Though the night began with frustration and uncertainty, Indiana women’s soccer found its spark, and its statement, under the lights at Bill Armstrong Stadium on Thursday.
Trailing for most of Thursday’s match against Northwestern after a first-half penalty kick against Indiana that led to a score, the Hoosiers looked destined for disappointing loss. But in the final 10 minutes, freshman defender Grace Hamm and sophomore midfielder Maggie Ledwith flipped the script, delivering a dramatic 2–1 comeback win over the Wildcats — Indiana’s first Big Ten victory of the season and first year head coach Josh Rife’s first conference win at the helm.
It was a breakthrough that had been building for weeks. Drawing in its last three Big Ten matches against Washington, Oregon, and Purdue, Indiana had been on the brink of its first conference win.
“We get the one, and, you know, you start to think, like, ‘alright, is this going to be four ties in a row,’” Rife said.
Northwestern controlled the tempo early, pressing high and forcing Indiana senior goalkeeper Dani Jacobson into action. The Wildcats earned five corners in the opening half and finally broke through in the 31st minute when sophomore defender Haden Vlcek was called for a foul in the box.
Northwestern senior midfielder Caterina Regazzoni stepped up and buried the penalty, silencing the home crowd and putting Indiana on the back foot.
Halftime arrived with the Hoosiers trailing 1–0, flat, frustrated and searching for answers.
But inside the locker room, something shifted.
“At halftime we talked about needing to change something,” Ledwith said. “Everyone knew our energy had to be higher, and we had to be more aggressive. In the second half, we saw that — everyone stepped up.”
The second-half surge began with Hamm, who has quietly become one of Indiana’s most reliable sparks with four goals on the year. In the 81st minute, after a long buildup on the right flank, Hamm pounced on a loose ball and rifled a low shot into the far corner of her opponents’ goal. The equalizer sent the crowd into a frenzy — and gave the Hoosiers hope.
“She really gave us momentum,” Ledwith said. “Grace has been amazing all season, and after her goal, we knew we were still in it.”
With the game hanging in the balance, Indiana pressed forward. And in the 89th minute, Ledwith delivered the dagger.
After a misplayed clearance by Northwestern, she calmly collected the ball inside the box and slotted home the winner — her fourth goal of the season and perhaps her most important yet.
“I just told myself to stay composed and find the corner,” Ledwith said, smiling. “We all worked so hard, especially in the second half, and we needed that goal. I’m just so proud of the entire team.”
Indiana’s defense, anchored by graduate goalkeeper Sally Rainey in the second half, held firm in the final minutes of the match. Rainey made two clutch saves in the final minute, including a low strike from freshman midfielder Keira Kemmerley.
The win marked Indiana’s first win after conceding the opening goal in nearly two years. For a team that’s battled through close calls and late heartbreaks this season, Thursday’s finish felt like a turning point.
“It just shows that this team can come back from anything,” Ledwith said. “Even if we’re down a goal, we know we can respond.”
The Hoosiers remain unbeaten at home — a streak they’ve fiercely protected all season.
“Protecting the Bill — that’s what we say before every single game,” Ledwith said. “We want to keep that streak going as long as we can.”
Now 4–4–5 overall and 1–2–4 in Big Ten play, Indiana takes on Michigan next at 1 p.m. Oct. 12 at the University of Michigan Soccer Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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.
