With the start of Big Ten play around the corner, the Fighting Illini are feeling better than ever. The team sits at 5-2-1 and has recorded three clean sheets across those eight games, while the offense has continued to improve throughout non-conference play.
Illinois has turned Demirjian Park into a fortress this season, boasting a 4-1-1 when playing at home in front of the Illini faithful. Conference action begins on Sunday, and Illinois is ready to make Big Ten teams terrified of coming to Champaign.
“We’ve just taken so much more pride in Demirjian Park being our home this year,” said junior goalkeeper Julia Cili. “If teams are coming in, we want them to be scared to play us. We want our stadium to be somewhere people fear coming into.
“If you’re coming into our house, you’re gonna have to really, really fight to win because that’s what we want to defend.”
The Illini have scored 10 times on home turf this season while conceding just five goals. Cili says the cohesiveness of the defense has been especially strong this year, while the back line of Eileen Murphy and Ella Karolak has provided an anchor in front of Cili in net.
Two of the three Illinois clean sheets took place at Demirjian Park, and Cili expects to see a lot more of those once conference action kicks off.
“I think we just have a really talented back line,” Cili said. “We work really well together. We’ve been really good at communicating. Everyone’s strong individually with one-v-one defending, and I think we all just have so much trust in each other. Everybody knows what their responsibilities are, and they can just do a good job of it.”
Redshirt senior midfielder Kendra Pasquale is the Illini’s leading scorer, and she has bagged three goals through eight games. All three tallies have come at home, and she credits the energy created by fans and teammates for being so successful while playing in Champaign.
“Our team brings so much energy and excitement. We’re fun to watch,” Pasquale said. “We have fun when we’re out there, and it’s pretty evident in the way we play. Our goal celebrations, our bench energy: It’s just super contagious.
“Being home, it’s just truly everyone being here as the Fighting Illini. It’s just an unmatched feeling, so I think us continuously showing up for the fans just proves that when they show up for us, we’re going to do…
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