In the last 44 days, Indiana women’s soccer scored just two goals at home. One on Aug. 21 in a 1-1 draw against Bellarmine University and the other in a 2-1 loss against Minnesota on Sept. 24.
On Sunday, the Hoosiers matched that total in one game.
The Hoosiers scored twice at home in a 2-3 loss to Michigan. Although the score would end in favor of Michigan, Indiana came away from this game with a clear positive: an offense it knows can find the back of the net.
“Those are always positive things,” head coach Josh Rife said postgame Sunday. “To see the ball hit the back of the net twice... it’s got to be a little boost for them to see that.”
Indiana entered halftime down 1-0 after a groundball shot from Michigan junior forward Ella Jablinskey found its way through a crowded box and into the bottom left corner of Indiana's goal. In the locker room during the break, Rife and his coaching staff made the necessary adjustments to set his team up for success.
“We’re definitely fortunate to have a great setup here at the Bill (Armstrong Stadium)... (being) able to look at things during halftime, make adjustments and... just encourage our players,” Rife said postgame.
Recently, Indiana has struggled to make offensive adjustments. When the Hoosiers have been down in games, they look slow and uninspired, failing to generate meaningful offensive opportunities. They have also appeared slow on defense when trying to stop opposing offensive advances.
The adjustments Rife implemented Sunday worked early. Within 10 minutes of the Hoosiers coming onto the field for the second half, they found an offensive opening to score, something they have struggled to do recently.
In the 53rd minute, sixth-year midfielder Jenna Chatterton brought the ball up for Indiana, dribbling past the backline of the Wolverines. She made her way past the goalkeeper and was forced to take a shot going left. On an empty goal, Chatterton put her squad on the board and changed the attitude of the team.
Following the goal, all 11 of Indiana’s players were energized. The opportunity for a win appeared real.
Junior midfielder Maggie Ledwith was first to attempt a shot following Chatterton's goal, but her try was blocked by Michigan defenders near the box.
As minutes passed, Indiana fell further and further away from its first home win in over a month. In the 64th and 73rd minutes, the Wolverines broke through Indiana’s defense to add two more goals to the scoreboard.
Despite this, Indiana continued to push the pace offensively and did not let up. The team showed a fight that has not been present for the Hoosiers in recent conference matches.
Indiana’s constant pressure would pay off again in the 85th minute. On a corner set in from the left side and some headers her way, Ledwith found the left side of the Wolverines goal, bringing the deficit to just one point.
But Indiana couldn’t complete the comeback.
In their last five games, the Hoosiers have been outscored 12-3 against conference opponents. The Cream and Crimson’s last win came in a last second 1-0 victory over Nebraska on Sept. 10. Indiana’s two goals scored Sunday are a significant improvement over its recent showings.
"The Big Ten’s a monster from top to bottom,” Rife said. “There’s no breathers.”
On Sunday, Indiana came one step closer to finding what Rife calls its “winning recipe.” Despite the final scoreline showing an Indiana team that couldn’t quite equalize the score, the Hoosiers improved against a strong Michigan squad that now owns a 5-3-3 record.
Moving forward, Indiana hopes to continue this build upon this outing, beginning with a matchup against UCLA, which is currently third in the Big Ten with a 5-1 conference record. The Hoosiers aim to move that record to 5-2 as they travel to Los Angeles on Oct. 8 to square off against the Bruins. Kickoff hasn’t been announced, and coverage will be 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.
