A 75-minute weather delay didn’t distract the Hoosiers from the task at hand Friday night in Indianapolis.
Freshman goalkeeper Sarah L’Hommedieu made eight saves and sophomore defender Caroline Dreher scored the winning goal as IU defeated in-state rival Butler, 1-0, for IU’s first win of the season.
“It’s huge to get our first win, especially against such a great team,” IU coach Amy Berbary said.
Dreher’s 78th minute goal capped an eventful night for both the Hoosiers and the Bulldogs at the Butler Bowl, where lightning delayed the start of the match. Both teams were forced to halt their warm-ups when severe weather moved through the area, although the match was not interrupted further once play began.
“I thought the team handled the weather delay well,” Berbary said. “They kind of chilled out and had a dance party in the Butler volleyball locker room. It was good team bonding, but when it came time to play, they refocused well.”
IU began the match on the offensive, with freshman midfielder Macy Miller forcing Butler sophomore goalkeeper Hannah Luedtke into a save in the opening 20 minutes. Freshman midfielder Chandra Davidson and sophomore forward Maya Piper also came close to scoring for the Hoosiers in the first half.
The opening 45 minutes of the game saw IU pick up their first booking of the season, as sophomore forward Abby Allen was shown a yellow card in the 19th minute.
The Bulldogs began the second half strong, firing shots L’Hommedieu’s goal. L’Hommedieu recorded three saves in a two-minute span to keep Butler off the scoreboard in the early stages of the second half.
“To finally be a part of this defense is incredibly humbling and amazing,” L’Hommedieu said. “As a team, we were all locked in tonight.”
One of the key saves made by L’Hommedieu came in the 49th minute, when she denied Butler sophomore forward Breann Pempek with a point-blank save. L’Hommedieu would go on to record seven saves in the second half.
“Sarah looked locked in tonight,” Berbary said. “She stepped up to the challenge and had a couple of huge saves for us.”
Luedtke came into the match without allowing a goal in 151 minutes for the Bulldogs, a streak she kept intact until the game’s closing minutes. Dreher’s shot from distance took a deflection and left Luedtke with no chance to stop the ball.
The goal was both Dreher’s first of the season and the first of her career. The Bulldogs were unable to register a shot in the remaining 12 minutes of the match, ensuring that the Hoosiers would pick up their first win.
“I felt we gave our best effort and attitude tonight,” Berbary said. “We still have a lot to learn, but I was really happy to see the smile on some of our kids’ faces.”
