The Hoosiers may be coming off their worst loss of the season (a 4-1 loss against the Illini), as Coach Mick Lyon said his team "stopped competing." However, the Hoosiers' second match in their Illinois road trip may come against a favorable opponent as the Wildcats are last in every significant* offensive category in the Big Ten.
I spoke with the women's soccer reporter from The Daily Northwestern, Callie Counsellor.
"One of the players on the team (Sami Schrakamp I believe) mentioned that too much pressure has been put on the forwards to score, instead of making it a team effort," Counsellor said. "Additionally, sophomore Bo Podkopacz has missed a lot of time this year. She doesn't score a ton, but, according to Coach Stephanie Foster, she has the most "pace" on the team and makes a lot of things happen in the middle of the field that lead to good plays.
"Coach Foster also pointed to breakdowns in the "Big Five" --the first five minutes and last five minutes of each half. Personally, I think breakdowns in those time spans indicate a lack of focus."
While I cannot yet confirm whether this is IU's worst loss of the season, it is the first time Lyon said his team "stopped competing."
Statistically, this is a perfect opportunity for IU to notch their second conference win. But games are played on the field. Not on paper. Just because Northwestern starts a freshman goalkeeper does not mean IU will have success offensively. Exhibit A: The Hoosiers' match against Xavier Sept. 9.
Lastly, one interesting tidbit concerning Friday's loss: Redshirt freshman Kate McCusker's goal in the 48' gave the Hoosiers eight different players who have scored their first collegiate point this season.
More coming in Monday's IDS.
* significant equals shots, points, goals, goals per match, assists and assists per match
