In 2023, Indiana women’s soccer was a veteran-stacked team, and while still seasoned (or something like that), the younger players have been particularly thriving in the first two games of the campaign. Freshman forward Layla Sirdah already had three assists while sophomore midfielder Kennedy Neighbors had scored two goals.
The season opener against University of Tennessee was not an easy task for the Hoosiers, but they persevered and used their strong defense to get a well-earned victory. When they traveled to Ball State University, they got off to a hot start and scored two goals in the first seven minutes of the match and held off the Cardinals for the rest of the game, only allowing one goal.
Last year’s Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year, Jamie Gerstenberg, is in her senior season and earned a spot on the Big Ten Player Watch List for the third straight year. Last year she had a 76.5 save percentage with a .82 goals average. In addition, she shutout 10 games last season which set the single season shutout record in program history. This season, she is looking to continue making historic strides between the pipes, as she has an 85.7 save percentage in two games and six saves.
Two Hoosier defenders were also named on the Big Ten Player Watch List: sophomore Piper Coffield and graduate student Avery Snead. Coffield had an impressive freshman year: three Big Ten Freshman of the Week awards and a key figure in Indiana’s dominant backline.
Snead is in her first season with the Hoosiers after spending the past four years at Providence College where she started as a midfielder in all 69 matches and totaled 13 points in her career with six goals. She had a stacked resume in the Big East and is an important addition to this year’s Hoosiers squad.
In the past two games, the Hoosiers averaged 10.5 shots while their opponents averaged 8. They look to continue their performance on Thursday against Wright State University.
The Raiders are 0-2 so far this season and have yet to score a goal while allowing seven goals across two games. Indiana has never lost a game against Wright State in the three previous matchups.
Indiana looks to remain undefeated this season when it takes on Wright State at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
Follow reporters Sam Elster (@samelster1)and Matt Rudella (@mattrudellaIDS)for updates throughout the Indiana women’s soccer season.
