Brian Moline discusses Illini soccer frequently on his blog. Read his latest installment here.

CHAMPAIGN – Jordan Hilbrands scored two goals and Niki Read also connected as the 11th-ranked Illini soccer team shut out UC Santa Barbara 3-0 on Sunday in the finale of the Illini Challenge Cup.

Marissa Mykines notched a pair of assists and keeper Alexandra Kapicka made one save for her 11th career shutout.

"We got the job done today," said Illini coach Janet Rayfield, whose squad rebounded from a 2-1 loss to ninth-ranked UCLA on Saturday. "It's too bad we couldn't finish more of our opportunities, but we're right on track. We scored some great goals."

Illinois (3-1-1) outshot the Gauchos 12-1 and took the lead on Hilbrand's goal in the fifth minute.

Kapicka's diving save off a close shot in the 65th minute preserved the shutout.

With a 2-0 lead, Rayfield emptied her bench in the second half.

"We have a deep team," Rayfield said. "We were able to get a lot of people in the game to get experience. That was critical for today and will be for the rest of the season, as we will need other players to step up."

That opportunity could come as early as this weekend as the Illini travel to Oregon to face No. 3 Portland on Friday.