93 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(10/01/21 2:31am)
In a hard-fought battle to the end, the Indiana women’s soccer team tied the Ohio State Buckeyes on the road 1-1 on Thursday night. Jen Blitchok had a big night offensively, scoring the only goal of the night while tacking on five more shots on goal. A solid game on the road will pay big dividends in preparing what will be a huge challenge for the Hoosiers on Sunday.
The start of the game was not one the Hoosiers wished for, as the Buckeyes got on the board in just the first eight minutes. Kayla Fischer, OSU’s team leader in points, put the Hoosiers in a difficult position early on as they were forced to climb uphill in order to equalize the game. As the teams continued to take shots back and forth, both defenses stood strong and the Buckeyes continued to hang onto the lead on IU.
However, Indiana found some offensive momentum as the first period progressed. Blitchok, Anna Bennett and Avery Lockwood all had some great chances on goal and did a good job getting other teammates involved. Although the shots didn’t go to the back of the net, the Hoosiers controlled the game offensively, and looked like they could find some ways to equalize the game at one heading into the half.
Indiana continued that momentum from the end of the first half, as Blitchok and Jordyn Levy got some shots up to put pressure on OSU goalie Bailey Kolinski. After a response by the Buckeyes offensively, Blitchok was able to equalize the game and put one into the far right side of the net off a corner kick. After the goal, Indiana’s confidence was through the roof offensively.
(09/27/21 11:44pm)
Two late goals helped seal what was a tremendous comeback victory for the IU women’s soccer team Sunday, as the Hoosiers defeated the Illinois Fighting Illini 2-1 to now stay above .500 in Big Ten play. Thanks to Paige Webber and Melanie Forbes, the Hoosier offense got back on track after a slow first half being down 1-0. Now getting back-to-back wins, Indiana hopes to continue this momentum into the rest of Big Ten play.
Forbes was a huge contributor in Sunday’s comeback win, as she recorded a team-high six shots on goal while scoring a huge goal in the 79th minute to put the Hoosiers up 2-1. Webber, Jordyn Levy and Anna Bennett also combined for four shots and created a lot of offensive opportunities. With so many offensive weapons, it’s hard to say Indiana is not looking like a contender to win the Big Ten this year.
(09/24/21 4:07am)
An early lead is just the confidence the Hoosiers needed in a big game, as the team had a strong bounce-back 2-0 victory against the reigning Big Ten tournament champion Iowa Hawkeyes.
A defensive clinic like this against a very good team helps the Hoosiers get right back on track after a loss to Michigan State last week, head coach Erwin van Bennekom said.
“I think it was a great performance after last week,” van Bennekom said. “I couldn’t wait for this game to be honest. I’m so proud of the team on how we responded. Obviously getting three points in this league, and grinding it out against tournament champions is a big one. So we are going to enjoy this for about three seconds and then move on.”
Forward Anna Bennett got Indiana off to just the start the Hoosiers needed, as she put the ball in the back right corner of the net and put IU up 1-0 only five minutes into the game. Iowa goalie Monica Wilhelm sure felt the pressure early on, and the fast start gave the team confidence offensively, Bennett said.
“I think we just see what we can do,” Bennett said. “I think Sunday [against Michigan State] was a mistake on our part of not scoring any. Now I think we know we can score goals, so we just need to learn that.”
(09/21/21 12:20am)
A goal in the 15th minute from Michigan State would eventually decide the game between the Spartans and Indiana, as the Hoosiers suffered their first loss in conference play by a tally of 1-0. It seemed as though Indiana got down after a defensive breakdown that led to an MSU goal, so keeping emotions in check will be a key focus for the Hoosiers’ next game.
Although it is very early in conference play, Indiana will look to improve in a few areas before the team’s next Big Ten test. Indiana led the Spartans 19-8 in shots attempted on goal, so capitalizing on offense will definitely be a focus this week in practice in preparation for the Iowa Hawkeyes Thursday night.
