A quick review of the 2011 IU women’s soccer season

As the youngest team in the Big Ten, the IU women’s soccer team posted a 2-3 record in Big Ten play through Oct. 2. A six-game losing streak concluded its season and denied an opportunity for the team’s six seniors to play in a postseason match.

Through those first five conference matches, IU was outscored by opponents 7-4. Throw out, for a second, the 4-1 loss against Illinois on Sept. 30, a loss that IU Coach Mick Lyon deemed an “anomaly.” The cumulative score would have been  3-3.

During the six-game losing streak, IU was outscored 21-4.

To begin the season, Lyon and his staff implemented a new formation, as he hoped to start fresh with his young team.

The first two conference losses against Michigan and Iowa were of the 1-0 variety.

“Every loss hurts,” said freshman midfielder Abby Smith after the Sept. 23 loss against Iowa. “A 1-0 loss is positive. It’s only one goal. We could’ve come back from that.”

Senior midfielder Devon Beach said the Hoosiers were doing everything they could, which is why they tried something new during practice that Saturday, Sept. 24.

“Playing kickball was a lot of fun,” she said. “It calmed us down and shows from the coaches that they trust us. They know that we can do well. There’s nothing we can do other than put the ball in the net to change.”

The Hoosiers earned their first Big Ten win against Nebraska the following day.
The Hoosiers missed an opportunity to even their conference record at 2-2 in Champaign, Ill., losing 4-1 to the Fighting Illini.

Lyon said his team was still getting over the loss to Illinois in the first half against Northwestern. Senior goalkeeper Lindsay Campbell kept the Wildcats off the board, making three “world-class” saves.

“Campbell came up huge on a couple of breakaways,” Lyon said in an IU Athletics press release. “She was definitely the player of the game for us today.”

Sophomore midfielder Lisa Nouanesengsy scored her fifth goal of the season in the 71st minute of the game to give IU its second conference win.

Lyon said after the Penn State match — a 3-0 IU loss — Oct. 9, his team had progressed significantly.

“This is what we’re struggling with right now — a little bit of self-belief,” he said. “Our self-belief is far, far ahead of what it was last year. That puts us in positions as we were at halftime. We’re still in the game. We’ve given up somewhat of an easy goal. We’re certainly within the game.”

After an 8-2 “debacle” in West Lafayette, Ind., IU returned home for one final match.
The 2-1 loss to Michigan State on Senior Day was the most heartbreaking, as the Spartans scored on a free kick with two seconds remaining to tie the match and then scored the game-winner in the 94th minute.

Campbell called the loss “devastating.”

Saves recorded by Wisconsin goalkeeper Michele Dalton prevented the Hoosiers from scoring any points in Madison, Wis., as the Hoosiers fell to the Badgers 2-0.
IU was then shutout against Ohio State to end the season.

“I wish we could have done better,” Assistant Coach Stacey Matthiessen said. “This year, we’re very unlucky. They put the effort in. We couldn’t get the lucky break this year.”