Tonight's game is a matchup that the No. 23 Illinois (10-2, 4-1 Big Ten) women's soccer team has been eyeing since last season ended.

Crowned the Big Ten tournament champions, the Fighting Illini are now looking to head into this year's tournament as the top team.

At 7 p.m. at Jeffrey Field No. 3 Penn State (9-1-1, 5-0) looks to extend its one-game conference lead over Illinois. The Nittany Lions will also host Northwestern (7-4-1, 3-2) at noon on Sunday.

In 12 games Illinois has only beaten the Lions once, in the first round of the 2002 Big Ten tournament. To win their first regular season game against the Lions, the Illini will have to do it in a place they've never won.

"It's [Jeffrey Field] a tough atmosphere to play in," Illinois women's soccer coach Janet Rayfield said. "We will have to find a way to play there and not get caught up in the emotion. The streak is something to mention and it would be extra special to be the team to knock them off there."

The streak Rayfield talks of is the 33-game win home win streak. To keep it going Penn State will have to deal with a team that three Big Ten coaches picked to win the conference in the preseason.

The high praise of the Illini comes from the talented core that the team brought back. They are led by All-America goalie Leisha Alcia, who has six shutouts and a 0.43 goals against average. Forwards Tara Hurless and Jessica Bayne lead a strong offense with seven goals each.

Penn State's defense has only given up one goal in Big Ten play. Coach Paula Wilkins expects a battle on both sides of the field.

"[Alcia] is a very good goalkeeper," Wilkins said. "We will have to get the ball out of reach of her and compete spectacular under pressure. A few of their players are dangerous. Hurless, Bayne and [Andrea] Ridgeway are all athletic."

The Lions counter with their own dynamic duo. Junior Tiffany Weimer has scored in every Big Ten game and goalie Erin McLeod has kept pressure on opposing teams to score goals. McLeod has only allowed three goals in eight games.

With the prime-time matchup of the two best goalies in the conference, it might take only one goal to decide the game.

"It's gonna be great," Alcia said. "Whether it ends up as a battle of keepers or a battle of strikers, it's gonna be a great battle altogether."

Penn State could be without defender Lindsay Bach, who missed practice during the week after sustaining a concussion last weekend.

Northwestern has won two in a row but has not beaten the Lions in the previous six tries.