Michigan State and Indiana went back and forth to begin the game. The Spartans started off by getting a couple shots on goal and putting some early pressure on Jaime Gerstenberg. However, the Hoosiers responded with a little run of their own. Anna Bennett and Jordan Levy had some good looks early on, but the Michigan State defense was in place and blocked the shots.
Right as it had looked like the momentum had shifted in the Hoosiers’ favor, MSU’s Camryn Evan drew first blood 15 minutes into the game to put the Spartans up 1-0. The goal seemed like it frustrated Indiana a little bit defensively, as the Hoosiers committed a couple of fouls in the ensuing minutes after the score. The two teams would end up going back and forth some more, but there were no more scores and IU went into the halftime locker room down 1-0.
Indiana came out hot right out of the gate to begin the second half. Levy and Jordan Blitchok had some really good opportunities to tie the game, but those shots were off the mark. The Indiana defense also had a hard time stopping Michigan State’s Ava Cook, as she got two quick shots on goal in just five minutes of play.
Head coach Erwin Van Bennekom made some substitutions later in the half in order to get some fresh legs in the half. That happened to help the Hoosiers, as the team made a really strong offensive surge late in the game. Paige Webber and Avery Lockwood got some good looks on goal thanks to some great playmaking from Bennett. But unfortunately for the Hoosiers, Spartan goalie Lauren Kozal made some big time saves and the Hoosiers ended up losing the game 1-0.
Indiana now stands at 6-2-1 overall and now starts 0-1 in Big Ten play. A home loss like this is not the end of the world, but with Indiana outshooting MSU by 11, this could have definitely been a big win for the Hoosiers. Indiana has another opportunity to bounce back from this loss on Thursday night. IU will take on the Iowa Hawkeyes at Bill Armstrong Stadium, in hopes of getting back to .500 in conference play. The Hawkeyes stand at a strong 7-1-1 coming off a 2-1 win against Northwestern on Sunday, so this will be no easy task for Indiana.
(09/13/21 3:40am)
A 3-goal first half sealed the deal for IU women’s soccer, as the Hoosiers grabbed their fourth straight victory against the Kansas State Wildcats in Manhattan 3-0. It was a strong end to the nonconference slate for the Hoosiers, but the Big Ten will be quite the gauntlet for this IU team. The offense and defense looked spectacular in Sunday’s game, making room for a great team victory.
The Hoosiers wasted no time getting started, as Anna Bennett put the Hoosiers up 1-0 only four and a half minutes into the game. This marks the quickest that IU has scored in any game this season, showing the team’s confidence it still has offensively from Thursday night. Head coach Erwin Van Bennekom has been saying how hot starts are very important, and it sure sounds like he got that through to his team.
Indiana did a great job of not letting up offensively and maintaining great momentum. Bennett and Melanie Forbes constantly got past the Wildcat defenders and got shots up on Kansas State goalie Alaina Werremeyer. It almost felt inevitable that another goal was coming soon for the Hoosiers.
And that it was, as Avery Lockwood put another ball in the back of the net to extend the lead to 2-0. Just as the offense was doing its thing, the defense played a very clean game, not committing a lot of fouls and not letting the Wildcats get a lot of shots on goal. It felt like this team was finding a groove offensively, which could be very dangerous come next Sunday when the team begins Big Ten play.
IU was not done there, as Jen Blitchok had a nice shot in the upper center net to give Indiana a 3-0 lead. The Hoosiers continued to completely dominate the shots on goal, as they had a double-digit difference in shots against the Wildcats. The defense also held Kansas State to zero shots, making it a very complete half for Indiana.
(09/10/21 3:56am)
A hat trick for junior Paige Webber propelled IU women's soccer to a 4-0 victory over a very quality Murray State team Thursday. These were Webber’s first three goals of the season, and they could not have come at a better time for the team. There was no one key to getting this hat trick for Webber, she said.
