By Zain Pyarali
zpyarali@indiana.edu | @ZP_IDS
A four-game win streak for the Hoosiers capped a 4-1 home stand, as they took down Kent State 4-3 in overtime Friday afternoon at the IU Field Hockey Complex.
IU (6-4) squandered a two-goal lead late in the second half, sending the game into overtime.
Sophomore midfielder Taylor Pearson cashed in the game-winning goal on a backhand eight minutes into the extra period off of a penalty corner drawn by freshman Claire Woods to boost the Hoosiers to their sixth win of the season.
“She’s just so smooth under pressure that she’s very poised, and I can’t believe she’s only a sophomore,” IU Coach Amanda Janney said. “She plays like a very experienced player and for her to score a big one today, we’re very happy for her.”
Junior Morgan Dye got things started for IU in the 11th minute when she stole the ball from a Kent State defender near the right sideline. Dye dribbled into the circle to find senior Rachel Stauffer on a cross, as she flicked the ball into the top of the net to give the Hoosiers an early 1-0 advantage.
Three minutes later, however, Kent State junior forward Madison Thompson responded. She picked off an IU pass and struck one into the net from the top half of the circle, tying the game 1-1.
IU regained the lead two minutes later off its first penalty corner of the game, and sophomore forward Maddie Latino took the corner for the Hoosiers. As the ball was settled, Stauffer delivered a between-the-legs pass to find junior midfielder Kate Barber who dribbled into the circle and struck a ball from 15 feet out, which found Latino’s stick near the left post and was deflected into the net.
“We started off a little panicky and just needed to calm it down,” Pearson said. “As a team we just need to stay composed on the ball and not rush anything, so we just went back to the basics and I think that really helped us in the end.”
Latino added an insurance goal for IU 15 minutes into the second half off a rebounded shot saved by the goalkeeper, giving the reigning Big Ten Co-offensive Player of the Week back-to-back two-goal performances.
Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, freshman goalkeeper Noelle Rother’s 11 saves weren’t enough to stop Kent State from adding two late goals, including the game-tying goal with 2:18 remaining to push overtime.
“The fight was always there,” Janney said. “The response and the ability to get back in the game and to get back on the attack was good. We were just on our defense end way too much for how good our team is.”
Kent State initially controlled the overtime period, but two big stops by Rother kept IU in the game and eventually led to the game-winning goal for Pearson.
Riding their four-game win streak, the Hoosiers are taking their first overtime experience on the road to No. 16 Michigan (8-3) Sunday.
“Overtime wins are always really exciting,” Janney said. “To get the experience in overtime that we haven’t had to go through yet, it’s really beneficial for a team later in the season that if we go to an overtime game, we’ll have the confidence to know we can win.”
