Chambana Sun

The University of Illinois women's soccer team is set to play its final two road matches of the regular season, facing Northwestern on Thursday and No. 16 Michigan State on Sunday. The match against Northwestern will take place at Martin Stadium in Evanston, Illinois, with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT. The game against Michigan State will be held at DeMartin Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan, starting at 12 p.m. CT.

Illinois enters this stretch with a record of 12-2-1 overall and 5-2-1 in conference play. The team recently secured shutout victories over Rutgers (2-0) and Purdue (1-0). Goalkeeper Izzy Lee made 17 saves in those games, achieving her eighth and ninth clean sheets of the season. This marks the highest number of shutouts by an Illinois goalkeeper in a single season since Alexandra Kapicka in 2008.

The Fighting Illini are ranked No. 24 in Top Drawer Soccer's latest poll and are receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches poll. Michigan State is ranked No. 16 by United Soccer Coaches.

Northwestern holds a record of 6-3-6 overall and 2-2-4 in conference play. Illinois leads the all-time series between the teams, holding a 15-10-4 advantage. In their last meeting on October 27, 2024, Illinois won 4-1. This season, both teams have faced six common opponents, including Washington, Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State, Indiana, and Rutgers. Northwestern's results include a win over Rutgers, ties with Washington, Oregon, and Ohio State, and losses to Penn State and Indiana. Illinois has wins over Oregon, Penn State, and Rutgers, a draw with Indiana, and losses to Washington and Ohio State.

Michigan State comes into Sunday's match with a 7-3-5 overall record and a 4-1-3 mark in Big Ten play. Illinois leads the all-time series 21-5-3 but lost the most recent matchup on October 19, 2023. Both teams have played Rutgers and Ohio State this season; Michigan State tied both opponents while Illinois beat Rutgers but lost to Ohio State.

Illinois has two players tied for sixth in the Big Ten for points: Sarah Foley and Cayla Jackson, each with six goals and three assists for a total of 15 points. The team has surpassed 12 wins for the first time since 2011. Their current away record stands at 7-1 (.875), which is the best in program history.

Head coach Katie Hultin achieved the best start for any coach in program history at 7-0-1 through eight matches and extended that run to 9-1-1 through eleven games. She is the first head coach at Illinois to win her first seven games without conceding a match in her first nine games. Hultin also earned her first ranked win against No. 18 Penn State on September 25.

Izzy Lee has nine shutouts this season in fifteen appearances and has made eighty saves. Her nine shutouts are tied for fourth most in program history for a single season. She leads the Big Ten in shutouts and set a new single-game career high with ten saves against Penn State.

Sarah Foley leads the team with six goals and fifteen points. She recorded her first career hat trick against Valparaiso on September 7 and has three game-winning goals this season. Her six goals are fifth most in the Big Ten. Foley also set a new single-game career high with two assists against Maryland on October 5.

Cayla Jackson has matched Foley's stats for goals and assists. Emma Yee has six goals this season as well, ranking third on the team with thirteen points. Lia Howard has three goals after recording her first career brace against Penn State. Ashley Stellon leads the team with four assists. Sydney Stephens has contributed three goals and one assist for seven points. Freshman Ashlyn Adams has three assists after providing two against Penn State. Freshman Kyra Berman recorded her first career assist against DePaul on August 28.