Coming into Thursday evening’s matchup with the Wildcats, freshman defender Grace Hamm and sophomore midfielder Maggie Ledwith led Indiana in scoring with three goals apiece. Now, after a 2-1 win for the Hoosiers, Hamm and Ledwith remain atop the totem pole with four goals each.
Indiana once again found itself in a come-from-behind situation, trailing Northwestern 1-0 with just 10 minutes remaining. However, Hamm and Ledwith combined for two Hoosier goals in the final nine minutes of the game, leading IU to their first Big Ten win of 2025.
In the 81st minute, Hamm snuck a shot on goal past Northwestern first-year goalkeeper Nyamma Nelson, finding the bottom right corner of the back of the net to score unassisted and tie the game.
“(Hamm) really gave us momentum to then get that second goal,” Ledwith said. “She’s been amazing the whole season and deserves everything.”
Hamm has played in all 13 matches for the Hoosiers this season as a freshman, including 11 starts. Outside of Thursday evening’s equalizer against the Wildcats, Hamm has netted several crucial goals this season, most notably scoring both goals for Indiana in a 2-2 draw against a top-25 Xavier team.
Originally from San Marcos, California, Hamm came to Indiana to follow the footsteps of her sister Camille, who played for the Hoosiers from 2021-2024. This prior connection to the Hoosier program before arriving on campus for her freshman season has helped Hamm to provide veteran play under first-year head coach Josh Rife.
“Because of the familiarity she has with this program, I mean she’s a young player, but I don’t think she’s playing quite like a freshman,” Rife said. “It’s given her a sense of respect and understanding of what it takes. I think it’s really helped her.”
Fast forward to the 89th minute of Thursday’s contest against Northwestern, Ledwith capitalized on a Wildcat turnover, scoring her own unassisted goal and putting the Hoosiers in front for good. Rife, who earned his first conference win as Indiana head coach, had high praise for Ledwith postgame.
“Really happy for her,” Rife said. “She’s someone who we ask a lot of and I think it’s great to see her rewarded for her hard work.”
Ledwith, coming to Indiana from New Hyde Park, New York, leads all Hoosiers with 10 points in 2025, and notched her third multi-point game of the season Thursday. She too has played in all 13 matches for Indiana this season, including 12 starts.
A product of SUSA FC ECNL, a Long Island-based youth soccer club, Ledwith brings extensive experience with her to Bloomington, with accolades including the ECNL National Selection game, ECNL National training camp, and U14/U16 US National training camps. With this only being her sophomore year, she is already making a name for herself in Bloomington, and will have many opportunities for growth ahead of her as she continues to contribute to the Indiana program.
Both Hamm and Ledwith have provided a much-needed spark offensively for the Hoosiers so far this season, and they will look to continue their strong performances with just four games remaining in the regular season as Indiana pushes to earn a spot in the Big Ten tournament.
With the win against Northwestern, Indiana moves to 4-4-5 on the season, and 1-2-4 in conference play. The Hoosiers are back in action this Sunday as they begin a two-game Michigan road swing against the Michigan Wolverines at noon.
