Iowa State Falls to Illinois in Opener

Friday, August 29

Champaign, Ill.

7:30 PM

Iowa State

0-1

Illinois

2-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Iowa State	0	1	1
ILL	1	2	3

Iowa State Falls to Illinois in Opener

08.29.2008 | Soccer

Box Score

By: cyclones.com

CHAMPAIGN, Ill.?The Iowa State soccer team's comeback efforts fell short as Illinois took the first-round match of the Illini Challenge Cup, 3-1, Friday in the Cyclones' season-opening contest.

The No. 18-ranked Illini (2-0) netted the match's first tally in the 39th minute when Charlotte Cooke scored her first goal of the campaign off a cross from Laura Knutson. Illinois took its 1-0 lead into the intermission where it also held an 8-1 shots advantage and had four corners to Iowa State's zero. ISU's lone shot came off the foot of junior forward Amanda Nimtz.

Illinois extended its lead 20:34 into the second half when Chichi Nweke scored off a Marti Desjarlais assist. The Cyclones (0-1) responded only 13 seconds later as junior midfielder Lauren Odino tallied ISU's first goal of the season off assists by freshman midfielder Laura Wooster and sophomore midfielder Jordan Bishop.

“After they scored the second goal, we started to so play with more urgency,” Cyclone coach Wendy Dillinger said. “We need to play with that urgency all the time. If we do that, we will win a lot of games.”

The Cyclones searched for the equalizer by bringing on additional offensive players and sacrificing defense and Illinois capitalized with a Courtney Bell goal with just under five minutes remaining to stretch its advantage to 3-1.

The Illini outshot the Cyclones 16-4 and held a 7-1 corner advantage.

Iowa State junior goalkeeper Ann Gleason made four saves in the match, while Odino paced the Cyclones with a team-high two shots, with one being on frame.

“We played tough and battled the whole time,” Dillinger said. “We had opportunities but just didn't pull the trigger.”

Despite the setback, Dillinger was happy the Cyclones played stiff competition in the opener.

“I would rather start with a tough game to measure where we are at and know what we need to start working on,” she said.

The Cyclones will play Sunday at 11 a.m. in the consolation match after Dayton beat Pittsburgh, 3-2, in double overtime in the tournament's first contest. The Panthers are 0-2 on the young season.