“I just wanted to go in and run everywhere,” Webber said. “It worked out for the best, because I scored three goals. It was really just to keep going.”
The two teams went back and forth to start off the game. Murray State’s defensive pressure really bothered the Indiana backline, and the Racers got some good looks on the net. While it took a minute to figure out, van Bennekom eventually crafted a way to break it and eventually got Murray State to back up defensively.
Indiana had its fair share of opportunities on goal as well. Anna Bennett and Jordyn Levy were relentless in taking the ball from the Racers and trying to get the offense going. The Hoosiers had some good corner kick looks as well, but the stifling Murray State defense broke those shots up.
While things weren't going too much in IU’s favor, the best possible scenario came into reality. Olivia Wos sent a pass from a long ways away, and Levy scored to give Indiana the 1-0 lead almost 30 minutes into the game. That is now Levy’s fourth goal of the season, and she could not have asked for a better start to her freshman campaign.
From that point on, Indiana had full control of the first half. Bennett, Levy and Avery Lockwood did a great job of applying pressure on the Racer backline. The Hoosiers had done exactly what Murray State was doing to start things off in the half in applying pressure, and it paid off. Webber put one in over Murray State goalie Jenna Villacres to extend the lead to 2-0.
(09/06/21 2:38am)
It would only be right that history would be made on a night honoring a special group of seniors, and the IU women’s soccer team did just that. The Hoosiers scored six goals in the first half, the most in program history since 2010. Overall, head coach Erwin van Bennekom said it was a job well done.
“We did what we needed to do,” van Bennekom said. “I said before the game we have two jobs. One, win the game and two to celebrate the seniors, even though we stopped scoring in the second half. But I feel the difference today was us scoring more goals and creating more chances.”
Both teams had some good chances to open things up. IU started out getting a couple solid shots on goal, and SEMO responded with some offensive momentum right after. But with about three minutes into the first half, Jen Blitchok got the Hoosiers on the board with a nice shot off a rebound to put the Hoosiers up 1-0.
But the Hoosiers weren’t done there, as Jordyn Levy put in her third goal of the season just minutes later to extend the Hoosier lead to 2-0. As well as the Indiana offense was playing, the Indiana defense looked great as well, holding the Redhawks to zero shots on goal about halfway through the first half.
“I love it,” van Bennekom said of his team’s defensive effort. “There’s nothing better with the foundation of our defense. I just love the looks of this.”
IU continued to pour it on, as Avery Lockwood scored a little while after Levy’s goal to put the Hoosiers up 3-0 with 25 minutes to go in the first half. And the onslaught would not stop, as the Redhawks committed a critical penalty that sent Anna Bennett to have the chance to put IU up 4-0. Bennett took advantage of that opportunity, placing the ball beautifully in the top left corner to continue a successful senior day.
The Hoosiers still would not stop there, as Sofia Black was there at the right place and right time to put the ball in the back of the net to put Indiana up 5-0. Minutes later, Bria Telemaque scored, officially making Sunday night the first night the Hoosiers have scored six goals in a half since 2010. Indiana would go in the locker room with all the confidence in the world offensively, and just looked to continue to play well the rest of the game.
Indiana continued to maintain most of the offensive possessions to start off the second half. With quick passing in between the space of the SEMO defenders, the Hoosiers had some solid chances at the net, but could not convert them into points on the scoreboard. However, something that cannot go unnoticed was the effort by the Indiana defense.
Jaime Gerstenberg and company held the Redhawks to zero shots on goal Sunday night, compared to Indiana’s 23. Van Bennekom would put his subs in to play most of the second half, due to the large margin, and Indiana would walk away with what was truly a team win, and a big one on senior night.
“It feels amazing [to get a win on senior night],” Olivia Wos said. “It’s just the field, the weather, and getting people here, it’s just a different atmosphere. And I was so happy for everyone that came in. I don’t care how long you’ve played, it’s just amazing to play with everyone.”
