IU women's soccer team drops lone exhibition match 5-0 to Missouri Tigers

The IU women’s soccer team dropped its only exhibition match of the preseason 5-0 to the University of Missouri Tigers on Tuesday night in Columbia, Mo.\nIU let in five goals, despite defense one of the team’s greatest strength. The Hoosiers gave both their goalies chances in the exhibition. Junior Megan Reinhardt guarded the net in the first half, letting up two goals while making one save. Freshman Lauren Hollandsworth subbed in for the second half, letting in three goals but deflecting six Tiger shots.\nThe Hoosier offense only managed four shots on goal the entire match.\nDespite a rough start, the Hoosiers will rely on their experience and defense to be the backbone of the team as they try to prove preseason rankings wrong.\nIU, which had a 5-4-1 record last year, is predicted to finish in the middle of the conference at sixth, according to the Big Ten coaches’ preseason poll. \nBut with 15 team members returning, including six starters, the Hoosiers will field an experienced squad. All of them are looking forward to a challenge. \nLast year’s squad also focused on defense, letting in a school-record low of 15 goals. IU coach Mick Lyon said this year’s squad will also depend on a back line that struggled against Missouri.\n“Games can be won on defense – certainly I know we have to score goals – but defending your own goal and stopping the other team from scoring is going to be our primary starting point,” Lyon said. “I certainly expect us to be ever-dominant in the back as we have been. I don’t know that we will set a school record again, because it is difficult to set a record every year, but we will be extremely competitive in the defensive unit for sure.” \nEven with such a strong defense, improving on last year’s season will be tough considering the schedule the team has been dealt. \nThe squad will face five teams ranked in the preseason top 25. Their season opener will be at No. 13 University of Florida. The Hoosiers will host No. 25 University of Southern California on Sept. 9. \nDuring conference play, the Hoosiers will face the preseason rankings’ top five Big Ten teams on the road, including nationally ranked No. 7 Penn State, No. 15 Purdue and No. 20 Illinois.\n“You’ve got to play a tough schedule if you want to get prepared for Big Ten games,” Lyon said. “All 10 of our Big Ten games are incredibly tough, whether we are playing Penn State, who ranks at the top, or Iowa, who is at the bottom.”\nTo gear up for the tough schedule and to keep fit, many of the Hoosiers participated in club teams over the summer. Five sophomores – defender Jessica Boots, forward Kristin Arnold and midfielders Nikki Bonacorsi, Christie Kotynski and Natalie O’Bryan – played for the Carmel Cyclones.\nWith help from the Hoosier players, the Cyclones won the Under-19 division at the United States Youth Soccer National Championships in July.\n“It gave me a chance to really get to know the other girls on a different level. Not only as just friends, but getting to know their different styles of play,” Boots said. “Being together all summer was just a really good time.”\nLyon said those sophomores and their summer experiences will be instrumental to the team’s season.\n“The sophomore class was very big last year and is outstanding in talent and experience. And that is the group that we are relying on to really help us come through,” Lyon said. \nThe Hoosier’s season will kick off Aug. 31 as the Hoosiers travel to Gainesville, Fla., to take on the No. 13 Gators.