IU women’s soccer is coming off a season winning the most conference games since 2013 and had its winningest season by percentage since 1998. However, the Hoosiers will be looking to take their success one step further and make the NCAA Tournament.
IU opens the fall season against the Valparaiso University Beacons at 7 p.m. Thursday at Bill Armstrong Stadium. IU will play the first half of the season against non-conference opponents, which wasn’t possible last year after the Big Ten postponed the season and condensed the spring schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Head coach Erwin van Bennekom has helped IU make major leaps to solidify itself in the top half of the Big Ten since his arrival in 2018. The Big Ten placed the Hoosiers at sixth in the conference in its preseason coaches’ poll Monday.
“It shows that other people realize that we’re an up-and-coming team that will be one of the contenders,” van Bennekom said. “What matters is where we are at the end of the season. We want to be one of the top three teams every year.”
Last spring, the Hoosiers matched their Big Ten record for wins with six and made a top-25 appearance in the AP Poll, but missed out on the NCAA tournament due to a smaller field of teams that were selected.
van Bennekom said he has made it a priority this season to utilize every player at his disposal, one of the more distinct approaches in a conference as competitive as the Big Ten. van Bennekom said the Hoosiers have a lot of depth on their squad, enough to cover up injuries and players out of form.
Three transfers and eight freshmen are expected to see large amounts of playing time. Five freshmen started in IU’s final exhibition match against the University of Akron ending in a 2-1 victory for the Hoosiers.
“If you’re good enough, you’re old enough,” van Bennekom said. “Good players make everybody better.”
With the entire starting lineup returning from the spring season, the Hoosiers look to have plenty of depth to challenge for the Big Ten title. There will be constant competition for minutes between the veterans and inexperienced players, but the individuals understand it only makes the collective stronger.
Junior midfielder Alaina Kalin said the competition has helped her realize she needs to embrace her role on the team, no matter what it is.
“As one of the upperclassmen, I need to show that I have the backs of the others around me,” Kalin said. “If they see my confidence, it’ll help them be confident.”
Sophomore forward Gabi Rennie, who competed for New Zealand at the Tokyo Olympics and scored a goal, said playing out of conference opponents will help prepare the Hoosiers for Big Ten play.
“It’s a good way to gauge where we’re at on a national level,” Rennie said. “We’re all excited and ready to get the games underway.”
One of the biggest things to look out for in the opener will be who starts in net for IU. Bethany Kopel is out for the season with an injury after being the starter since 2017, meaning the position is open.
German and IU goalkeeper Jamie Gerstenberg, who made the Big Ten Women’s Soccer Preseason Players to Watch List and the TopDrawerSoccer Preseason Freshman Best XI, impressed in the Hoosiers’ exhibition matches. She will be under pressure from Boston University transfer Amanda Fay for the starting job.
van Bennekom said he expects the team to be locked in starting at the beginning of the season against Valparaiso.
“They lost in the final of their conference last year, so we definitely won’t expect an easy game,” van Bennekom said. “I feel good about all of our players, and we’ll be well-prepared to make sure we start on the right note.”
