After a 2-2 draw against USC on Oct. 11, Indiana women's soccer returned to Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington hoping to continue its offensive momentum. But the Hoosiers were unable to keep it going against No. 5 Michigan State on Friday.
In their 2-0 loss to the Spartans, the Hoosiers attempted only four shots during the full 90-minute period, with just one on goal.
Despite the numbers not showing offensive output, the Hoosiers were still able to generate significant chances. In the final minute of the first half, senior midfielder Kennedy Neighbors dribbled her way into the Spartan box.
One on one with sophomore goalkeeper Noelle Henning, Neighbors took her shot, but it went just right of the goalposts and out of bounds. Postgame, head coach Josh Rife praised Neighbors' ability to get into positions to help her team win.
"Kennedy (Neighbors) did a great job of getting herself into a good spot at the end of the first half," Rife said.
Entering halftime, Indiana was down 1-0 with two shots and no corners recorded. Michigan State was able to shut down the Hoosiers’ offensive rhythm before they could generate a synchronized push. The Spartans dominated possession and made Indiana play defense in its own half.
As rain began to come down in the 56th minute, Indiana found itself with another scoring opportunity. Junior defender Bella Haggerty pushed the ball on the left side of the field as her teammates filled the Spartan box. When Haggerty crossed the ball in, Neighbors was just late on her sliding attempt to poke the ball in. The ball rolled out of bounds, and the miss proved costly for the Hoosiers.
In the 61st minute, Indiana came close to a breakthrough.
Neighbors found sixth-year senior midfielder Jenna Chatterton inside the box on a through ball on the ground. Chatterton fired her shot into the bottom right of the net. As the Hoosiers celebrated their equalizer, the officiating crew went to Video Assistance Referee to review if Chatterton was onside. Ultimately, the goal was overturned.
Regardless of the validity of the goal, Indiana continued to play with poise against a nationally ranked opponent. In the 75th minute, sophomore defender Grace Hamm entered the box from the left side of the field by dribbling around Michigan State defenders. One on one with Henning, Hamm took an extra few dribbles to her right. Her shot was then blocked and sent away by Henning.
In the Hoosiers' final attempt of the match, senior defender Piper Coffield sent a shot to the bottom right corner of the Spartans' goal. It was blocked, and the match ended with a final score of 2-0.
As Indiana continues to struggle to find offensive consistency, it hosts in-state rival Purdue at home Oct. 22. Rife and his squad understand what is at stake entering the matchup and what they could learn from Friday’s loss.
"I think we continue to put ourselves in good positions," Rife said. "We make sure we bring the proper emotion and not become emotional when we're reacting or making decisions."
The Hoosiers and Boilermakers will kick off at 7 p.m. Oct. 22 at Bill Armstrong Stadium, 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.