The win puts IU at 4-1-1 on the season, as the team approaches the final two nonconference games of the season. The Hoosiers look forward for their final home game of this three game stretch, as they take on Murray State from the Ohio Valley conference. The Racers are 4-1 this year, with their only loss being to an excellent Xavier team.
(09/03/21 2:38am)
Two goals in the span of two minutes would be the ultimate difference maker in a gritty 2-1 win for IU women’s soccer over Western Michigan on Thursday. Jen Blitchok had a big goal to tie the game, but freshman Jordyn Levy’s second goal of the season was a big one to put the Hoosiers on top and eventually decide the game. Head coach Erwin van Bennekom is proud of the freshman’s effort thus far.
“This is why we recruited her,” van Bennekom said. “I have known Jordyn since I’ve been at Duke and recruiting her there. I always joke that she doesn’t have a left foot and then she [scores] off her left foot. So great goal for her, and second of the season, so good stuff.”
The Hoosiers came out hot right out of the gate, getting a couple of early shots on goal to put some pressure on the Bronco defense. Anna Bennett and Melanie Forbes did a great job of moving without the ball to get open and get some quality offensive shots. Indiana also had two great looks on a corner kick, but WMU goalie Rose Dumford did not let the ball go to the back of the net early on.
Indiana kept up the strong offensive push as the first half came to a close. Jordyn Levy set up her teammates with great looks, but Dumford continued to play an outstanding half. Outshooting Western Michigan 14-1 in the first half, it seemed like it would be eventually time that the Hoosiers get on the board.
However, with three minutes to go in the first half, disaster struck. On a Hoosier defensive miscue, Western Michigan was able to create a two-on-one opportunity and the Broncos struck first. The Hoosiers went into the locker room down 1-0, hoping to capitalize on some of those offensive opportunities they had the majority of the half. The players knew they had to stay positive in order to get back in the game.
“We were all really positive, but we still had to hold each other accountable,” Blitchok said. “But we knew if we got runs in and chances in the box we would be able to come back.”
The Hoosiers got that offensive confidence they needed to start the second half, as Blitchok put one behind the net just 10 minutes into the second half. After 18 shot attempts, it sure was a morale booster to see one of them connect and tie the game at one. However, the Hoosiers were not finished.
Just a couple of minutes later, Levy scored to give IU a 2-1 lead over Western Michigan. From that point on, it felt like Indiana had complete control of the game and the Broncos had lost all of the momentum they had from scoring late in the first half.
IU’s defense did a great job controlling the ball and finding open teammates to hold off a feisty Western Michigan team. Goalkeeper Jaime Gurstenberg made some gritty plays and the rest of the back line did a great job in stealing the ball from WMU. This allowed the Hoosier forwards to control the ball and chew some clock. As the clock hit triple zeroes, Indiana claimed a nice bounce-back win 2-1 over Western Michigan. For the team, this does a lot for the momentum going forward.
“I think this just proves we can come back from a loss,” Blitchok said. “In the past I think it’s brought us down but we got right past it and moved along to the next game.”
This win puts Indiana at 3-1-1 on the season, as conference play is approaching slowly but surely. The Hoosiers’ next test will be another home game against Southeast Missouri State. The Redhawks stand at 0-1 with a loss to Evanston Thursday night. Indiana will need to play just like it did in the second half in order to beat a hungry Redhawk team.
(08/29/21 10:27pm)
In their second road game of the season, Indiana hoped to continue its momentum coming off a win against UT Martin on Thursday. Unfortunately, the Hoosiers could not do so, as they fell to the Memphis Tigers 1-0. In a game where there were some offensive opportunities, the Hoosiers could not capitalize and walked out of Memphis with their first loss of the season.
Memphis came out hot from the get-go, getting corner kicks and shots early on. The Indiana defense held on and halted the early Tiger surge and the team started to get shots on its own. After Indiana got a little offensive momentum of its own, the teams began going back and forth for a while in the first period.
