CHAMPAIGN  They''re not spending 12 days of quality time together on some deserted Air Force base in Rantoul.

   But Jillian Ellis and her Illinois soccer crew are leaving campus soon for a little get-to-know-you excursion of their own.

University of Illinois women's soccer coach Jillian Ellis has signed seven prospects to national letters of intent.

The program's second recruiting class includes three players from Illinois, two from Virginia and one each from New Jersey and Texas.

Team scoring leader Sarah Aberle netted her seventh goal, but the University of Illinois women's soccer team lost 3-1 to St. Louis on Tuesday in Champaign.

Freshman Rachel Smith scored on a breakaway goal in double overtime Sunday in Champaign to give the University of Illinois women's soccer team its first Big Ten Conference victory, 3-2 over Northwestern.

"It feels great. I'm really happy for the players. To win like that makes it exciting," Illini coach Jillian Ellis said.

The Illinois women's soccer team fell behind 3-0 in the first half Friday at Wisconsin and never recovered in a 4-0 Big Ten Conference loss in Madison. Outshot 16-8, the Illini fell to 4-7 overall, 0-6 in the Big Ten. Wisconsin, with two goals from Lindsay Hoelter, improved to 3-7, 2-4.

CHAMPAIGN – With just two goals in its previous four games, the University of Illinois soccer team's offense needed a good, swift kick-start.

On Friday night, Missy Kann thought she'd provided one.

At least the Illinois women's soccer team knows what it's shooting for.

Illinois gave 21st-ranked Minnesota a rare scare before falling 1-0 Friday night in a Big Ten women's soccer match in Champaign.