One of the major subplots for IU women’s soccer in the early part of the season has been an inability to finish off scoring chances.
The Hoosiers managed to flip that script on its head Sunday, as they routed the Morehead State University Eagles 5-0. IU dominated in virtually every offensive category and looked every bit of the part on the field.
"Right from the first minute I just felt comfortable in the way we were defending, the way we were locking them in,” IU head coach Erwin van Bennekom said. “All we needed was the first goal to come. I think they did a good job of finishing the game off sooner than later.”
IU finished the game with a 26-0 shot advantage, while also managing to draw fifteen corner kicks.
After a corner kick in the 12th minute the Hoosiers silently controlled the ball until the 20th minute, when freshman midfielder Avery Lockwood launched a shot from just outside the penalty box that sailed slightly over the cross bar.
Lockwood found the ball again in the 32nd minute from almost the exact same spot and did not miss. A low bending shot took a skip into the net to put the Hoosiers on the board 1-0, Lockwood’s first goal of her career.
“We’ve been working on that in practice," Lockwood said. "Just quality on the ball to finish it and not just shoot the ball. We had a lot of possession of the ball, but we couldn’t connect, so I was just thinking turn and put a little curve on it to put it past the keeper.”
Not four minutes later, senior midfielder Chandra Davidson ran through the middle and while falling down, tapped the ball in with her right foot to double the Hoosier lead.
The two goals were the first that IU had scored in a first half this season and were the cherry on top to a half in which they fired off 12 shots along with seven total corner kicks.
Despite the high scoring first half, the Hoosiers managed to have an even more productive second half. In the first three minutes IU put up two more shots and earned two more corners. In the 60th minute, Davidson scored her second of the game on a header to put the Hoosier lead at 3-0.
“To connect with her on a ball, and to see her determination to score, I feel like it’s rubbing off a little bit,” Lockwood said.
Two minutes later freshman midfielder Alaina Kalin found herself in the right spot at the right time when a corner kick deflected off her heel into the net for her first goal with the Hoosiers.
In the 68th minute, Lockwood struck again to cap off the offensive onslaught. A shot from distance curved into the top left corner to put the Hoosiers up 5-0.
IU managed to play keep away for the remainder of the game, not allowing a single shot on their own net for all 90 minutes.
“I felt building up to this game that we were going to have a good performance,” van Bennekom said. “This just feels good going into next weeks travel to University of Tennessee at Martin and the University of Kentucky.”
