Four days after Indiana women’s soccer appeared to find an offensive spark, it disappeared in Los Angeles.
The Hoosiers scored twice in the second half against Michigan on Sunday — their most productive half of Big Ten play this season. Against No. 10 UCLA on Thursday, Indiana managed just four shots and two on goal in a 5-0 loss.
The defeat extended Indiana’s losing streak to six matches and dealt another setback to an offense that appeared to take a step forward against Michigan.
Indiana struggled to establish possession in UCLA’s defensive third from the opening minutes.
The Hoosiers earned a corner kick in the sixth minute but didn't attempt their first shot until the 26th, when sophomore defender Grace Hamm’s effort was blocked.
By then, UCLA had already produced eight attempts.
That imbalance kept Indiana from consistently forcing the Bruins backward. Without extended possessions or repeated chances around UCLA’s penalty area, the Hoosiers spent much of the opening half playing without the ball.
UCLA eventually turned its pressure into the opening goal.
Sophomore midfielder Grace Shank found junior midfielder Asa Yamazaki in the 32nd minute, and Yamazaki sent a right-footed shot into the top-left corner.
Indiana had an opportunity to respond three minutes later, but Hamm sent the Hoosiers’ second attempt off target.
It was also their final shot of the first half.
Indiana entered halftime trailing 1-0 without putting an attempt on goal, a sharp change from the attacking response it produced against Michigan.
The Bruins made that deficit larger almost immediately after the break.
Senior forward Leena Powell scored just 1:31 into the second half, putting Indiana behind 2-0 before the Hoosiers could establish any sustained attacking pressure.
Junior midfielder Maggie Ledwith finally produced Indiana’s first shot on goal in the 57th minute, sending an attempt toward the bottom center of the net. However, UCLA sophomore goalkeeper Daphne Nakfoor made a routine save.
It took Indiana more than 17 minutes to put another shot on target.
Senior defender Piper Coffield tested replacement junior goalkeeper Mariangela Medina in the 74th minute, but Medina made the save.
That became Indiana’s final shot of the match.
UCLA scored less than 30 seconds later.
Junior forward Kara Croone found the bottom-left corner in the 75th minute before scoring again less than three minutes later. Freshman defender Anna Wilson added UCLA’s fifth goal in the 83rd minute.
The three goals in under nine minutes turned a match that remained within two goals for most of the night into a rout.
Indiana’s inability to sustain attacks contributed to the imbalance. The Hoosiers rarely forced UCLA to defend for extended stretches, giving the Bruins opportunities to regain possession and push play back toward Indiana’s half.
Thursday also erased some of the offensive optimism created four days earlier. Against UCLA, Indiana couldn't build on it.
Four shots became the Hoosiers’ lowest total since they attempted four against Saint Louis University on Aug. 30. Only two tested a UCLA goalkeeper.
Indiana will have one more opportunity to find its offense before leaving Los Angeles. The Hoosiers face USC at 4 p.m. Sunday in the final match of their West Coast road trip, looking to end a six-match losing streak and rebound from their first five-goal loss of the season.
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.
