Oct. 7, 2007
CHAMPAIGN, IL – The Hawkeyes were given their first loss in nearly a month on Sunday, as Illinois blanked the Hawkeyes 6-0 behind a strong offensive showing. Five Fighting Illini goals came from the bench, including two each from a pair of freshman. Until Sunday, the Hawkeyes had not lost since September 7 to then-No. 23 Missouri.
“It’s a tough loss for our team,” Head Coach Ron Rainey said. “We made a lot of mental mistakes today and Illinois made us pay for them. We have to put this loss behind us and move forward.”
The defense, which has been the strong point for the Hawkeyes this season, did not appear to be in-sync from the start. The Hawkeyes (6-2-4, 2-1-0) were outshot by an astounding 26-5 and gave up four goals in the second period. Senior goalkeeper Lindsey Boldt and freshman Kali Feiereisel combined for seven saves, but the offensive attack from Illinois was too much for the Hawkeyes.
The loss at the hands of the Fighting Illini was the Hawkeyes’ worst conference loss since 2005, when they fell 8-0 to Penn State. Iowa now has lost four straight to Illinois. Iowa will look to regroup next weekend when they visit Purdue and Indiana for a Friday-Sunday road trip.
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