The IU women’s soccer team fell 2-1 on the road to No. 25 Northwestern on Thursday night.
After a come-from-behind win against Minnesota on Senior Day last Sunday, IU had momentum moving forward. Entering Thursday night’s contest, the Hoosiers ranked eighth in the Big Ten with a 3-4-0 record in conference play.
During Thursday's game, though, Northwestern had twice the number of shots as IU in the first half. But, the Hoosiers scored first.
In the 20th minute, sophomore defender Hanna Nemeth sent a free kick in toward junior midfielder Allison Jorden, who headed it in for a goal.
The Wildcats pushed hard at the end of the the first half to tie the match, and they were successful. Senior forward Brenna Lovera scored on a rebound shot for her team-leading seventh goal of the season less than three minutes before halftime.
Northwestern would score again early in the second half. Sophomore midfielder Regan Steigleder crossed a ball in for sophomore forward Nia Harris, who buried it past IU sophomore goalkeeper Bethany Kopel.
IU may have allowed two goals, but Kopel’s five saves are tied for her third-highest total in a game this season.
As time in the second half dwindled down, the Hoosiers put on a shooting display with six shots and six corners taken, but they couldn’t find the back of the net before 90 minutes were up.
The loss changes IU’s overall record to 7-6-2 after a 6-1-2 start to the season.
IU's next match is Sunday against a 9-6-0 Illinois team.
