Overtime magic grand for Hoosiers against Loyola

Junior midfielder Kristin Arnold has been in this position before.
Arnold and the Hoosiers (5-4) were dead-locked at 1-1 with Loyola (Chicago) after the end of regulation.

Arnold, who led the Hoosiers in points last season, netted her first goal of the season in the second minute of the sudden-death overtime period, securing the win for IU.

Arnold has a knack for coming up big for the Hoosiers in these situations. This was her fourth career extra-period goal and her sixth game-winning goal.

After missing an opportunity on a breakaway early in the first half, the Beavercreek, Ohio, native was looking to redeem herself.

“I had a chance in the first half that I really should have put away,” she said. “So it was one of those things where I knew I had to hit it early. That’s what we talked about all day was exploiting their back line and getting behind them. (Junior Jessica) Boots played a great ball in, and it was my job to finish it.”

The Hoosiers got on the board early in the first half. At the 6:33 minute mark, freshman Carly Samp netted her first career goal.

The goal started when Arnold crossed a ball into the box, where junior Christie Kotynski blasted a shot on goal. Loyola keeper Katie Groesch made the initial save, but Samp was right on the doorstep to collect the rebound and knock the ball past Groesh.

“It felt good,” Samp said. “It’s difficult obviously to score a collegiate goal as a freshman, and we are all starting to get our chances and it feels good.”

For scoring threats Arnold and Samp, IU coach Mick Lyon knows how important it is for his goal scorers to finally pick up their first goals of the season.

“It was great for (Arnold) to get a goal and for Carly to get a goal,” he said. “For those two, when you’re searching for your first goal and you get one under your belt and you think now you can get a dozen, so that’s good stuff. I am really, really pleased with the pair.”

The Ramblers’ lone goal came in the 62nd minute, as Cynthia Morote-Ariza took the ball from 25 yards and sent a curving shot high into the left corner of the net.

IU freshman goalkeeper Lindsey Campbell is now a perfect 2-0 in her first two career starts.

Another bright spot for the Hoosiers was the return of junior Taylor Fallon. Fallon, who played and started all 23 games and was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team last season, missed the first eight games of the season due to a knee injury.

Fallon entered the game with 12 minutes remaining and immediately got taken down from a tackle by a Loyola player. The fall was something Lyon thought was needed for Fallon to get back and adjust to game action.

“It was huge getting her in and playing,” he said. “Her first touch was that crunching tackle, and it couldn’t have come a better time. It was exactly what she needed, and that’s what she said to me at halftime. Once that happened, she was, ‘Oh I’m back,’ and she did well.”

The Hoosiers open Big Ten play at 7 p.m. Friday at Armstrong Stadium against No. 17 Penn State.