After a disappointing 0-3 start to Big Ten play, Indiana women’s soccer tallied its first conference win Thursday with a 3-1 victory on the road against Oregon. The win pushes the Hoosiers’ record to 6-3-1 on the season, 1-3 in conference play following their first conference road test of the season.
The storyline of the match was the resurgence of Indiana’s offense following a disappointing three game stretch that amounted to zero goals.
Against the Ducks, the Hoosiers were able to flip the script. Indiana displayed a quantity over quality approach, finishing with 22 shots with just six on goal, converting three of them into goals.
Graduate senior defender Avery Snead got the party started with a goal in the 23rd minute. Snead, playing much of the game on the defensive end, frequently pushed in the offensive half. She’s tallied three goals and two assists so far this season.
In the 40th minute, sophomore midfielder Elle Britt added to the margin with a goal of her own to mark her third of the season. Britt was incredibly influential all on offense, as she finished with a team high seven shots.
The Hoosiers kept the offensive pressure in the second half, wearing the Ducks out with shots throughout the half, while containing the opposing offense. The Hoosiers finished with eight shots in the second half and a goal via freshman forward Layla Sirdah.
Sirdah had been neutralized for the first three games of conference play, unable to record a goal or an assist. Since winning Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Sept. 10. She’s struggled against opposing defenses, but against Oregon, she earned both a goal and an assist.
The Hoosier defense was practically flawless, allowing five shots with just one on target. This gave senior goalkeeper Jamie Gerstenberg a much-needed night off after facing three potent offenses that tallied 39 total shots in the last three matches.
Gerstenberg secured the victory while finishing with zero saves. The one blemish on the defensive scorecard was a goal via penalty kick after a Gerstenberg foul to make it 2-1 Indiana.
The Hoosiers will look to build off their reignited offense on the current west coast road trip, as they prepare for this weekend’s match against Washington at 4 p.m. EST Sunday at Husky Soccer Stadium in Seattle.
Follow reporters Sam Elster (@samelster1) and Matt Rudella (@mattrudellaIDS) for updates throughout the Indiana women’s soccer season.
