Indiana women's soccer fell short in its first road game of the season against Xavier University on Wednesday. After being down 3-0, the Hoosiers rallied back but ultimately couldn’t overcome the three-goal deficit, losing 3-2. Now, Indiana will return home, looking to bounce back against Saint Louis University on Sunday.
The 2-1-1 Saint Louis comes to Bloomington following a 1-1 contest against Illinois on Thursday. The Fighting Illini got on the board first with a goal in the 19th minute, but Billikens junior forward Audrey Smith tied the game in the 53rd minute. Smith’s goal marked her third of the season.
Last year, Smith scored the Billikens only goal in their 1-0 victory over Indiana in Saint Louis. This will be the Hoosiers’ fifth time facing Saint Louis, and the first time they've played in Bloomington since 1999 when the teams drew 1-1. Saint Louis leads the Hoosiers 3-1-1 all-time, owning a three-game winning streak.
Saint Louis was ranked second in the preseason Atlantic 10 poll. The team additionally received three of 14 first place votes after a year in which the Billikens finished 14-4-2. Their defense is anchored by junior goalkeeper Emma Parker, who earned the A-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll with 44 saves and a 0.721 save percentage.
Indiana comes into the game following two frustrating matches. During their most recent match against Xavier, the Hoosiers struggled to find an offensive spark, being held to seven shots on goal. Indiana found themselves down by as many as three goals and wasn’t able to score until the final three minutes of the game.
Prior to the Xavier matchup, the Hoosiers struggled at home against Bellarmine University on Aug. 21 as well. After senior defender Piper Coffield scored a penalty kick in the 45th minute, Indiana looked like it would come out on top as it controlled the pace and didn’t allow Bellarmine to attempt a single shot. However, Bellarmine earned a penalty kick in the 90th minute to score and tie the game 1-1.
So far this season, the Hoosier’s defensive backline has been disciplined and strong when they're able to control the pace of the game. However, the team has still allowed at least one goal in each match they've played. Fifth-year senior Dani Jacobson has allowed 1.5 goals per game and has a save percentage of 0.250 so far this season.
The Hoosiers have found success at home with a record of 2-0-1 this season. Indiana was voted to finish 16th out of 18 teams in the Big Ten in a preseason poll after finishing 13th last season with a record of 5-6-6.
Indiana and Saint Louis kick off at 1 p.m. from Bill Armstrong Stadium with coverage available on B1G+.
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.