After a yellow card on Memphis’s Grace Stordy, it seemed as though Indiana took control of the game from an offensive standpoint. Kelly Monaco was huge in getting the Hoosiers opportunities at the net and trying to get Indiana on the board. Unfortunately, none of those shots reached the back of the net and the two teams went into the half tied 0-0. On a positive note, IU led in shots taken 3-1, and hoped continue the offensive firepower after halftime.
The Tigers came out of the locker room just like they did to start the game, as they got a couple quick shots to put some pressure on Jaime Gerstenberg. Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, with a penalty on Anna Bennett, Memphis was able to draw first blood on a free kick just three minutes into the second half. This would be Gerstenberg’s first goal allowed this season.
But that did not stop the Hoosiers in pursuing the net, as they would rattle off three more shots on goal the next 10 minutes. However, Memphis goalie Elizabeth Moberg did a great job in saving what were some good looks for Indiana, and the Hoosiers remained without a goal.
Later in the game, Memphis committed a couple fouls, giving the Hoosiers some free kick opportunities. But Indiana could not capitalize on them, as the Tiger defense continued to play a lights-out game. Indiana had one final surge with Bennett along with Melanie Forbes getting some good looks, but none of them fell and IU fell to Memphis 1-0 as time expired.
This puts the Hoosiers at 2-1-1 on the season with a stretch of three home games coming up starting Thursday night. Indiana will take on the Western Michigan Broncos, who are coming off a strong 4-0 win over IUPUI. Western Michigan stands at 2-2 on the season, with its two losses being to great teams in Michigan and Louisville. The Broncos will be no pushover, so Indiana will have to be on its A-game on both sides of the field in order to secure a win.
(08/27/21 9:23pm)
After a gritty game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the IU women’s soccer team returned to Bloomington in hopes to capture its second win of the season. The team succeeded, taking a 1-0 victory over UT Martin, completing back-to-back wins over the Skyhawks.
Junior Avery Lockwood scored for the Hoosiers, as she continues to be a huge catalyst on the offensive end. In what was a very physical game with 19 penalties, the toughness of Indiana was present in Thursday night’s game.
UT Martin got some shots early and controlled the ball in the opening moments of the game. However, Jaime Gerstenberg continues to be great defending the net for the Hoosiers, as she made some big saves and is yet to allow a goal this season. The Skyhawks had opportunities to score, but the Hoosiers quickly responded with some offense of their own.
After a great opportunity to score from Olivia Wos, Lockwood finally capitalized on a strong offensive push from Indiana and put the Hoosiers in front 1-0 with eight minutes to go in the first half. Lockwood also had another opportunity to score just minutes later, but unfortunately the shot went out right and IU went into the locker room up 1-0 on UT Martin.
Both teams came out hot in the second half, getting some really good looks offensively. However, both goalies came to play, as Gerstenberg and Skyhawk goalie Erica Myers made some big saves to help keep both teams from gaining any momentum. With Myers being arguably the best goalie in the OVC, it’s good that the Hoosiers were getting tested by going against a talented goalie.
As head coach Erwin van Bennekom utilized his depth and made many substitutions throughout the half, the Hoosiers began to tire out UT Martin and got a plethora of shots in the middle of the second half. Jen Blitchok, Anna Bennent and Melanie Forbes, all did a good job of carving through the Skyhawk defense and getting some shots on goal.
Indiana continued its offensive dominance the rest of the second half, outshooting UT Martin 4-0 in the final 20 minutes. The Hoosiers couldn’t get any to go behind the net, but still won the game 1-0 behind a great team performance.
This win puts IU at 2-0-1 on the season, as the team hopes to continue its win streak in the middle of nonconference play. The next test for the Hoosiers will be on the road against the Memphis Tigers on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers are also 2-0-1 with a win over Southeast Missouri State and Arkansas Pine Bluff, and a tie with Ole Miss.
