The Hoosiers scored three goals in the first half and added another in the final minute to defeat the University of New Hampshire 4-0 on Friday at Deborah Tobias Field in Bloomington. Indiana held the Wildcats to one shot on goal and one penalty corner during the match.
In Indiana’s first matches of the season, the team struggled to turn scoring opportunities into goals. In the team’s Aug. 29 season opener against Miami (Ohio) University Indiana managed just 10 shots, five on goal. During the Hoosiers’ Aug. 30 match against the University of Louisville the Cream and Crimson generated more offense — recording 28 shots and 16 on goal — but scored just once.
That was not the case against the Wildcats.
With five minutes remaining in the first quarter, sophomore forward Celia Arroyo Cabezudo opened the scoring up for the Hoosiers, finishing the setup from senior midfielder Inés Garcia Prado. Less than three minutes later, Arroyo Cabezudo scored again on a breakaway assisted by sophomore forward Molly Stutte to help Indiana take an early 2-0 lead.
The two goals brought Arroyo Cabezudo’s season total to three.
Indiana continued its offensive pressure in the second quarter, with freshman forward Agustina Gamonal scoring her first goal of the season off an assist from freshman midfielder Elle Obenou with 10 minutes left in the second quarter.
“We were really working on those connections and different ways we can score goals,” Indiana head coach Kayla Bashore said in a postgame interview. “The focus going into the game was really about how we take care of the ball when we’re getting into the circle and playing our game.”
Indiana took its 3-0 lead into halftime and continued to control possession in the second half. The Hoosiers kept New Hampshire from creating consistent offensive pressure, keeping the Wildcats from recording a shot on goal until midway through the third quarter.
“I’m really proud of that,” Bashore said. “Because that’s where we can control those things if we’re organized and we’re able to be disciplined in our press, starting with the front to the back.”
The Hoosiers continued to earn penalty corners through the second half but could not add to their lead until the game’s final minute. With 30 seconds remaining, Stutte scored Indiana’s fourth goal of the game to cap the 4-0 victory.
The win marked Indiana’s first of the season after the Hoosiers opened the year with two one-goal losses against ranked opponents.
“We came out really hungry because we lost the last two games,” Stutte said in an interview postgame. “We knew the ball was going to fall at some point, and we just needed to finish it.”
The victory also marked Bashore’s 50th win as Indiana’s head coach. In her eight year tenure, Bashore has led the team to the Big Ten Tournament three times and led Indiana to a 10-win season in 2021.
“I really do appreciate this team and all the work that they’ve done to get us to where we are,” Bashore said. “Every year we’ve just been building and getting better, and everybody that leaves has made the program better. It’s just cool to see that continued growth.”
The Hoosiers will play noon on Monday at Deborah Tobias Field to take on Central Michigan University in Bloomington. The game will be streamed on Big Ten+.
Follow reporter Jack Davis (@JackDavis0006 and jjd5@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana field hockey season.
