Following a 3-2 loss on the road to Xavier University Aug. 26, Indiana women's soccer returned home, hoping to get back in the win column against Saint Louis University.
Early in its game against the Billikens, Indiana's backline was pressured by Saint Louis’ forwards. The physical tone was set early in the third minute when Saint Louis junior forward Audrey Smith was booked for a yellow card after attempting an aggressive slide tackle.
After, players from both teams played more aggressively. By the end of the game, Indiana committed 13 fouls, while Saint Louis contributed 10 to the 23 total fouls. Indiana head coach Josh Rife noticed the early aggressiveness and acknowledged how it changed his game plan.
"I think (the foul) set the tone for everybody like, 'Hey we’ve got to be pretty mindful of how we go in for challenges,’" Rife said in a postgame interview.
During the game, Saint Louis played aggressively on Indiana's backline, but the Hoosiers defensive group stayed together. In the first half, Indiana's defense frequently poked the ball away from Saint Louis forwards when they tried advancing up the field.
Indiana found its first big offensive chance in the 30th minute. Indiana sophomore forward Emily Graham took her shot on the ground, and as the ball rolled past sophomore goalkeeper Pepper Escher, it rolled just left and out of bounds. It was a valuable chance for the offense lost against a Saint Louis defense that allows just 5.2 shots per game.
As the first half came to a close, it looked like Indiana would stalemate with Saint Louis. Both sides were playing solid defense while being unable to generate many offensive chances. If Indiana could find another breakaway moment, it was possible they would come away with the win.
"The first half was one of our better halves of soccer," Rife said. "We can go back and look at the first half and say, 'Hey there's a lot of things here that we did well.'"
Though Rife wanted to continue the positive play in the second half, the second period proved to be much different than the first.
Throughout the whole second half, Saint Louis was able to apply much more offensive pressure. The Billikens earned four corner kicks and attempted four shots in the second half alone.
Indiana hoped to hold it together like it had in the first half, but the 48th minute saw the Billikens break through the Hoosiers’ defense.
Within three minutes of the second half starting, Saint Louis worked together as a team to move the ball up the field, and freshman forward Leah Simpson tapped in a cross in the eight-yard box from Smith.
Rife and his coaching staff decided to challenge the goal, thinking it was offside. After referee deliberation, the goal was upheld, and Indiana was in a 1-0 hole three minutes into the half.
"It was about eight seconds from when the ball started down there until it goes to the back of the net," Rife said. "Your margin for error is really zero."
Soon after, Indiana had another chance to break through Saint Louis' back line. Indiana freshman forward Amaya Falzarano worked up the left side of the field and into Saint Louis' box. She took her shot close to the eight-yard box on the left side, but Escher punched her away. This was Indiana's only recorded shot on goal for the game.
Later in the 79th minute, Falzarano was booked for a yellow card. Simpson lined up to take the free kick for the Billikens outside of Indiana's box, and after repeated shots close to the goal, Smith found a way to put the ball past a crowded box of Indiana defenders and place the Billikens up 2-0 over the Hoosiers.
Indiana also challenged this goal with hopes of it being offsides, but the call was upheld.
Indiana now looks forward to a week of training before travelling to Athens, Ohio, to play Ohio University on Sep. 6. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. with coverage available on ESPN+.
Follow reporters Will Kwiatkowski (@WKwiatkowski_15 and wdkwiatk@iu.edu) and Leonardo Vesperini (@leovmedia and lvesperi@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana women’s soccer season.
