Illinois soccer needs to finish strong and hope for good luck

The final three opponents for the women's Illinois soccer team are all outside of the top 25 and one opponent, Northwestern, sits at the bottom of the Big 10 table.

The Illini currently sit in the 11th spot, at least eight points outside of the 8th spot which is needed to make the Big Ten Tournament. Therefore, the team would need to win out and get a lot of help to secure a Big Ten Tournament berth.

Still, stranger things have happened. The team has a quality goal scorer in Sarah Foley, a strong midfield, and, as displayed against Purdue and USC, quality passing around the goal to create chances.

However, the backfield does get stretched and caught out of position quite a bit. Using the match against USC as an example, the Trojans were able to create wide open lanes down the middle of the pitch which led to three goals.

The same happened against UCLA, as the Bruins were up by two before the Illini made things interesting with a goal from Angie Galo in the 52nd minute. But, through the losses, one thing is clear: the team doesn't quit. As the match wears on, the women in Orange and Blue keep coming after their opponents.

The ride has definitely been bumpy, but there is a lot to build on from this season as the team continues to adjust to an expanded conference. But if the scoring and tenacity hold up for the next three matches, whether the Big Ten Tournament is in play or not, finishing strong has its own rewards. Up next is a trip to Bloomington, Indiana to play the Hosiers. Game on.