IU's 3-game winning streak comes to end

The IU women’s soccer team increased its winning streak to three at its home field this weekend with a victory against Minnesota, but a loss against Wisconsin broke the streak.

Friday night’s match against Minnesota resulted in a 2-0 win for IU, though the Golden Gophers outshot the Hoosiers 16-6.

However, IU Coach Mick Lyon said the team and coaching staff remained confident throughout the 90 minutes of play.

“I felt like the game was going to be ours,” he said. “As long as we maintained the high level of effort and discipline, I just felt like we’ll win the game.”

IU got on the board the first time about 20 minutes into the first half, when junior forward Rebecca Candler crossed the ball into the box. Sophomore midfielder Abby Smith had knocked the ball in at the back post.

About seven minutes later, junior midfielder Becca Zambon dribbled the ball up the sideline and tapped it to senior forward Orianica Velasquez. From there, Velasquez upped the Hoosier lead when she quickly one-touched the ball to get into position amidst Minnesota defenders and blasted it in from 15 yards out.  

“That’s why that kind of player plays at the World Cup and Olympic level and why she’ll have a chance to play as a professional player, because nobody else on the park could create and score a goal like that,” Lyon said.

The Hoosiers entered the second half knowing they would have to ward off the Gophers to maintain the lead, but senior defender Ciersten Burks said the defense remained focused and assured.

“I feel really good about the defensive performance,” Burks said. “I felt like we’re really on the same page back there with our organization and our communication. It really helps us keep a strong line, and we got a shutout. You can’t ask for more than that.”

Following the victory, Lyon said it would be a matter of sustaining the positive attitude in Sunday’s game against Wisconsin.

“We’ll just ride the wave of confidence and enthusiasm within the squad and take it into the next game on Sunday,” he said. “That’s all we focus about is the next game.”

That confidence and enthusiasm wasn’t enough Sunday. The Badgers came from behind at the end of the match to win 2-1.

“What I told the team was, do not let this game define you,” Lyon said. “It’s just one game. You played extremely well against a very good team, created tons of chances, got a goal ... you are a high-level, quality soccer team, so leave remembering that.”

The Hoosiers’ first and only goal of the match came early in the first half. Junior defender Lara Ross lofted the ball over a leaping Wisconsin goalkeeper from 25 yards out to put IU on the board with a 1-0 lead.

“One of our main goals today was to get a goal in the first half, and reaching that goal was really exciting,” Ross said.

The early lead meant the Hoosiers had to manage their progress for the remainder of the match, and they knew the Badgers would come back strong, she said.

“Being up for the majority of the match, we knew they would come out after the first goal and especially after the first half, just going at our defense again and again and again,” Ross said.

It wasn’t until there were seven minutes left in the game that Wisconsin retaliated. Wisconsin’s McKenna Meuer chipped the ball over freshman goalkeeper Sarah Stone to tie the match.

When it seemed the match would head into overtime, Wisconsin put one more in the back of the net in the last minute, resulting in the 2-1 final.    

“We just lost our momentum and our focus for a few minutes, and they got the advantage from that,” Ross said.

IU maintains a 4-6 record in conference play, with entry into the Big Ten Tournament next week still in the air.

One match remains in the regular season, and the Hoosiers, currently tied for seventh with Nebraska, will need a victory or tie against Ohio State this week to secure their place in the tournament.

Only the top eight teams make it into the tournament. If IU ties Iowa, who is in ninth place, or Nebraska, a spot in the tournament will not be secured.

IU lost to both Nebraska and Iowa earlier in the season, and head-to-head matches decide tie-breakers.