On Sunday afternoon, IU women's soccer made the three and a half hour trek north to South Bend for a weekend tilt against in-state rival the University of Notre Dame.
The game showcased the two teams’ defenses as they played to a scoreless draw.
Looking to build on the momentum from the mid-week match against Valparaiso last Thursday, head coach Erwin van Bennekom sent out a starting XI that featured freshman goalkeeper Jamie Gerstenberg and freshman forward Jordan Levy. Levy scored the game-winning goal against Valparaiso in the 70th minute.
The temperature at kickoff from Alumni Stadium was 90 degrees, but the Hoosiers and Fighting Irish pressed on.
IU was aggressive early on with Levy and freshman forward Anna Bennett Levy providing scoring chances at the 6th and 18th minutes. However, after a heat-induced hydration break at the 24th minute and subsequent substitutions that sent midfielders Kelly Monaco and Paige Webber into the match, IU ended the first half tied 0-0.
The second half began with an even more aggressive play, with a yellow card given to senior defender Olivia Wos in the 48th minute. But after the foul in the early stages of the half, the gameplay of both teams slowed. Both sides were visibly worn down by the heat and a second water break was called in the 71st minute.
In the 78th minute, sophomore forward Gabbi Rennie entered the match for IU, replacing Bennett.
Despite the late substitution, IU was not able to break the scoreless stretch, and the two sides ended the second half still tied at zero.
Van Bennekom said in a postgame press conference that his team still had to improve offensively by "having the ball longer, having a longer possession time, and being able to create more."
IU and Notre Dame headed for golden goal extra time, with both teams looking to score for the victory.
After a Gerstenberg save in the 96th minute and split free kicks between the Hoosiers and Irish shortly thereafter, the two teams were headed for a second overtime period.
Just as was the case with the first overtime period, neither team scored, and after ten more minutes and 110 minutes of total gameplay, IU and Notre Dame tied at zero.
The draw marked the first time in program history where IU played Notre Dame without a loss.
Van Bennekom was content with his team's performance.
"The result on the field was good,” van Bennekom said. “Coming in to face a strong top-25 team, I'm really proud of our defensive effort."
The match between the Hoosiers and the Fighting Irish marked the first time the two sides faced off against each other since a 2-0 IU loss on Sept. 11, 2015. Notre Dame leads the all-time series with IU by a margin of 11-0-1.
IU women's soccer will play the University of Tennessee at Martin for their next game at 7:00 p.m. Thursday at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
