8/21- #19 Illini Soccer Opens Up Season At Missouri

Just for Kicks In 2007, Illinois was... ...12-7-2 overall ...6-3-1 in the Big Ten ...12-1-1 when scoring first EZ Does It Senior defender Emily Zurrer was named to the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List for the second year in a row. After spending the first part of the summer with the Vancouver Whitecaps of the W-League, Zurrer was selected to the Canadian Womens National Team where she started on the back line at the Olympics. Preseason Rankings In addition to being picked to finish second by the Big Ten coaches, Illinois earned preseason rankings from four different polls for the upcoming season. Soccer America ranked the Illini the highest at No. 17, while the NSCAA (No. 19), Top Drawer Soccer (No. 20) and Soccer Times (No. 24) also slotted the Orange and Blue in the top 25. What to Expect Despite losing six talented seniors from the 2007 squad, Illinois has the depth to fill the gaps left by those who departed. Up front, senior Jessica Levitt and junior Chichi Nweke reassume their starting roles, while the Illini have multiple weapons to choose from for the third starting forward. Senior Charlotte Cooke and sophomores Jordan Hilbrands and Laura Knutson create a versatile lineup with speed and power, while sophomore Christina Sahly, who should be in full form after limited time over the past two seasons due to an injury, could prove to be the missing piece that pulls the potent attack together. The midfield features the most experience led by senior Marti Desjarlais, juniors Courtney Bell and Santacaterina and sophomore Cory Steigerwald, while Zurrer and sophomore Danielle Kot will anchor the defense in the middle. The pair of center backs will be the key to directing the defense as the starting roles at outside back are up for grabs, with senior Brittany Garrett likely to step in as a starter. Junior Alexandra Kapicka takes over in goal after limited time in her first two seasons. Here is a look at the complete breakdown of this years squad, along with a preview of the schedule and outlook for the season. Missouri at a Glance The Missouri Tigers are coming off one of their best seasons in program history. The Tigers return 10 starters from last years team, including leading-scorer Kristin Andrighetto. Last season, Missouri advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual-champion USC in double-overtime. The Tigers were picked to finish third in the Big 12 preseason coaches poll. Magnificent Seven The Illinois soccer team had seven members selected to the 2007 All-Big Ten teams. Senior forward Ella Masar and junior defender Emily Zurrer were named to the first team for the second year in a row, while senior defender Mary Therese McDonnell and sophomore midfielder Jackie Santacaterina earned second-team honors. In addition, Illinois had a trio of freshmen earn Big Ten All-Freshman honors, including defender Danielle Kot, forward Laura Knutson and midfielder Cory Steigerwald. The seven selections represent the most in school history. Seventh Heaven Illinois shut out seven opponents in a row at home during the 2007 season, setting a new school record. The streak began with a 5-0 win against Xavier before the Orange and Blue knocked off No. 9 Florida with a 1-0 victory. Illinois then reeled off five straight shutouts over Big Ten opponents, including a 3-0 win over No. 24 Indiana on senior night to cap off the streak. The Illini also collected 674:10 consecutive shutout minutes during the span, beginning in the second half of the Missouri game through the final match against the Hoosiers.