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Illinois 1, Minnesota 0 (Final)
The Illinois defense made Jessica Bayne's 31st minute goal hold up in the third quarterfinal of the day. Illinois was on the attack first, but a feisty Minnesota defense stood tough. The first 15 minutes by both teams set a physical tone that no ball will go unchallenged. Minnesota found themselves playing a lot in their own end, but did not allow any real opportunities to the Illini. Minnesota's offensive opportunities came mostly from counter attacks, with Illinois goalkeeper Rachael Frank being called upon to make two big saves on chances created by the speed of Gopher forward Becky Dellaria. The Illini finally capitalized on an opportunity in the 31st minute when Jessica Bayne flicked the ball over a defender and shot the ball at a diving Schneider. The ball deflected off Schneider and into the side netting for the 1-0 lead. Much of the first half was spend in the Illinois attacking half and held an 11-1 advantage in shots, but they took a 1-0 lead into the halftime locker room. In the beginning of the second half, the Illini continued to control the flow of play and passed the ball well through the midfield to build their attacks. The back four of the Minnesota defense, however, held up in their defensive third to stifle most of the Illini offense and limit their dangerous opportunities. The Gophers picked up the attack around the 80th minute and created several chances from balls out of the back. Frank controlled her box well to shut down the Minnesota offensive. In the 83rd and 84th minutes, Minnesota had two consecutive corner kicks, but were unable to convert. Frank was then called upon to make a big save after a Lindsay Schwartz shot on goal. The midfield and offense of Illinois was able to control the ball for the remainder of the time by possessing the ball in the middle third of the field, and held on for the 1-0 shut out. The Illini will meet the winner of the Penn State-Michigan quarterfinal, tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m.
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