Louisville will be the next challenge for IU after IU's loss to No. 13-ranked Clemson on Sunday afternoon.
Louisville, 2-0, and IU, 1-1, will meet at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Bill Armstrong Stadium. After the game against the Cardinals, the Hoosiers will begin a seven-game road trip, starting with a visit to Western Michigan on Sunday.
Coach Amy Berbary said she believes that despite the 1-0 loss to Clemson, the match brought out more positives than negatives in the early part of the season.
“I think Sunday, we were of course disappointed that we didn’t win the game, but I think we walked away from there with a bunch of confidence knowing what we are capable of,” Berbary said. “I think we’ll be able to ride that for a while as long as we continue to improve game by game.”
The Cardinals provide an interesting challenge as they have scored five goals during their first two games. They have averaged 16 shots per game, while five different players have scored a goal.
In Louisville's last game against Miami (Ohio), they held a 16-7 shot advantage and an 11-1 advantage on corner kicks.
“I really feel like as a midfielder, we can produce more like our forwards, so I hope that maybe we come out against Louisville and we are able to impact the game on the offensive side,” senior midfielder Kayla Smith said.
Louisville senior captain and defender Inger Katrine Bjerke also looks to provide a problem for the Hoosiers, especially in the latter half of the game.
IU has been solid defensively so far during the first two games, but IU's offense still has room for improvement. IU has scored just three goals on 27 shots.
“We’re taking a look at some video from the prior weekend to improve, definitely in the final 30 yards, just being a little bit more composed, then being able to put the goal in the back of the net,” Berbary said.
One of the highlights of the season so far for Indiana has been freshman starting goalkeeper Bethany Kopel.
She has only allowed two goals and has four saves after starting against both Cal Poly and Clemson during last weekend's Hoosier Challenge Cup.
Despite having no prior collegiate experience, Kopel has played all 180 minutes for the Hoosiers thus far.
“Bethany has been fantastic, better than I probably could’ve imagined,” Berbary said. “She stepped in with a lot of poise and a lot of confidence under some difficult circumstances. She’s done a really good job for us.”
This is the second-straight season IU and Louisville have played in Bloomington. Last year's meeting was a 1-1 draw between the sides in each team's opening game of the 2016 season.
“They are a really great team," Kopel said. "I’ve actually seen them play before. Nothing particular I’m worried about, other than two of their strikers, but overall, I think they are going to be a really great team to play."
