Both Indiana women’s soccer and Xavier University had their chances to... Wednesday night. The difference was what each team did in those moments.
The Musketeers capitalized on Indiana’s early mistakes, scoring twice in the opening 17 minutes before eventually handing the Hoosiers their first loss of the season, 3-2, at Corcoran Field in Cincinnati.
Indiana, meanwhile, created opportunities of its own from the beginning. The Hoosiers forced Xavier redshirt junior goalkeeper Taylor Thomas into three saves within the opening 11 minutes, but none found the back of the net.
Xavier didn’t have the same problem finishing its chances on goal.
Redshirt junior forward Peyton Kohls opened the scoring in the seventh minute. Less than 10 minutes later, sophomore defender Brooklyn O’Brien added another to give Xavier a 2-0 advantage.
The Musketeers dominated the possession battle early, consistently winning 50-50 chances for the ball with Indiana and shutting down any offensive runs from the Hoosiers.
After a stop for Xavier, Kohls’ seventh-minute goal came off a perfectly cleared ball from junior defender Breanna Dardano that found Kohls’ feet just steps away from the net.
The early difference highlighted something Indiana head coach Josh Rife emphasized before the Hoosiers traveled to Cincinnati.
“The difference will not be that we’re on the road,” Rife said after the Hoosiers’ 1-1 draw against Bellarmine University on Aug. 21. “The difference is going to be what we do when we’re on the field.”
Xavier made Indiana pay when opportunities presented themselves, while the Hoosiers struggled to find the same finishing touch on the other end.
Indiana continued searching for the same level of execution. Sophomore defender Grace Hamm had a chance from a free kick in the 16th minute, but her attempt went wide.
Despite falling behind by two goals, Indiana kept Xavier from adding to its lead for the remainder of the first half. The Hoosiers went into halftime still within striking distance, but their inability to convert on the other end left them without anything to show for their opportunities.
That trend continued early in the second half as Indiana again created an opportunity without finding the goal it needed.
Sixth-year midfielder Jenna Chatterton put an attempt on target in the 52nd minute, forcing another save from Thomas. But three minutes later, Xavier added another goal.
The Musketeers responded by doing exactly what Indiana had struggled to do all night: turning an opportunity into a goal.
Sophomore forward Sara Parker headed home a cross from Kohls in the 56th minute, extending Xavier’s advantage to 3-0.
Indiana spent more than 50 minutes searching for its first goal, while Xavier converted three times to put the Hoosiers in their largest deficit of the young season.
The Hoosiers continued creating opportunities as time began to disappear. Junior midfielder Maggie Ledwith missed attempts in the 83rd and 87th minutes, while freshman forward Amaya Falzarano had a shot blocked in between.
Eventually, Indiana began converting the opportunities that escaped it throughout the match.
Falzarano found Ledwith in the 88th minute, and the junior midfielder finished with her left foot to finally beat Thomas and put Indiana on the scoreboard.
The Hoosiers continued pushing forward despite having little time remaining to erase what was still a two-goal deficit.
Hamm then found senior midfielder Kennedy Neighbors with 26 seconds left. Neighbors converted Indiana’s second goal, cutting Xavier’s lead to one.
Those two goals changed the final score, but they also emphasized how costly Indiana’s earlier missed opportunities had become. Indiana returns home to Bill Armstrong Stadium on Sunday to host Saint Louis University. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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.
