Moline's Musings
Soccer Thursday 10-29
Posted by: Brian Moline
Thursday, October 29, 2009 2:53 PM
Breaking News
Illini senior goalkeeper Alex Kapicka won't join her teammates on the field for Senior Day ceremonies. That's because the Illini found out this week that Kapicka has been granted a medical redshirt year by the NCAA, and will have one more year of eligibility. She does plan to return for one more season on the squad. Head coach Janet Rayfield informed the team of this news after yesterday's practice. Kapicka is now a redshirt junior in terms of eligibility.
Illini Recap
Last week was a tough one for the Orange and Blue, as they were hoping to get some results against the top two teams in the Big Ten, but instead lost a pair of matches by a combined 9-0 score. Last Thursday's 3-0 loss to Ohio State was played in a steady rain at Illinois Soccer Stadium. The first half was disappointing for the Illini, as they fell into a 2-0 hole while being outshot 10-1 by the Buckeyes. The second half saw Illinois do better in the run of play, but they were unable to find the back of the net.
After a long trip to State College, the Illini tried something different against 11-time defending Big Ten champs Penn State. With sophomore defender Julie Ewing sidelined (concussion), Janet Rayfield went to a 3-4-3 against the Nittany Lions. The new formation appeared to help keep Penn State from building in the midfield, but Penn State was able to score on some quick counterattacks to take a 2-0 lead into intermission. It appeared that the long trip caught up to the Illini in the second half, as the goals began to come easier for Penn State. All told, it was a long day for the Illini in a 6-0 defeat.
Big Ten Wrapup
Thursday 10/22
Ohio State 3 Illinois 0
Friday 10/23
Sunday 10/25
Penn State 6 Illinois 0
Best Weekend: Ohio State. The Buckeyes were outstanding defensively in wins against Illinois and Purdue, limiting the Boilermakers to just three total shots in 90+ minutes of play. Ohio State is now looking in good shape to be one of the top 16 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.
Worst Weekend: Illinois. It's hard to say otherwise when your aggregate score for the weekend is 0-9. The good news is that the Illini have three winnable games on the schedule to end the season. And maybe, just maybe, if they win all three, they can still find their way into the NCAA Tournament.
Big Ten Standings
| Big Ten | Overall | ||||
| Team | Record | Pct. | Pts. | Record | Pct. |
| 1. Ohio State | 6-1-1 | .813 | 19 | 13-2-2 | .824 |
| 2. Penn State | 5-1-1 | .786 | 16 | 9-5-2 | .625 |
| Wisconsin | 4-1-4 | .667 | 16 | 8-5-5 | .583 |
| 4. Purdue | 3-2-2 | .571 | 11 | 9-4-3 | .656 |
| Minnesota | 3-3-2 | .500 | 11 | 10-5-3 | .639 |
| 6. Northwestern | 3-3-1 | .500 | 10 | 6-8-2 | .438 |
| 7. Indiana | 2-2-2 | .500 | 8 | 10-3-2 | .733 |
| Michigan State | 2-3-2 | .429 | 8 | 9-3-4 | .688 |
| 9. Michigan | 0-2-5 | .357 | 5 | 5-7-5 | ,441 |
| Illinois | 1-4-2 | .286 | 5 | 6-7-3 | .469 |
| 11. Iowa | 0-7-0 | .000 | 0 | 8-9-0 | .471 |
To the Polls
NSCAA Great Lakes. Illini not in this top ten ranking for the first time all season.
This Weekend
Another mediocre week in predicting, as I went just 4-3-2 , leaving me at 18-11-11 for the season. As always, my picks to win in bold.
Thursday 10/29
Penn State at Indiana. The Hoosiers are tough at home, but Schoepfer and Toney are on a roll right now for the Nittany Lions.
Friday 10/30
Michigan State at Illinois. The Illini really struggled last weekend, but MSU has now lost four starters to season-ending injuries, including leading scorer Laura Heyboer.
Michigan at Iowa. I thought last Friday would be Iowa's first win (against Northwestern), but they lost in overtime. I can't see the Hawkeyes finishing the conference season winless, so we'll give the home team the nod. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to see a scoreless tie here.
Northwestern at Minnesota. The Gophers are really struggling lately, going winless in their last four matches. Those struggles end at home against the Wildcats.
Sunday 11/1
Michigan at Illinois. The Illini are in must-win territory for the rest of the season. I think the sense of urgency helps them take care of the young Wolverines.
Purdue at Penn State. As good as Purdue's defense can be, I don't think it's good enough to stop the Schoepfer/Toney juggernaut.
Indiana at Ohio State. The Buckeyes continue to roll, as their defense will find a way to contain Velasquez-Herrera.
Michigan State at Iowa. They may not have Heyboer, but I think Lauren Hill will still be enough for Sparty to pull out a road win.
Monday 11/2
Wisconsin at Northwestern. This is an interesting matchup to me. The Wildcats have been tough at Lakeside Field, but Wisconsin is feeling pretty good right now. I'll go with the upset here, which may make the Badgers sweat a bit on selection Monday, as this is their last match of the season.
Coverage This Week
WDWS is carrying both Illini matches this weekend. Tomorrow night's match will be tape delayed after men's basketball and volleyball, starting at approximately 11pm. Sunday's match against Michigan, which is Senior Day, will be carried live starting at 1pm. Thanks for reading.
bmoline@wdws.com
Comments
Be the first to share your opinion!
Add a Comment
Previous Entries
- 11/19/2009
Catching Up - 11/6/2009
Soccer Finale Tonight - 11/3/2009
Promotion for Perry - More…