Indiana women’s soccer returns to Bill Armstrong Stadium on Thursday searching for two things that have recently been difficult to find: goals and success at home.
The Hoosiers host Minnesota after being shut out in consecutive matches against Ohio State and Wisconsin. Indiana has gone 180 minutes without scoring and has managed just one goal through its first three Big Ten matches.
This decline comes after Indiana consistently generated opportunities during nonconference play.
The Hoosiers averaged 13.8 shots across their six nonconference matches, but that number has fallen to 7.67 through three Big Ten contests. Overall, Indiana averages 11.9 shots and 1.33 goals per match.
Junior forward Maggie Ledwith has been Indiana’s most productive attacker, leading the Hoosiers with three goals, two assists and 19 shots. Her 88th-minute winner against Nebraska on Sept. 10 remains Indiana’s only goal in conference play.
One goal was enough against Nebraska as fifth-year goalkeeper Dani Jacobson and Indiana’s defense recorded its first shutout of the season.
It hasn’t been enough since.
The Hoosiers attempted five shots in a 3-0 loss to Ohio State before producing six in a 2-0 loss to Wisconsin. Now, Indiana returns to a Bill Armstrong Stadium where it hasn’t won in more than a month.
Indiana is 2-2-1 at home this season. The Hoosiers won their opening two matches in Bloomington before an 89th-minute handball led to Bellarmine University’s equalizing penalty kick in a 1-1 draw Aug. 21. Indiana then suffered home losses to Saint Louis University and Ohio State.
Minnesota enters Bloomington with road struggles of its own.
The Golden Gophers are 5-2-2 overall and 1-1-1 in Big Ten play but have experienced drastically different results depending on location. Minnesota is unbeaten at home at 4-0-2 but just 1-2 on the road.
Minnesota enters Thursday coming off a 2-2 draw against Northwestern. The Golden Gophers opened conference play with a 1-0 victory over Iowa before losing 1-0 at Penn State in their lone Big Ten road match.
Despite its road record, Minnesota brings an offense producing considerably more opportunities than Indiana.
The Golden Gophers average 16.7 shots and 1.89 goals per match. They have scored 17 goals through nine games while allowing just seven. Indiana, by comparison, has scored 12 goals and conceded 15.
Minnesota junior forward Davy Mokelke is one player Indiana will have to account for. Mokelke leads Minnesota with four goals despite attempting just 10 shots. Senior forward Ava Westlund has added three goals and two assists while leading the Golden Gophers with 33 attempts.
Minnesota’s defense could make ending Indiana’s scoring drought difficult as well.
Senior goalkeeper Sarah Martin has allowed seven goals across nine appearances while posting an .821 save percentage. Minnesota has held three opponents scoreless this season and is allowing just 9.9 shots per match.
Historically, Bloomington has treated Indiana better in the series. The Hoosiers are 10-6-2 at home against Minnesota despite trailing the all-time series 20-11-3. Minnesota won the programs’ most recent meeting 3-0 in 2024.
Thursday also carries implications in the early Big Ten standings. Minnesota enters with four conference points, while Indiana has three. A Hoosier victory would move Indiana ahead of the Golden Gophers while snapping its two-match losing streak.
For Indiana to do so, the Hoosiers will need to end two droughts — 180 minutes without a goal and more than a month without a victory at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
Indiana and Minnesota kick off 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington. The game will be streamed 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.
