The Illini upset Kentucky on the road, snapping the Wildcats’ 19-match home win streak with a 2-1 victory.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Illinois soccer extended its unbeaten start with a 2-1 win over Kentucky on Sunday, handing the Wildcats their first loss of the season and snapping a 19-match home winning streak. Before 881 fans at the Bell Soccer Complex, the Illini (5-0-0) scored twice in the first half and held firm defensively to secure the program’s best start since 2004.
Kentucky (5-1-0) struck first just two minutes into the contest when a deflected shot off an Illinois defender slipped past keeper Izzy Lee. It marked the first goal the Illini had allowed this season.
Illinois responded quickly. In the 17th minute, Ashley Stellon forced a turnover deep in Kentucky’s end and found Cayla Jackson wide open in the box. Jackson delivered, drilling a shot inside the right post to even the score.
The eventual game-winner came in the 43rd minute when Ellen Persson rose for a header off a Stellon corner kick. The goal, Persson’s first of the season and second of her career, gave Illinois a 2-1 lead it would not relinquish. Stellon finished with two assists, her third and fourth career helpers.
Lee anchored the back line with seven saves against Kentucky’s 19 total shots, including a diving stop in the 80th minute on a strike from distance that nearly tied the match.
Despite being outshot 19-7 and conceding an 8-4 edge in shots on goal, Illinois made the most of its chances to remain perfect under first-year coach Katie Hultin. She joins Tricia Taliaferro (1999) as the only Illinois coaches to begin their tenures with five straight wins.
The victory also marked Kentucky’s first home loss since Oct. 15, 2023, when the Wildcats fell 2-0 to Mississippi State. The last time Kentucky lost at home to a non-conference opponent was Sept. 22, 2019, against Central Michigan.
Illinois returns to action Thursday at Missouri, with kickoff set for 5 p.m. CT. The Illini are back at Demirjian Park on Sunday, Sept. 7, for Senior Day against Valparaiso at 1 p.m.
