Wisconsin halts IU's momentum

Anyone who watched the IU women's soccer game Sunday left with a sense of déjà vu in their 5-2 loss to the University of Wisconsin. The Hoosiers said they learned their lesson against Oakland, but the Hoosiers' intensity between the first and second halves was like night and day again.\n"First half there was a lack of heart," sophomore Megan Pipkens said. "We didn't come out and play this team like it was going to be the last game we're ever going to play because we can beat any team that we go against it just amount of how much effort we put into it."\nIU allowed Wisconsin to score two first-half goals, but despite all attempts and efforts to get back into the game, this time it just wasn't enough. \n"You just can't put yourself in that kind of hole in the first half and that's all we talked about at halftime was changing attitude," IU coach Mick Lyon said, "To our credit we battled to try and make it a game in the second half but it was tough playing in."\nWisconsin forward Marisa Brown scored first for Wisconsin in the 16th minute. She received a pass through a hole in the Hoosier defense at the top of the penalty box and shot the ball into the upper corner of the net. Unfortunately, IU goal keeper Lauren Fabbro was unable to save it.\nAllison Preiss scored the second Badger goal in the 29th minute with a header, putting the ball into the net after making contact with a long cross from teammate Katy Lindenmuth -- who was just a yard from the touchline. \nBut IU refused to go quietly. \nThe Hoosier offense came out in the second half and constantly pressured the Wisconsin goal. Sophomore Missy Vierling blasted a shot from 35 yards out right into the upper corner of the net in the 57th minute that not even the most optimistic soccer fan expected to go in.\n"That's why I'm there, because of my big foot -- to be able to hit those far outside shots," Vierling said, "And afterwards (the goal) was great because I just wanted to get my team back on track.\nWisconsin quickly tried to kill IU's hopes just minutes later when a corner kick from Amy Vermeulen resulted in the Badger's third goal courtesy of Molly Meuer. \nIU's Pipkens had other plans. Pipkens beat two Wisconsin defenders for a one-on-one situation versus freshman goal keeper Lynn Murray and easily placed the ball into the net for IU's second goal. \nPreiss scored her second and Wisconsin's fourth goal of the game in the 84th minute and Vermeulen pounded the final nail in the IU coffin scoring the Badgers' fifth goal in the final minute of the game.\n-- Contact staff writer John Fischer at jbfische@indiana.edu.