CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – On a steamy Sunday afternoon at Demirjian Park, the Fighting Illini soccer team fell to the Butler Bulldogs 1-3. The Illini fall to 2-2 on the season, while Butler improves to 2-1.
Illinois celebrated and honored the ongoing contributions of nine seniors (Erin McKeown, Makena Silber, Hope Breslin, Maggie Hillman, Meredith Johnson-Monfort, Peyton Willie, Katelynn Buescher, Lauren Stibich, Ashleigh Lefevre) in a pregame ceremony with Director of Athletics Josh Whitman and the Illini coaching staff.
The Orange and Blue kept it close in the first half, with each team firing four shots and trading possessions with the Bulldogs before allowing a 40th-minute goal off of a Butler corner kick to make the score 0-1 heading into halftime. Butler scored again 10 minutes into the second period, but Illinois’ Kendra Pasquale responded with a goal of her own after an Angie Galo shot ricocheted off of the Bulldog goalkeeper to Pasquale who fired the ball to the back of the net. Butler scored again in the 76th minute to put them up 1-3, which proved to be the final score of the match.
“We needed to bring more physicality and effort today. As much as Carolina showed us some tactical ways we can get better, Butler reminded us of the psychological part of this game that you also have to bring every day,” head coach Janet Rayfield commented after the match. “We will bounce back and all of us, our staff, and our players will look at what we need to do better to have the energy and competitive fire ready to go on Thursday.”
The Illini turn their focus to Thursday, Sept. 2 when they host Xavier. Kickoff is set for 7 PM CT and will be broadcasted on B1G+.
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