Indiana women’s soccer needs a reset. Michigan arrives in Bloomington needing one, too.
The Hoosiers return to Bill Armstrong Stadium at noon Sunday riding a four-match losing streak, while the Wolverines enter after dropping consecutive 1-0 matches. Indiana sits at 4-6-1 overall and 1-4 in Big Ten play, while Michigan is 4-3-3 overall and 2-3 in conference play.
Both teams will be searching for offense.
Indiana has scored just twice through five Big Ten matches. Junior midfielder Maggie Ledwith provided both, scoring the game-winner against Nebraska on Sept. 10 before finding the net in a 2-1 loss to Minnesota.
The Hoosiers were shut out again in their most recent match, falling 2-0 at Northwestern on Sept. 27.
Opportunities weren't the problem.
Indiana and Northwestern each attempted 11 shots, but the Hoosiers put six on goal compared with the Wildcats’ two. Northwestern converted its shots on target while Indiana couldn't capitalize on any of its attempts.
Michigan arrives with similar frustrations. The Wolverines have gone 180 minutes without scoring after consecutive 1-0 losses to Washington and Nebraska. Michigan outshot Nebraska 14-5 and put nine attempts on goal before conceding the game-winner in the 88th minute.
Despite its recent struggles, Michigan has already shown its ceiling.
The Wolverines traveled to East Lansing, Michigan, on Sept. 20 and defeated then-No. 1 Michigan State 3-1, handing their in-state rival its first loss of the season. Michigan trailed 1-0 before scoring three second-half goals in fewer than six minutes.
Junior forward Ella Jablinskey led the comeback with two goals and an assist. The performance helped Michigan secure its first victory over a No. 1 ranked opponent in program history.
Jablinskey remains the player Indiana’s defense will have to monitor.
She leads Michigan with four goals and 31 shots through 10 starts. Junior midfielder Adi Walick follows with three goals and an assist despite attempting 10 shots, seven of which have been on target.
Even if Indiana can contain Michigan’s attack, finding a goal at the other end presents its challenges.
Freshman goalkeeper Malia Zillman has allowed eight goals across nine starts while making 34 saves.
Michigan has also performed better away from Ann Arbor. The Wolverines are 3-1-2 on the road compared with 1-2-1 at home.
Sunday continues a difficult stretch for Indiana in a deep Big Ten.
Five of the conference’s 18 programs are currently ranked inside the national top 20. Indiana has already faced two, losing 3-0 to No. 7 Ohio State and 2-0 to No. 20 Wisconsin. No. 10 UCLA also awaits Indiana later this month.
Michigan sits outside the top 25 but is receiving votes after showing it can compete with the nation’s best.
The Wolverines currently sit 10th in the Big Ten standings at 2-3. Indiana sits further down at 15th with a 1-4 conference record, having not earned a point since its victory at Nebraska.
That makes Sunday an opportunity for two struggling teams to change direction.
Michigan arrives having proven it can beat the nation’s best but unable to score in its past two matches. Indiana returns home having lost four straight and scoring just twice in conference play.
One of those slides could begin to turn Sunday.
Indiana and Michigan kick off at noon at Bill Armstrong Stadium, with coverage on the Big Ten Network.
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.
