On both Friday night and Sunday afternoon, IU found goals from unlikely sources, as both junior defender Marissa Borschke and freshman forward Cassidy Blacha tallied their first career goals en route to a pair of 1-0 victories.
Borschke put one away against Missouri in the 53rd minute, while Blacha finished a rebound against Baylor in overtime to complete an undefeated weekend for the Hoosiers.
“We felt great,” IU Coach Amy Berbary said about the weekend. “It’s so difficult to win two games in 48 hours. It took a lot out of us on Friday, especially going to overtime today. We really had to dig deep to get it done.”
The wins were made possible by dominant performances from the Hoosier backline of Borschke, sophomore defender Annelie Leitner, junior defensive midfielder Veronica Ellis and senior defender Emily Basten. The four defenders, as well as senior goalkeeper Sarah Stone, are credited with 367 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal — the longest streak for IU since 2006.
“There were so many times where the backline saved me, and there were times where I saved the backline,” Stone said. “We were all pretty much on this weekend, and we were confident that we would have a shutout each time.”
With the Hoosiers still finalizing their offensive identity, the defense is an area that will keep them afloat in this year’s campaign. The backline has been able to pace the rest of the team, Blacha said.
“Our defense has been strong all weekend,” Blacha said. “Sarah Stone has come up with huge saves in every half. Marissa and Emily are always strong at centerback. Them keeping it together makes (the offense) work harder because we know that they’re doing their job.”
Stone was credited with 10 saves for the weekend, after allowing two goals to No. 13 Virginia Tech in the season opener. Her two clean sheets led her to the tournament’s Defensive MVP award.
“It’s nice to have a strong and confident offensive line,” Stone said. “We all play together and I think that showed today. When the ball goes through, I’m confident that I can get to it. It doesn’t seep through too many times.”
One of the leading goalscorer’s from last year, sophomore Kayla Smith, has been creating a slew of chances thus far. While it’s only a matter of time before Smith starts finishing her chances, the younger players, including Blache, look to add to the offense’s dynamic.
“Cassidy is what you call a goal-scoring forward,” Berbary said of Blache. “ I told her that if she had another look like that and a small window, go ahead and strike it. She sure did do just that.”
