Opportunities were plentiful for Indiana women’s soccer to uplift its four-game scoring drought, but the Hoosiers failed to find the crucial goal in a 1-0 loss to Illinois on Thursday at Bill Armstrong Stadium. The loss drops the Hoosiers’ record to 6-7-1 on the season and 1-7-1 in conference play.
Freshman forward Layla Sirdah and sophomore midfielder Elle Britt provided a much-needed spark for the offense, especially in the second half.
The scoring drought looked to be coming to an end in the first half, with some early opportunities for the Hoosiers to ignite the offense. The ball was consistently hovering around the 18-yard box early on, including three shots in the first six minutes, with two drawing saves for Illinois sophomore goalkeeper Izzy Lee.
The Hoosiers continued to produce shots throughout the half, closing the first 45 minutes with six shots and four on goal. However, most shots did not have the speed or placement to get behind the goalkeeper and were often taken from distance or with the weak foot. Sirdah and Britt continued to initiate the Hoosier offense, finishing the half with four out of the team’s six shots.
The Hoosiers’ best chance in the first half came off a perfectly placed cross by Britt, which led to a header by sophomore midfielder Kennedy Neighbors. The header was placed on target, but a brilliant save by Lee spoiled the opportunity to break the spell for the Hoosier offense.
Indiana’s second- half performance appeared to build on the first, with the Hoosiers winning the possession battle, and holding onto the ball in advantageous positions. They continued to put pressure on the defense with shots from long range, but once again they could not find the net on the low percentage opportunities. Britt continued to try her luck from long range, including an outside of the box shot that narrowly sailed over the crossbar.
The Hoosiers’ two best opportunities of the night came in the second half. But once again, they could not convert. Sirdah received a ball and shot from dead center in the penalty box, finding the back of the net, but was ruled offsides.
Afterward, Britt got behind the defense for another point-blank opportunity but placed the shot right into Lee’s midsection. The two opportunities were high-percentage looks, but as it has gone for all of conference play, the Hoosiers’ offense could not find a way to cash in. The underclassmen duo finished the match with eight shots, a similar trend to the rest of the season as the pair is tied for first on the team with 31 shots.
As the match winded down, Sirdah had one last chance with seven minutes left, weaving through defenders and striking a hard shot, but it narrowly skimmed over the crossbar. The Fighting Illini packed their defense in for the rest of the match, leaving the Hoosiers walking off their home field for the last time this season without a home goal in conference play. Indiana head coach Erwin van Bennekom was pleased with his team’s effort in the second half, despite the loss.
“I thought that second half was the best we played all year,” van Bennekom said. “On the ball, defensively... we created loads of chances. It’s unfortunate that it happened at this point of the season, but fortunate that we saw what the level of the team is.”
Although the regular season may be lost for the Hoosiers, the strong production of Sirdah and Britt as catalysts of the offense give them something to look forward to for next season and beyond. The two still have a lot of soccer left to play, with four and three years of eligibility left, respectively.
The Hoosiers will shift their focus to the upcoming road trip, starting with a match against Minnesota at 1 p.m. Sunday at Robbie Stadium in Minneapolis.
Van Bennekom said that the team will continue to play hard, even though the loss erased the Hoosiers’ slim playoff chances.
“We’re going to play everything like it’s a national tournament game,” van Bennekom said. “That’s the only thing we can do, even though deep down it’s not.”
Follow reporters Sam Elster (@samelster1) and Matt Rudella (@mattrudellaIDS) for updates throughout the Indiana women’s soccer season.
