The Indiana field hockey record for the most goals scored in a game stood for 12 years.
And on Friday, the Hoosiers surpassed that record, after nearly getting there against Saint Louis University on Sept. 5. Indiana scored 12 unanswered goals to defeat Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania - Lock Haven at Deborah Tobias Field.
“I thought our first touch today was really good,” Indiana head coach Kayla Bashore said. “Also, just the team play, we had some really nice team goals, and that was really neat to see the ability to share the ball and finish in the end.”
The Hoosiers’ 43 shots — 33 on goal — place second all-time, just behind a 49-shot performance against Lindenwood University in 2005. Junior midfielder Inés Garcia Prado added another three-goal performance — her last was against Rutgers on Oct. 6, 2024 — to the record books. Garcia Prado is tied with 13 other former Hoosiers for the most goals scored in a game and is the fourth player to score a hat-trick on more than one occasion.
Indiana worked better defensively in this game compared to the 4-5 loss to the University of Louisville. The Cream and Crimson allowed two shots — neither were on goal — and only one penalty corner.
“We came out with really good energy and our defense was really disciplined,” Bashore said. “Which were two things that we were looking to demonstrate today. We went over circle [defense] communication, and then the idea of winning 50/50 balls. I think that really helped them have the confidence to be more aggressive to win the ball.”
Indiana started the game fast. In the fourth minute, the Hoosiers received their first penalty corner. Sophomore forward/midfielder Charlotte Glasper took the corner, and junior midfielder Javi Baeza set up sophomore forward Mijntje Hagen for her first goal this season.
“It gives a lot of confidence to score a goal,” Hagen said. “Seeing the team working hard and also keep on working hard for yourself. It ended in a win, so I think that’s great.”
The Hoosiers put another goal past Lock Haven redshirt-senior goalkeeper Kelsey Felix in the sixth minute. Glasper got a pass in front of the goal but was tripped up by Felix. However, the ball found junior forward/midfielder Theresa Ricci to put Indiana up 2-0.
Indiana’s lead stayed the same by the end of the first quarter. The Hoosiers had 12 shots — 10 of them on goal — in the first frame, but Felix saved eight of those chances.
Indiana was finally able to break through in the 24th minute after hounding Lock Haven to start the second quarter. A turnover by the Bald Eagles at their 25-yard line led to Hagen driving in and scoring.
Just over a minute later, the Hoosiers were back on the scoreboard. A shot by freshman forward Celia Arroyo Cabezudo rebounded into the middle of the shooting circle, and Garcia Prado was able to tuck the ball into the back of the net.
“That is a really big confidence piece before you start Big Ten play,” Garcia Prado said. “A couple of slow games for me, attack-wise, in the last games. It gave me confidence to keep going and believe in myself and take care of the details in that aspect.”
Indiana’s third and final goal of the second quarter saw Arroyo Cabezudo scoring her fifth goal of the season in the 28th minute. A pass from Garcia Prado found her Spanish counterpart for an easy goal to give the Hoosiers a 5-0 lead heading into halftime.
Even after the 20-minute break, Indiana came out of the half firing on all cylinders. Lock Haven freshman goalkeeper Taryn Dolka entered the game after the fifth goal, but she could not stop Glasper from scoring number six for the Hoosiers in the 42nd minute.
Then the Cream Crimson scored three consecutive goals in just over a minute of game time. Junior back/midfielder Hannah Riddle scored the first two, and Ricci put the third one in the back of the net to give Indiana a 9-0 advantage.
Garcia Prado added two more to the scoreboard in the 47th and 54th minutes, while junior forward Ava Winner scored the record-breaking goal in the 56th minute. Winner’s goal, her first this season, was in front of a wide-open goal after a shot by Garcia Prado put the defense out of position.
Indiana is back at Deborah Tobias Field at noon on Sunday against Saint Francis University. Coverage for the game will be on Big Ten+.
“It’s just putting out a performance that we’re really proud of,” Bashore said. “In terms of right now, how we’re able to capitalize on the chances we get, and to fine-tune those details so we’re ready to go for the Big Ten.”
Follow reporter Sean McAvoy (@sean_mc07 and semcavoy@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana field hockey season.
