Chambana Sun

Illinois soccer secured a 2-0 victory over Rutgers on Thursday night at Demirjian Park. The win improved Illinois' record to 11-2-1 overall and 4-2-1 in the Big Ten Conference, while Rutgers fell to 3-5-4 overall and 1-5-1 in conference play.

Goalkeeper Izzy Lee recorded 10 saves, earning her eighth shutout of the season. This achievement ties her for the fifth most shutouts in a single season in program history. Lee is the first Illinois goalkeeper since Steph Panozzo in 2011 to reach eight clean sheets in a season.

The scoring began in the 39th minute when Sydney Stephens received a pass from Lia Howard at the top of the box and scored her third goal of the season, which was also her second game-winning goal this year. Howard's assist was her first of the season, and both players now have seven points for the 2025 campaign.

Later in the same minute, Howard drew a foul inside the box, leading to a penalty kick that Ellen Persson converted for her second goal of the season.

Illinois created several early chances, including a shot from Cayla Jackson that went high within the first 10 minutes and another from Emma Yee in the 19th minute that was deflected.

Lee made important saves in both the 34th and 64th minutes to maintain Illinois' lead and secure the shutout. The team has now recorded nine shutouts this season, including one match where Lee played only the first half.

Despite being outshot by Rutgers 12-10 and having fewer shots on goal (10-6), Illinois capitalized on its opportunities to achieve its 11th win of the season. This marks the first time since 2018 that Illinois has reached 11 wins in a single season. Attendance for the match was 674.

Illinois will play its final home match of the regular season against Purdue on Sunday, October 12, at 1 p.m. CT.