For the first time this season in conference action, Indiana scored in the first half — a breakthrough moment that set the tone for a fiery performance.
The Hoosiers came out with renewed energy, pressing Oregon’s defense early and often. A fresh front line brought hunger and intensity, and in the 37th minute, sophomore midfielder Maggie Ledwith opened the scoring off a well-placed assist from senior midfielder Natasha Kim.
“We had a different front line bringing us some energy today,” senior midfielder Olivia Rush said postgame. “Fresh legs into the lineup did a great job. Put a lot of pressure early on, brought a lot of energy.”
But the second half was a roller coaster.
Oregon came out with a new shape and immediately found success. In the 55th minute, Oregon junior forward Lauren Kenny scored the equalizer after a VAR review confirmed her shot had crossed the line.
Indiana head coach Josh Rife acknowledged the tactical shift.
“They changed their shape coming out in the second half and I think we were a little slow maybe as a staff to make those adjustments,” Rife said.
Just five minutes later, Oregon struck again. Redshirt senior defender Jayde Holley finished off a well-worked play in the 60th minute, assisted by sixth-year forward Taylor Bryan and Kenny, to give the Ducks a 2–1 lead. Indiana’s defense looked rattled, and Oregon capitalized on the momentum.
In the 63rd minute, Oregon extended its lead to 3–1 when redshirt senior defender Cailin Bloom found the bottom right corner with a composed finish. The Hoosiers were suddenly staring down a two-goal deficit and a potential first home loss of the season.
But Indiana didn’t fold.
Coach Rife used the stoppages and substitutions to rally his team.
“There’s a moment where I think we hung our heads,” he said. “But we had to push back and stay engaged. There was still a lot of game left to play.”
The comeback began in the 68th minute when graduate student midfielder Jenna Chatterton, fresh off the bench, scored with her first touch. Her shot soared into the top left corner, assisted by junior midfielder Kennedy Neighbors, cutting the deficit to 3–2 and reigniting the crowd at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
Then, in the 84th minute, Rush delivered the equalizer. After doing the dirty work defensively all game, Rush found space and buried a shot from outside the Ducks’ box, leveling the score at 3–3.
“There’s a pressure and responsibility that comes with (being undefeated at home), but I have so much belief in this group,” Rush said. “We were hungry to get in front of goal, get rebounds, get crosses in. It was much better today than it has been.”
Indiana’s offense, which had struggled to find rhythm in previous matches, came alive with three different goal scorers. Rife praised the team’s depth and effort.
“Three different goal scorers today — that’s always a good thing for us,” Rife said. “There’s strength in numbers.”
Looking ahead, Indiana shifts focus to a rivalry matchup against Purdue on Oct. 3.
After a wild 3–3 draw against Oregon, Indiana women’s soccer remains undefeated at Bill Armstrong Stadium, but the game served as more than just a point in Big Ten play — it was a test of composure, resilience and leadership.
“We can have emotion, but we can’t become emotional,” Rush said. “That’s going to be key Friday night.”
Rife’s words weren’t just about the upcoming rivalry match against Purdue — they reflected the emotional roller coaster Indiana endured on the pitch Sunday.
Follow reporters Noah Gerkey (@Noah_Gerk and ngerkey@iu.edu) and Will Kwiatkowski (@WKwiatkowski_15 and wdkwiatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana women's soccer season.
