IU women’s soccer couldn’t overcome an early deficit in a 1-0 loss to Rutgers on Thursday night in Piscataway, N.J.
In their first match as a Big Ten team, the Scarlet Knights got a goal from Stefanie Scholz in the third minute and the Hoosiers dropped to 1-6 in conference play.
IU had 11 shots in the game, nine of those coming on goal.
IU Coach Amy Berbary said she was proud of the way her team played after giving up a goal so early in the game.
“We are so close and it is tough to keep getting this close and coming up just a little bit short,” she said in an Oct. 2 release. “But this is a process and I know this team has bought into that process, so we will keep pushing forward and get ready for Sunday’s game at Maryland.”
Within eight minutes of the goal, IU had four shots on goal. Late in the first half, Mykayla Brown got her head on a corner kick that she put on frame, but it was headed back out by a Rutgers defender.
Freshman goalkeeper Casey Murphy had eight saves in the match.
IU senior midfielder Tori Keller said the amount of pressure they were able to put on the Scarlet Knights gives them confidence going forward. Now, they just have to finish games, she said.
“This is a tough loss for us because we went toe-to-toe with another one of the best teams in the country,” Keller said in the release. “We know we are close to breaking through and getting a win in these close games.”
IU finished with a 5-3 advantage in corner kicks. Rutgers had 12 shots on goal.
Junior goalkeeper Sarah Stone had five saves.
The Hoosiers play at 1 p.m. next Sunday against Maryland in the second-ever meeting between the two teams.
Grace Palmieri
