It was more of the same for Indiana women’s soccer: a close game that was lost due to anemic offensive production.
There appears to be an invisible force field on the Hoosiers’ attacking goal, as the 1-0 shutout marks the team’s fourth straight shutout, and its fifth straight shutout at home. Indiana has yet to score a goal at home in conference play. The loss drops its record to 1-6-1 in conference play and keeps the Hoosiers at four points, which is tied for second fewest in the conference.
After a strong conference record of 6-2-2 in 2023, the Hoosiers seemed to have regressed to their 2022 form, when they posted a 1-7-1 record.
With two strong plays from the first whistle, the tides were turning for the Hoosiers’ offense at the beginning of the game. They immediately put pressure on the Badgers’ defense with a cross from sophomore defender Piper Coffield into the box that was shot off target by junior midfielder Olivia Smith. The attack was followed by a header from senior midfielder Sydney Masur that was saved by Wisconsin junio goalkeeper Drew Stover.
Two shots in the first five minutes showed promise for the dormant Hoosiers’ offense but failed to build off the early momentum. For the rest of the half, Wisconsin took the ball virtually anytime the Hoosiers had possession. The team was much faster and decisive, preventing Indiana from recording a shot and corner kick.
The Badgers pressed up the field and caught the Hoosiers in vulnerable positions in transition, which is how they manufactured the only goal of the match. In the 12th minute, Wisconsin turned the Hoosiers over off a goal kick, leading to a transition opportunity where defenders could not account for oncoming players into the box and an easy goal for Badger graduate senior Aryssa Mahrt –– the team’s leading goal scorer.
“We just kept losing the ball,” Indiana head coach Erwin van Bennekom said postgame. “We got to keep moving and find the free player, and we just didn’t do that well enough.”
The second half told a slightly different story for the Hoosiers: they began to even out the possession battle and respond stronger to the Badgers’ defensive pressure.
Like its match against Purdue on Oct. 10, Indiana built some momentum with less than 15 minutes left. The Hoosiers put together two corners paired with three shots, however, none of the opportunities posed any serious threat to the Stover, and the Hoosiers walked off the field searching for answers.
“A 1-0 game can feel very different than this one felt,” van Bennekom said. “This one felt like we weren’t close; we didn’t create enough; that to me is the biggest problem.”
After the loss, Hoosiers will turn their attention to Illinois on Thursday for their last home match of a dismal season at 7 p.m. Thursday at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
“I just told them we still have the standards of the program; we still go after every win, and we’ll see what happens from there,” van Bennekom said. “Some of them will probably be playing their last game on their home field, so I think it will be easy to get ready for that one.”
Follow reporters Sam Elster (@samelster1) and Matt Rudella (@mattrudellaIDS) for updates throughout the Indiana women’s soccer season.
