University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Illinois
Gophers Drop to Illinois in Final Home Game
10/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Oct. 28, 2015
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota women's soccer team fell in the regular-season finale 3-1 at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium on Wednesday night in the first snow fall in the state.
With the loss, the Gophers move to 11-5-3 overall and 6-4-1 in Big Ten play.
"It's a tough way to go down and right now we've got to figure out what changes we need to make," said head coachStefanie Golan. "Both teams were dealing with the weather which proved to be horrid conditions to play in, but both teams had to face it. Illinois fought better than we did to get three in the back of the net. We had a lot of good opportunities in the second half that I thought we could have finished and we just missed it. At the end of the day, you've got to score more than the other team and we didn't do that tonight."
The teams went into the locker room at half locked at 0-0. In the first 45-minutes of play, the Gophers notched two shots, two corner kicks, three saves and seven fouls.
In the 57th-minute, Jannelle Flaws of Illinois found the back of the net off a free kick, bending it around the wall.
Six minutes later after a foul in the box, Flaws brought the score to 2-0 off converting a penalty kick.
"Flaws is a dangerous player and we knew that from last year," said Golan. "If you give her enough opportunities, she'll capitalize and we couldn't have handed them to her any better."
"It's unlucky to lose on two set pieces," said sophomore Sydney Squires. "We prepare for all of those types of situations, but her placement was just perfect. There was nothing we could do about it."
Answering in the 69th-minute, Squires found service from freshman Molly Fiedler for her fifth goal of the season and the third assist for Fiedler.
"Our team needed a change and I thought I would give it my all to make anything happen," said Squires.
"I saw Sydney making a run and saw an opening between," said Fiedler. "Knowing she would get there, I played it and thankfully, it resulted in our favor."
With the score at 2-1 in favor of Illinois, the Fighting Illini got in one more punch with a goal in the 84th-minute by Kara Marbury, who beat junior goalkeeper Tarah Hobbs to the right of the net.
"Tonight's result is frustrating because the game wasn't won during the field of play," said Fiedler. "It doesn't necessarily mean they're better, they just were able to make it happen where we couldn't off fluke accidents. Illinois played really physical, our touches were off and they were able to step up."
Hobbs' record in goal moves to 10-5-3 on the season.
On the night, the Maroon and Gold tallied ten shots, earned three corner kicks and had twelve fouls.
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