IU women's soccer wins close game against USC in overtime

The IU women’s soccer team claimed a 2-1 upset victory Sunday afternoon over No. 19-ranked University of Southern California and it did so in a rather dramatic fashion. \nNinety minutes of play passed, and the game was winding down. Bill Armstrong Stadium announcer Jeremy Grey began his usual countdown of the final 10 seconds of regulation. \nTen seconds left, nine seconds – it looked like the Hoosiers might drop a close, hard-fought game at home against No. 19 USC. Eight seconds left – fans began to gather their belongings. Seven seconds, six seconds – the USC defense failed to clear the ball, which had been dancing around the goal for the majority of the second half, and suddenly the ball wound up at the feet of freshman forward Leigh Anne Cummings.\nCummings popped a chip shot toward the goal that casually floated over Trojan goalkeeper Kristin Olsen and bounced to the back of the net, tying the game.\nAfter the game restarted, Grey finished his countdown – five seconds, four, three two, one – overtime.\nThe momentum shift caused by Cummings’ goal was apparent. The USC players lined up for the start of overtime with their heads low and their hands on their waists. The Hoosiers came out clapping and bouncing, excited to play. Forty-nine seconds later, the ball bounced to the left foot of sophomore forward Kristin Arnold, who blasted a shot into the back of the net to win the game with a 2-1 score.\n“The ball was bouncing up, and I think it deflected off one of their players,” Arnold said of her last goal. “I remember taking a touch with my left foot, and I’m not left-footed, but I thought I might as well hit it with my left, and I just hit it and it just kind of went in.”\nUSC’s only goal came during a first half in which they were mostly control. In the 19th minute, Trojan forward Amy Rodriguez scored on USC a counterattack after a shot on goal by IU.\nAt halftime, coach Mick Lyon held his team in the locker room as long as possible, stressing composure and that the game was still in reach at 1-0.\n“Being a very young team, we didn’t deal with the pressure and the style they were playing very well,” Lyon said. “We spent a lot of time at halftime mostly to disrupt the other team. I don’t have to come out of the locker room until the referee comes and drags me out. I’ll take the time we need, and I was really just settling the players down and challenging them to mature and challenging them to the physical aspect of this game.”\nThe win improves the team’s record to 2-1-1 and is their first victory over a ranked opponent since 2005.\n“It was definitely an important win for our program because it got us pumped up and now we know we can beat ranked teams,” Cummings said. “We know that we are right up there with them, that we should be ranked up there too and that no matter what, even if we are down, we can pull together and get the win.”\nThe win against USC meant IU also won the Hoosier Classic, as they finished the weekend tournament with a 1-0-1 record. \nOn Friday night, neither the Hoosiers nor the Loyola Marymount Lions could score, and the game ended in a tie.\nFreshman goalkeeper Lauren Hollandsworth picked up her first career shutout as the Hoosiers and Lions battled to a stalemate Friday night \nin Bloomington.\nBoth teams traded control and momentum throughout regulation and two overtime periods, but spoiled chances mixed with noteworthy goaltending left the game 0-0 after 120 minutes of play. \nThe Hoosiers’ next contest will be Friday at Bill Armstrong Stadium as they host the Samford Bulldogs.