Van Bennekom spoke highly of the Tigers, saying they are an opponent that will prepare IU well for conference play. That is shown by their very good offense, as Memphis has scored 13 total goals in just three games. Indiana will need to play its best defensive game of the season in order to escape Memphis with a win.
(08/26/21 11:28pm)
Coming off IU’s season opening win against Valparaiso, the Hoosiers hit the road to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. While IU was thoroughly outshot by a very good Notre Dame team, the Hoosier defense persevered and walked out of South Bend with a tie 0-0. Indiana will travel home for its next game Thursday night.
With all of this travel back and forth, it’s been hard for the team to get rest and prepare for their next match at the same time. IU will have two days of rest and preparation before the team travels from Bloomington to Memphis to take on the Tigers on Sunday afternoon. For head coach Erwin van Bennekom, recovery is more important than anything.
“Nobody gets better if somebody’s hurt or mentally not right,” van Bennekom said. “So we’re doing whatever we can to get physically better, do a ton of video, learn a lot of things without being relaxed, and really focus on the recovery piece.”
Next up for the Hoosiers will be taking on the 1-0-1 UT Martin Skyhawks, who are members of the Ohio Valley Conference. UT Martin goalkeeper Erica Myers has been labeled as a “player to watch” this season, so the Hoosiers will have a tough task ahead of them offensively come Thursday night. This will be the second of three straight on the road for the Skyhawks, so it will be important for the Hoosiers to come out with lots of momentum.
Last time these two teams faced off was last year, and the Hoosiers escaped with a 2-1 victory. Van Bennekom described the crazy experience that was last year’s matchup between IU and the Skyhawks.
“I still remember that game, and I think it was one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had coaching a game,” van Bennekom said. “It was in the middle of nowhere Tennessee, and I felt like anytime you missed a shot you hit a truck. I was like, ‘Get me out of here with a win as soon as possible’, and we did. We dominated the game but they were dangerous and a well coached team, so it was just a tough, tough game.”
Going against a tough goalkeeper like Myers and a disciplined team in UT Martin, this could end up being a very good test for the Hoosiers come conference play. Van Bennekom believes the styles of teams like Louisville, Notre Dame, and Memphis will prepare Indiana for talented Big Ten teams such as Penn State, Michigan, and Rutgers.
Van Bennekom also mentioned that there are games that the team should win, but the overall goal for non conference scheduling is to make sure that it makes sure the team peaks not at the beginning of the year, but at the end.
“I think the best thing about this program is every year we play our best soccer at the end of the year, which I’m not sure if most teams do,” van Bennekom said. “So I think that’s where we want to go and want to pick up results down the line.”
(08/23/21 1:06pm)
In Indiana's first road game of the season, the Hoosier women’s soccer team hoped to build off Thursday’s win as they traveled up to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. However, IU left South Bend with a tie, 0-0, in what didn’t look quite well for IU. The Irish outshot the Hoosiers by eight, and also had eight more corner kick opportunities than IU.
It was a bit of a sloppy game to start things off, as there were a combined eight fouls in the first 20 minutes. The Irish got off to a hot start offensively, as they were able to get two early corner kicks and have the Hoosier defense on its heels. Fortunately, Indiana was well-prepared and the team was able to halt an early Irish push.
Large Notre Dame substitutions later in the first half put some more pressure on IU’s defense. The Irish were able to control the ball well and had a couple good looks at the net. Indiana head coach Erwin van Bennekom took after Notre Dame, and began to make some more substitutions in order to get fresh legs on the defensive end.
Being outnumbered 5-1 in total shots by the Irish, IU was fortunate to go into the locker room with the game tied at zero. This was big for van Bennekom and company in order to figure out how they can get more opportunities on the offensive end.
