Hoosiers hope for win in Iowa

It’s a time for redemption.

After a shutout loss against Michigan in its first conference match, the IU women’s soccer team is ready to prove itself as Big Ten contenders in games against Iowa and Nebraska this weekend.  

Senior forward Orianica Velasquez said the main thing is bouncing back after this weekend’s shutout.

“Right now, I think we’re working to improve the team, so it’s
going to be pretty nice to show how we change our minds and our ideas about what we have to do now,” she said.

“I think we’re just working on being confident and getting some goals, which is what we need.”

The Hoosiers will face Iowa first at a Friday evening match in Iowa City, Iowa.

With a 9-1-0 record and no losses at home, IU Coach Mick Lyon said the Hawkeyes will be another tough road game but nothing his team can’t handle.

“Iowa has had a great start to the year,” Lyon said. “It certainly is a team we’re going to have a great battle with, but I’m feeling very positive with it. ... I think we’ll match up very well with them.”

Nebraska will be quite a different opponent on Sunday, he said. The Huskers enter the weekend with a 4-4-1 record, very close to the Hoosiers’ 5-3-1 mark.  

“Nebraska has a little bit different style of play—a little more direct than most teams we play against,” he said. “Again, we’re very, very positive about playing them.”

IU registered a loss and a win last season against Iowa and Nebraska, respectively, leaving room for improvement, Lyon said.

This time around, he plans to come away from the weekend with two wins notched on the team’s record, he said.

And past results aside, the team’s current season goal always remains etched in the players’ minds, Velasquez said.

“One of our goals is to get in the Big Ten tournament,” she said. “I think this team is going to do everything that we can to achieve that.”

Iowa and Nebraska are simply the next steps in reaching that goal, she said.

“I want to get us off the ground,” Lyon said. “I want to get us our first win, and I want that to happen on Friday night. That’s what I’m looking forward to — winning that first game and preparing for Sunday.”