Most teams don’t manage many shots against the Hoosiers because they can’t possess much of the ball.
But Friday against Maryland, Webb was forced into making a season-high of six saves in a scoreless draw.
As IU prepares for its next match against Louisville on Tuesday at Bill Armstrong Stadium, Webb said he expects only to be called upon a few times.
“I think we’ll go back to where we were with their shot count and limiting their opportunities,” Webb said.
In many ways, being tested could be better for Webb.
The confidence of making a few important saves can extend into later games and is something Webb doesn’t have a lot of this season, IU Coach Todd Yeagley said.
This is no fault of Webb, he hasn’t been asked to do much this season. Making saves is one of the few opportunities for goalkeepers to gain confidence, Yeagley said.
“Field players can have plays to get them confidence and goalkeepers need saves and shutouts,” Yeagley said.
Webb and the rest of the Hoosiers will need that confidence going into Tuesday’s match.
IU has struggled in Big Ten play, so non-conference games have kept its Rating Percentage Index among the best in the country.
Louisville is ranked 22nd in the RPI while IU is 35th.
This is also the last opportunity the Hoosiers will have to improve their postseason resume against a non-Big Ten team.
“This is the end of our non-conference season, and this is a big game with a lot of implications to keep us in a good position for the tournament,” Yeagley said.
While the Cardinals may not present the same offensive threat as the Terrapins, they are still dangerous going forward.
They counter, but counter differently.
Louisville possesses the ball, but does not necessarily push forward immediately, Webb said.
The Cardinals have five players with multiple goals this season and five more with at least three assists.
“Of the teams we’ve played this year, their front players will be in the top tier of who we’ve played,” Yeagley said. “So it’s going to be a challenge.”
Superficially, the Hoosiers should not have a problem with the Cardinals.
They lead the all-time series 17-4-1, and Louisville has yet to win on the road this season.
But the last two times Louisville has played in Bloomington, in 2011 and 2013, the games have ended in Louisville’s favor.
No team has won back-to-back matches in this series since IU won 14 straight matches to start the series. IU won last year’s match 3-0 at Louisville.
Despite these facts, the Hoosiers are confident, partly because they believe they have played well this season and partly because the Hoosiers just like playing these matches, Yeagley said.
Some of IU’s best results this season have come against regional non-conference teams.
IU has lost just one non-conference game this season: a 1-0 overtime loss against Notre Dame in the 2015-16 season’s first weekend.
“Our guys like it, and they’re up for these games,” Yeagley said. “The turnaround is challenging physically, but this time of the year they know what’s in front of them. We’re going to get every ounce of effort and energy and recovery that we can.”
