No. 11 Iowa came out of the gate hot against Indiana women’s soccer Sunday while the Hoosiers didn’t.
Iowa was the third ranked opponent Indiana had faced this season. It suffered a 2-0 loss against No. 20 Ohio State on Sept. 12 and another 2-0 loss to No. 25 USC on Sept. 22. After Sunday, the team suffered a third ranked loss against the Hawkeyes, 1-0.
It was mainly the Hoosiers’ offense that struggled while their defense held the Hawkeyes scoreless throughout a constant attack. Throughout the majority of the game, the Hoosiers’ defense was kicking the ball out of their territory with senior goalkeeper Jamie Gerstenberg also making two key saves in the first half.
The Hawkeyes attacked plenty in the first 45 minutes while also limiting Indiana at the start. Although the Hoosiers gained control as the half went on, they found themselves on Iowa’s half of the pitch, unable to get the ball in the back of the net with four shots from four different players. Indiana once again could not find its offensive rhythm –– a common theme throughout conference play.
The Hawkeyes’ defense, led by graduate student goalkeeper Macy Enneking, kept Indiana from capitalizing on their chances while the Hoosiers’ offensive output was limited with few shots on target. The loss reflected Indiana’s ongoing struggles in Big Ten play, as it had difficulty maintaining possession and creating clear scoring opportunities.
The first corner for the Hoosiers came six minutes into the second half and the roles were reversed to begin play as Indiana came out of the locker room with a burst of energy. Junior forward Marisa Grzesiak attempted a shot on goal in the 50th minute and then junior defender Olivia Albert added another in the 72nd minute.
It was back and forth until the 76th minute when Iowa senior forward Meike Ingles sent a through ball to graduate student forward Maya Hansen, who finished the play off with a strike in the bottom left corner to put Iowa up 1-0.
After the Hawkeyes’ goal, Indiana showed a sense of urgency as they were faster on the ball and more aggressive on 50/50 balls. The best chance the Hoosiers had was off a corner kick that found senior defender Lauren Costello, who headed the ball into Enneking’s hands. Enneking bobbled the ball for a moment, but ultimately held on.
Indiana searched for an equalizer, but did not find one. The Hoosiers’ inability to maintain possession and control in the midfield further hampered their offensive flow, preventing them from converting set pieces or counterattacks into viable scoring opportunities. Iowa’s cohesive defense forced Indiana into low-quality shots, contributing to the Hoosiers' overall offensive struggles.
The loss continued the Hoosiers’ challenging Big Ten run, highlighting their issues in showing a consistent offensive pressure against ranked teams. Indiana had just seven shots compared to Iowa’s 14. The two shots on goal came from Costello and Albert while Gerstenberg finished with three saves.
The Hoosiers (6-5-1, 1-5 Big Ten) return home at 7 p.m. Thursday against in-state rival Purdue at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
Follow reporters Sam Elster (@samelster1) and Matt Rudella (@mattrudellaIDS) for updates throughout the Indiana women’s soccer season.
