against Oregon on Sept. 27 and second was to Kylie Marschall against Northwestern on Oct. 22.
- Alyssa White has the second most assists on the team with two, both of them coming on Cayla Jackson goals.
- Ryleigh Wood scored her first career goal as an Illini in the 1-0 victory against Virginia Tech on Sept. 6.
- Kylie Marschall scored her first goal as an Illini against Northwestern on Oct. 22.
- Emma Yee scored her first goal of the season against No. 10 UCLA on Oct. 11.
- Ashleigh Vizek scored her first goal as an Illini against Oregon on Sept. 27, it was also her first start.
- Ava Arengo assisted on Wood's goal to earn her first points as Illini.
- Sutton Webb named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 8, first Illini to earn the distinction since Claire Wheatley on Oct. 11, 2016.
- Six new faces made their Illini debuts in the home opener against Georgia: Ava Arengo, Gabriella Garcia-Terrell, Kylie Marschall, Sophia McMillan, Hedda Ornberg and Alyssa White. While Abby Anderson and Avia Hughes made their debuts against UIC. Presli Houk made her Illini debut against Saint Louis, Ashleigh Vizek made her debut against Western Michigan and CC Conrad made hers against Michigan State.
- The 2026 Illini soccer season (5-5-7) is the only season in the program's history to have three ties in any four-match span. The five ties set a new program record for most in a season, now extended to seven. Five of them being scoreless, also the program's most.
- The shutout of UIC on Aug. 23 was the 100th home shutout in Illinois soccer history.
Players Mentioned
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