The IU offense looked much better in just the opening moments of the second half than it did the first half. Anna Bennett and Kelly Monaco created some offensive opportunities and got IU’s confidence going on offense. This offensive momentum especially helped the defense and goalie Jaime Gerstenberg after what was a busy first half.
After a little back and forth between the two teams, Notre Dame started to gain a little bit more momentum on the offensive end. Notre Dame kept the ball near the Hoosiers’ net, which began to tire out Indiana.
Combine that with the Irish continuing to make large substitutions, and it did not look good for Indiana going down to the final minutes. However, the Hoosier defense managed to persevere and force extra time with the game still tied at zero.
Notre Dame came out very strong in extra time, outshooting IU 3-1 in the 10-minute period. Gerstenberg made some huge saves for IU to hang around with a very physical Irish team. Yet again, no blood was drawn in overtime and the two teams were set for a final 10-minute period to decide the game.
Both teams went back and forth, but no goals were scored and the game ended in a 0-0 tie. Considering Notre Dame outshot the Hoosiers 13-5, Indiana is fortunate to leave South Bend without its first loss of the season. However, there is much that needs to be improved on both sides of the ball before the team’s next game.
IU now sits at 1-0-1 as the team approaches the halfway mark of its nonconference slate. IU will take on the UT Martin Skyhawks this Thursday at home. The Skyhawks are also 1-0-1 with a win over Southern Illinois. Indiana will need to be locked in on both sides of the ball in order to get its second win of the season on Thursday.
(08/20/21 2:38am)
With students coming back on campus and fans being allowed in the stands, the Hoosier women’s soccer team had a little more energy in Thursday’s season opener against the Valparaiso Beacons.
Indiana defeated Valpo 1-0, but dominated the game on both sides of the ball statistically. It was especially a strong offensive performance, as Indiana had 10 more shots on goal than the Beacons along with 18 corner kicks. For IU, earning a victory is all that matters in the end.
“I think just winning the game was the first objective,” head coach Erwin van Bennekom said. “But I think we could’ve made the game a little easier for ourselves. If you just look at the scoreboard we had 18 corners, so today we just struggled with capitalizing on corners.”
That dominance began right from the get go, as the Hoosiers were getting shots on the goal immediately. Sophomore Anna Bennett and graduate student Melanie Forbes were making Valparaiso’s defense work in the opening moments of the game, firing off two quick shots in the first five minutes. The Hoosiers were able to get more opportunities as the game progressed, but unfortunately no shots fell through.
Valparaiso goalie Nikki Coryell was huge in slowing down the Indiana offense as the first half progressed. With a couple of diving saves and big goal kicks, it was harder for the Hoosiers to go back down the field and get shots on goal. IU still controlled the ball most of the half, but didn’t get as many shots on goal due to some adjustments made by Valpo.
IU freshman Jaime Gerstenberg didn’t get tested very much, thanks to some great play from the offense. However, when the defense was tested, the Hoosiers were able to move the ball around well and get the ball on the other side of the field to create scoring opportunities. The two teams went into the half all tied at zero, as Indiana hoped to capitalize on some missed opportunities it had earlier.
The IU offense picked up right where it left off in the first half, getting many shots on goal and started to wear out the Valpo defense. The Hoosiers had six more shots on goal and 10 more corner kicks than Valparaiso in the first half, and that number only got bigger as time went on. Bennett had some nice passes on corner kicks, but Indiana just couldn’t capitalize.
After 12 shots on goal compared to the two shots from the Beacons, IU put the first point on the board 65 minutes into the game. Freshman forward Jordyn Levy took the ball away from a couple of Beacon defenders and gave the Hoosiers the lead. It felt that it was only a matter of time before Indiana scored, knowing that Indiana had statistically dominated the game on the offensive end.
“It was crazy,” Levy said. “The atmosphere here was insane. The minute Camille (Hamm) passed the ball over the defender was crazy but I knew that I was going to be on the ball and finishing it was a great feeling.”
