Within the first minute of its match against USC on Sunday, Indiana women's soccer was in trouble.
The Hoosiers were caught off guard. Off a deep cross from her teammate, USC freshman forward Rhea Moore shot straight at Indiana fifth-year goalkeeper Dani Jacobson. An instant after the ball brushed off the Jacobson’s gloves, it found the back of the net to put the Trojans up 1-0.
From here, Indiana did what it’s gotten used to doing; working to make up a deficit. The Hoosiers erased the Trojans lead by the final whistle, tying 2-2 in Rawlinson Stadium in Los Angeles on Oct. 11.
Soon after Moore’s goal, Hoosiers junior midfielder Maggie Ledwith fired a shot towards the Trojan goal but missed over the top crossbar. Junior defender Bella Haggerty followed with a shot on goal that was saved by USC freshman goalkeeper Josie Biehl.
Following the quick array of shots from Indiana, the two teams stood at a standstill, with only two shots attempted between them for the next 30 minutes.
USC broke through once again in the 38th minute.
Freshman defender Rhiannon Mahon sent a cross from near midfield into the 18-yard box for her teammate freshman forward Jordan Hill. Hill sent a shot straight into the bottom right corner of the goal as Jacobson was too slow to get down and stop it. Entering halftime, the Hoosiers were down 2-0, and on the verge of losing their seventh straight match.
However, Indiana did not go away easily.
In its match against Michigan on Oct. 4, Indiana was down 1-0 at halftime. By the end of the match, Indiana found its offensive rhythm and finished the game losing 2-3. Despite losing, Indiana learned to not let up when playing at a deficit, as evident in its two second half goals.
Building on offensive improvements of recent matches, Indiana came out of the half looking more energized and aggressive. It quickly paid off.
In the 48th minute, senior midfielder Kennedy Neighbors sent a cross into the Trojan box from the left side of the field. As the ball found its way inside the box, sophomore defender Grace Hamm crept past a line of Trojan defenders to send the ball into the right side of the net, putting the Hoosiers on the board.
Soon after, Hamm attempted another shot, hoping to equalize the score and give her squad more momentum. While her shot missed left, Indiana still played with energy.
As Indiana continued to play aggressively, it earned a corner kick. A chance to equalize was lost on an offside call, but it didn’t deter the Hoosiers from playing with confidence.
In a similar situation in the 70th minute, that aggressiveness and confidence paid off.
A short corner was taken by senior midfielder Paige Droner to Neighbors, who crossed it into a crowded box of Trojans and Hoosiers. Freshman forward Amaya Falzarano came away with it and poked it past Biehl, tying the game at 2-2.
The next 20 minutes saw the Hoosiers attempt four shots in an effort to escape with their first win in seven games. Freshman midfielder Emma Ehret took the final shot of the match as the clock expired, but Biehl held on for the Trojans to stop the Hoosiers’ comeback bid.
Although Indiana was unable to tally a win, its draw still broke a six-game losing streak. This is the Hoosiers’ first draw since Aug. 21, when they tied Bellarmine University 1-1.
Indiana now returns home to Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington for a three-game homestand, starting with a match against No. 1 Michigan State. The Hoosiers and Spartans kick off at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16 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.
