As the 2021 (fall) collegiate soccer season rolls around, it seems like more of the same for Illini Soccer. Nearly everyone is back from last spring squad that posted a respectable 6-5-1 record. The expectation is for Coach Janet Rayfield to roll out the same 4-4-1-1 formation, and we’ll stick with that as we start from the back and work forward. Along the way, we’ll choose probable starters, discuss other options, maybe go off on a couple of tangents, and also coming away with a big “if” for each group could affect the team overall.
Goalkeeper
Julia Cili, Sophomore
The current Illini roster currently has only 2 goalkeepers, so I’ll side with experience here.