IU finishes weekend conference 1-0 1-matches

IU’s  match Sunday against Nebraska began with a 1-0 deficit just as their other two Big Ten matches had. But this time, they rallied.

Junior forward Ori Velasquez scored off an assist from senior forward Carly Samp in the 71st minute to draw the Hoosiers even in an eventual 2-1 IU victory.

The goal was made possible by an adjustment, assistant coach Orlando Cervantes said.

“We’re playing Carly up top as much as we could,” he said. “Early on, she wasn’t getting the ball enough at her feet. We needed her to get the ball at her feet and hold it. We knew Hayes (the Nebraska defender) would step up on her. Once she did that, we were trying to find Ori in those gaps. The second half, she started doing that more and got those two goals.”

Ten minutes later, Samp held the ball at the edge of the box on Nebraska goalkeeper Emma Stevens’s left side. Hayes approached to contest.

Samp held the ball while sophomore defender Lara Ross made a run behind her. Samp found Ross near the goal line. Ross crossed the ball. Sophomore midfielder Lisa Nouanesengsy wasn’t able to strike the ball cleanly.

Because of that, the ball rebounded to senior midfielder Devon Beach, whose shot gave IU its first conference lead in the 251st minute of Big Ten play. It was Beach’s first goal of the season.

“(Ori’s goal) was a confidence booster,” Beach said. “Once we get one, then they’re going to keep coming because we’re getting so close. It did give everyone a boost. We just scored. We can win this.”

Friday against Iowa, one mistake in their defensive third about three minutes before halftime put the Hoosiers in a 1-0 deficit that Iowa held through 90 minutes.

“We got caught with the ball in the back,” IU Coach Mick Lyon said. “That’s unfortunate. It’s something that’s happened to us two times. Sometimes our back players try to overplay.”

Iowa had an opportunity to double their lead in the 72nd minute when the Hawkeyes earned a penalty kick. Senior goalkeeper Lindsay Campbell saved a shot by Cloe Lacasse.

Freshman midfielder Abby Smith said that save helped give IU a sense of urgency.
“When we see her make a big-time save like that, it makes us want to attack and get that goal,” Smith said.

Coming into this weekend, IU led the conference in corner kicks at 7.67 per match. Iowa held them to two.

Nouanesengsy had a couple of great opportunities for IU. Each time, Iowa’s Emily Moran made the save.

Moran finished the game with six saves. She earned the shutout and sent the Hoosiers to their second 1-0 loss in conference play.

“Every loss hurts,” Smith said. “A 1-0 loss is positive — it’s only one goal. We could’ve come back from that.”