Because the IDS gets published on Monday, I offer my thoughts from about an hour after a thrilling game between the Hoosiers and the University of Xavier Musketeers. That, and I'm not sure in how much of the story appearing in Monday's IDS will contain this game. Something even more dramatic and exciting could happen on Sunday. Meanwhile, a mini-wrap from Friday night's match.
Nineteen shots were attempted over a span of almost 85 minutes before Indiana broke through, as senior forward Carly Samp's goal propelled the Hoosiers to a 1-0 win against Xavier.
The Musketeers are a defensive-oriented team. Consider: In their five prior matches, they scored four goals. Yet in matches they scored, they are 3-0. Two of those victories were 1-0. In the two matches prior to this one where they did not score, they were on the wrong end of a 1-0 score.
Thanks to Samp, Xavier fell to 0-3 in matches in which they did not score. (All were 1-0 defeats.) Samp put the Hoosiers on the board in the 85th minute when she received the ball at the top of the box, turned, and shot the ball to the left post. The ball rolled past diving Katie Markesberry, who played incredibly well in goal.
(Interesting note: Markesberry did not take her own goal kicks.)
Markesberry, a freshman, recorded 10 saves - including a sparkling fingertip save in the 72' of a shot by senior midfielder Kaylin Clow. She maintained her clean sheet despite the Hoosiers' 14 corner kicks.
The flurry of activity for Markesberry contrasted sharply with IU's goalkeepers. Senior Lindsay Campbell started the first half. Sophomore Shannon Flower played the second half and earned the win. This was not an unexpected move, based on what Coach Mick Lyon told me after practice Wednesday.
"Flower, who's not played much right now, is playing terrific in practice," Lyon said. "There's great competition amongst those two. I think the team would be confident in either of them."
Flower, though, not credited with a save, spoiled perhaps Xavier's best opportunity when she came off her line to take the ball off the foot of a Xavier player. (Regrettably, I did not get the official time this happened.)
Campbell picked up the only IU save of the night in the 41st minute, on Xavier's first of two shots.
Beach injured, carded
Senior midfielder Devon Beach and Markesberry collided with 18:02 remaining - the 27' mark - in the first half. The referee stopped play because both spent some time on the ground being tended to by trainers. Both were able to walk off the field. Beach was assessed a yellow card and did not return. Markesberry's backup, junior Jennifer Perry, played 3:37 before Markesberry returned.
I will address this in my interviews following Sunday's match.
Xavier's defense
I'm kicking myself now because I can only present this one example: IU had possession in Xavier's third of the field in the 78th minute. Xavier had ten players within 20 yards from their goal.
Again, will get some thoughts on this after Sunday's interviews. The diction concerning this subject should be extremely interesting.
Markesberry impressive
Prior to tonight's match when she was injured temporarily, Markesberry had played all 450 minutes in goal for Xavier. She played 86:23 in goal tonight, pushing her total to 536:23. She's recorded 52 saves in six games and conceded four goals, according to box scores found here (http://www.goxavier.com/sports/w-soccer/sched/xavi-w-soccer-sched.html).
