Indiana dropped its home opener to the University of Maine on Monday, losing 4-2 in the contest. Monday’s match was dominated by penalty corners, which produced six goals. However, it was Maine's efficiency in the penalty shots that stole the spotlight.
Indiana opened the game hot, controlling the ball well and finding openings in Maine's defensive set. The Hoosiers’ midfield led the attack, controlling possession and delivering passes to the forwards, who tallied five shots early, none finding their way past Maine’s goalkeeper Rozarie Mrazova.
Maine threatened late in the first quarter, stringing together a series of passes, but it came up short as the quarter came to a close.
At the start of the second quarter, the Hoosiers pressed aggressively downfield and once again set up for a corner, their fourth of the game. After failing to convert on their previous three attempts, Indiana’s graduate student midfielder Lara Mortz delivered a corner pass to senior Sofia Arrebola Garcia. Garcia's shot was deflected to her sophomore teammate, Ines Garcia Prado, who knocked in the loose ball for the score.
Maine quickly responded, scoring on its first corner of the game. Junior midfielder Olivia Geniti received the entry cross from senior back Poppy Lambert and sent it clanking off the back wood of the goal for a score.
Just minutes later, the Bears capitalized on another penalty corner opportunity. Geniti, who had scored from the previous corner, initiated this attempt by passing to graduate midfielder Victoria Tinghitella. Tinghitella stroked a swift shot from the top of the circle that darted past Indiana’s goalkeeper for the Bears second goal.
Now in a deficit, the Hoosiers sought an answer. With the half running down, a crucial strike from graduate student back Sydney Keld leveled the game at 2-2.
After the break, the Hoosiers once again created a promising opportunity by moving the ball close to the net and earning a penalty. However, they were unable to convert on the attempt.
Outside of a Maine offensive spurt that saw three shot attempts but no goals, the third quarter came quietly to a close, still squared even at 2-2.
Maine junior forward Kate Richardson broke the tie with an early goal in the fourth quarter. Moments later, graduate midfielder Micaela Grajales scored another for Maine, extending its lead to 4-2 with just five minutes left in the match. Like the previous ones, both goals came from penalty corners.
Facing their largest deficit of the game, the Hoosiers struggled to mount a comeback. Down by two goals with only five minutes remaining in regulation, they pressed into the Bears' defensive zone but were unable to score as time ran out.
The Hoosiers fell to 1-2 following the loss. They will face Miami University Sept. 11 at the Deborah Tobias Field in Bloomington.
