Indiana women’s soccer finally took the pitch after an initial 15-minute delay due to lightning and thunder, which made them head to the locker room mid-warmups. Introductions and the national anthem played, and then a loud crash of thunder hit, with the sun in the sky. and lightning was reported in the area.
Normally, when the forecast says 95 degrees and sunny, many wouldn’t expect a weather delay to be a factor. However, in Indiana women's soccer Thursday afternoon matchup, weather delays were the story. Kickoff was scheduled for 4:30 p.m. but turned into a 5:44 p.m. kickoff against Wright State University.
As soon as the whistle blew, the Hoosiers were dominant and aggressive on the ball. Indiana had three corners in the first eight minutes, yet no shots on goal. Freshman forward Layla Sirdah got the first shot off but missed off target in the middle of the eighth minute. A little over a minute after that missed shot, Sirdah had the ball just shy of the penalty arc and put a beautiful kick right below the top cross bar, making Wright State goalie Kiera Sarka leap into the air but fall just short of tipping the ball. Sirdah marked her first career goal as a Hoosier.
At the 11-minute mark, lightning struck near Bill Armstrong Stadium again, sending the game into another 30-minute delay.
Luckily for the Hoosiers, they had the convenience of being at home and in the comfort of their resources.
“It’s much easier here,” Indiana head coach Erwin Van Bennekom said.
“We have a little turf room; we have a video screen that we showed at any break, and we were able to show some video from the first 10 minutes. We’re prepared for that. It's not easy, but we handle it pretty well.”
The game resumed at 6:36 p.m. after four delays. This time the weather held up for the Hoosiers, allowing them to show off what they’ve got.
Indiana pressured the Raiders’ defense and goalie at all times. With the ball mainly in the possession of the Hoosiers, sophomore midfielder Elle Britt drew a foul in the box to give Indiana a penalty shot.
It was no surprise that Van Bennekom chose sophomore defender Piper Coffield to take the shot. She easily converted it into a goal in the bottom left corner to build a 2-0 lead.
“She’s our number one,” Van Bennekom said, referring to Coffield. “She’s scored every penalty she’s taken for us, so we’ll keep going with her. The nice part about her is that she can go in both directions, so it's not like the next team of scouting will know where she's going.”
With 10 minutes left in the first half, graduate defender Avery Snead took a far shot from outside and reached deep into the net to add to the lead. The addition of Snead has been crucial for the Hoosiers, as she has made the back line even stronger. Snead’s shot to make it 3-0 was her first career goal as a Hoosier since transferring from Providence College.
The first half was dominated by the Hoosiers as they led 9-1 shots and 5-0 in shots on goal. The Raiders’ lone opportunity came in the 41st minute but was off target.
Sirdah was the first to get to work in the second half, but the ball was far right from the goal. Two minutes later, a long throw-in by senior defender Camille Hamm turned into a loose ball in the keeper's box that found the feet of senior midfielder Hope Paredes. As bodies collided and the ball scrambled, Paredes gained control, kept the ball on the pitch and struck it into the bottom right of the net in the 59th minute.
In the 60th minute, junior forward Marisa Grzesiak came off the bench to sub into the game. She then scored off a perfectly placed cross from junior midfielder Natasha Kim. Kim found Grzesiak on the run and placed the ball over the keeper’s head.
Being down 5-0, the Raiders looked defeated and seemed to have no sense of urgency. But Indiana did not back down and continued to attack until the final whistle blew.
The final goal came in the 84th minute, courtesy of a corner kick by freshman defender Bella Haggerty. The corner kick found sophomore midfielder Krista Murphy, who headed the ball and knocked it into the top left of the net, right outside the six-yard box.
Both Sirdah and Murphy found the back of the net to record their first career goals. Sirdah leads the Hoosiers with five points, six shots, four shots on goal and three assists this season. Haggerty’s assist on the corner was her first career point.
Senior goalkeeper Jamie Gerstenberg earned her 25th career victory, now ranking third all-time in Indiana women's soccer history. She now trails Bethany Kopel, who has 30 wins, and Merit Elzey, who has 35.
It was an all-around team win for the Hoosiers, with 26 different players seeing the field and seven players making their first appearances this season. The bench provided a spark that changed the game for the better. The Raiders could simply not keep up with the Hoosiers, as they did not have any shots on goal compared to Indiana’s 11. Additionally, they only had two corners and one shot.
Indiana is now 3-0 to start the season and will head to Rhode Island to face Ivy League member Brown University (0-1-1) on Sept. 1, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. Coverage will be on ESPN+.
Follow reporters Sam Elster (@samelster1) and Matt Rudella (@mattrudellaIDS) for updates throughout the Indiana women’s soccer season.