(03/28/21 3:06am)
With a missed 3-pointer from Elissa Cunane at the buzzer, Teri Moren and the Indiana Hoosiers wrapped up quite possibly the biggest win in program history, with a 73-70 win over No. 1-seeded NC State in the Sweet 16. The Hoosiers now advance to the first Elite Eight in program history, and it took a total team effort to beat an excellent NC State team.
(03/26/21 11:30pm)
With two dominant performances to open up NCAA Tournament play, Indiana now focuses on the No. 1 seed in the Mercado Region — the NC State Wolfpack. This matchup will take place at 6 p.m. Saturday in San Antonio.
Let’s take a look at the Hoosiers’ opponent in the first Sweet 16 game in Indiana women's basketball history.
(03/22/21 9:07pm)
A 22-3 run in the fourth quarter ultimately decided the game for the four-seeded Hoosiers, as they were able to defeat the 13-seeded VCU Rams soundly, 63-32. The win puts Indiana at 19-5 on the season, as IU advances to the Round of 32 which will be played on Wednesday against Belmont.
According to IU Athletics, it's the fewest points a Big Ten team has ever allowed in an NCAA Tournament game.
Defensively, Mackenzie Holmes was phenomenal as a rim protector, picking up five blocks along with dropping 17 points. Grace Berger was also phenomenal Monday, scoring 20 points while also grabbing eight rebounds. Head coach Teri Moren had some high praise for the performance of her junior guard.
“Grace was terrific today,” Moren said. “She singlehandedly, particularly in the first half, was the highlight offensively. Anytime where our kids can generate some offense where they’re attacking the glass and going to the rim, that’s a momentum getter.”
The Hoosiers got off to a blazing hot start on both sides of the floor in the first quarter. Berger, Ali Patberg, and Holmes would combine for nine points in the opening three minutes to give IU a 9-2 cushion on the Rams. The defense also looked fantastic, holding VCU to an opening 1-for-5 shooting and a couple of turnovers as well.
After the hot start, the shooting started to cool down a little bit. IU shot 3-for-8 from the field after VCU called a timeout, but Berger certainly wasn’t slowing down. She had 11 of the 16 points in the first quarter, and added four rebounds to her stat line as well.
While Indiana's shooting woes continued, VCU got some good looks inside. Berger only had two points in the second quarter, but was still shooting at a solid 6-for-10 clip. The Rams held the Hoosiers to a very low 22 points in the first half, and Indiana needed another scorer to step up in order to pull away from the Rams.
However, the message at halftime was the defense needed to create the offense.
“[The message at halftime was] if we get stops on defense that will lead to some momentum on offense,” Berger said. “We’re always confident that if we’re not hitting shots, our defense will carry us to a win.”
IU jumped out to a 10-point lead early on in the third quarter, which was in large part due to getting stops on defense and turning them into buckets. With so much attention put on Berger, this left room for Patberg and Aleksa Gulbe to hit some huge shots and force VCU into a timeout to talk things over.
Another reason the Hoosiers were able to extend this lead over VCU was how few turnovers they committed. Indiana had only five turnovers at the end of the third quarter, which looked completely different than the third quarter against Michigan State in the Big Ten tournament. Combining that with big quarters from Patberg and Holmes, IU led 41-29 with one quarter to play. Moren was very impressed by how her team stayed disciplined today.
“The one thing that impressed me the most was turnovers,” Moren said. “Those that follow Indiana women’s basketball understand that our goal is always 12 or less turnovers, ball security is paramount in our program.”
Indiana picked up right where it left off to begin the fourth quarter. With the inside play of Holmes and the outside shooting of Patberg, the Hoosiers were able to open up the lead to 20 points. Along with the great offense, the defense looked spectacular as well, holding the Rams to just three points halfway through the fourth.
(03/16/21 1:47am)
After a stunning loss to Michigan State in the first round of the Big Ten tournament, Indiana now focuses on the NCAA Tournament, which will take place solely in San Antonio, