The Hoosier women’s soccer team led late in Sunday’s game against Dayton, but the Flyers scored an equalizer in the 81st minute to tie the game 1-1.
IU had been in a similar situation against Eastern Michigan exactly two weeks before. In that game, IU let up a goal and immediately let up another, unable to respond to the shock of the blow.
IU Coach Amy Berbary said her team had let their heads down. The young team still needed to figure out how to respond to adversity.
On Sunday, the Hoosiers had an answer.
Senior midfielder Jordan Woolums scored from the right wing off an assist from freshman forward Kayla Smith for what proved to be the game-winning goal just six minutes after allowing the equalizer.
“It’s definitely a big step for us,” Woolums said. “When we started the season, as soon as something didn’t go our way, we just stopped ... After they scored on us today, we brought it together and we decided we needed to finish it.”
Woolums did just that, leading IU (4-2) to the 2-1 win against Dayton (2-3-1) to cap a two-win weekend at the Ohio State Tournament in Columbus, Ohio.
The win extends the Hoosiers’ winning streak to three games and ends what Berbary said was a grueling five-game nonconference road trip that started with the 2-0 loss to Eastern Michigan.
After struggling with some growing pains to come out of the gate early on, Berbary was pleased with the way her team has improved during the trip.
She was particularly happy with the way IU was able to respond to adversity Sunday after allowing the late, tying goal.
“It’s really exciting for me to see that these kids have grown,” Berbary said. “It didn’t even phase them. They went back in the huddle, and I don’t know what they said, but we came back out and scored six minutes later to end the game.”
The Hoosiers scored a season-high four goals in IU’s 4-1 win against George Mason on Friday.
IU’s six goals in the two games trump the team’s five goals in four games prior to the weekend.
Junior midfielder Jessie Bujouves scored in both IU wins during the weekend to increase her season total to four in six games.
And although Bujouves has led the offensive charge, Berbary was quick to credit a number of freshmen who have been regularly finding their way into the stat sheet.
Freshmen Mykayla Brown and Annelie Leitner both picked up their first career goals in IU’s victory against George Mason.
Smith extended her point-scoring streak to three games and has a point in four of IU’s six games. She was credited with the assist for both of IU’s game-winning goals.
The Hoosiers now en ter what Berbary calls the “second phase” of the team’s schedule with Big Ten play opening up Friday at home against Ohio State.
Berbary said she was excited about IU’s growth in the six nonconference games as they turn their attention to conference play.
“To go three games in a row with a result only brings our confidence a little bit higher,” Berbary said. “Now we start the second phase of our season with 13 tough games in one of the best conferences in the country.”
