IU womens soccer goes on the road, loses 2 Big Ten games

With two losses on the road this weekend, the IU women’s soccer team has dropped its last three Big Ten contests in what has been the only blemish in the team’s Big Ten season.\nNow, with a record of 12-4-2, 5-3-1 in Big Ten play, IU coach Mick Lyon said his team will likely receive a fourth or fifth seed in the Big Ten tournament.\n“What is important is that we find a way to get a ‘W’ in the next two games,” Lyon said. “You don’t get credit with selectors for the NCAA tournament by playing well and coming up short.”\nAnd Sunday against No. 13 Penn State the Hoosiers did play well, out-shooting the Nittany Lions 11-7, but they lost 2-1.\n“We were the stronger team in the first half, and an even stronger team in the second half,” Lyon said.\nThe first score of the game came in the 49th minute, as Penn State’s Katie Schoepfer blasted a shot past IU freshman goalkeeper Lauren Hollandsworth.\nThe goal was Schoepfer’s 10th of the season and tied her for a share of the lead in Big Ten goals with Ella Masar of Illinois and Purdue’s senior forward Parrissa Eyorokon. IU sophomore forward Kristin Arnold is near the top of the list with nine.\nIU’s only goal of the match came from senior forward Lindsay McCarthy in the 56th minute.\nMcCarthy caught a short misplayed pass by Penn State sophomore defender Maura Ryan from behind. McCarthy slid in and redirected the pass right in front of Nittany Lion sophomore goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. The redirect trickled past the keeper and found the goal, McCarthy’s fourth of the season.\nSchoepfer’s 11th goal of the season put Penn State on top for good, as she moved atop the Big Ten in goals.\nThe shot came in the 68th minute and was just out of the reach of a diving Hollandsworth.\nOn Friday, the Hoosiers dropped another road game to Ohio State 1-0.\nThe game’s only goal came in the 73rd minute, as Ohio State’s Alex Burzynski lofted a shot over Hollandsworth’s head.\nThe Hoosiers’ best opportunity of the match came in the 21st minute, as Kristin Arnold peppered a shot from 30 yards out that banged off the crossbar and fell to the feet of IU freshman forward Leigh Anne Cummings. Her rebound sailed wide of the net.\nThe crossbar got in the way of another IU attempt a minute into second-half play. Arnold sent the ball in off of a corner to freshman forward Chloe McKay, whose shot rang off the bar and came down to the feet of sophomore forward Liz Holby, whose shot was broken up by the Ohio State defense.\nAgain, the Hoosiers out-shot their opponent, notching 14 shots to Ohio State’s 12.\n“We were so good,” Lyon said. “It’s a disappointing weekend not having two wins, but I can’t knock the ability and effort of the girls. It’s huge, just so good.”\nIU’s next game, at 4 p.m. Friday against rival Purdue in West Lafayette, will be its last of the regular season.\n“I’ll play anybody in the Big Ten, anybody in the NCAA tournament, and I think we will be in the game,” Lyon said. “We can play against anybody.”