The IU women’s soccer team got off to a fast start.
After two 1-0 wins in the Boilermaker Challenge Cup last weekend, the Hoosiers looked for another win and more goals to begin the Stomp in the Swamp LSU Tournament.
They accomplished both.
“That was our focus for the whole week was to start fast,” IU women’s soccer coach Amy Berbary said. “I thought we were a little shaky in the first ten minutes, but then we started to push forward. Once we got that first goal, the game started to open up, and I thought we controlled the tempo.”
IU defeated Middle Tennessee State, 2-0, Friday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After failing to score in the first half all season, the Hoosiers put two goals in the back of the net against the Blue Raiders. Both goals were set up by two corners from senior midfielder Jessie Bujouves.
“Jessie comes early to practice all the time, and she does a lot of repetitions to make sure — when we do run the corner — that her service is on point,” Berbary said. “Today it was perfect.”
IU (3-1-1) wasted no time jumping on previously undefeated Middle Tennessee State (3-1). After a corner from Bujouves, the ball was loose in the box. Freshman forward Maya Piper capitalized, scoring her first career goal in the 17th minute to put IU up 1-0.
“She’s played a lot of minutes for us,” Berbary said. “We’ve been asking a lot out of Maya in her first five games as that target forward, which isn’t a position that she’s comfortable in. She did a good job breaking free and finding the downfield and putting it away.”
At the end of the first half, IU continued to crash the Blue Raiders’ net. IU redshirt junior Marissa Borschke scored in the 39th minute, her second of the season, off another corner from Bujouves.
In the second half, IU continued to both attack and defend.
The scoreline held thanks to the defense that has posted four consecutive shutouts. Before Friday’s game, the last time the Hoosiers surrendered a goal was in the first half of the season opener against Virginia Tech.
The IU defense is second in program history with 412 consecutive scoreless minutes.
“I’m so proud of them,” Berbary said. “They’ve kept their heads. There has been so much media about this streak we’ve been on, trying to set a program record, and they have done a great job keeping their heads, keeping composed and just playing their game.”
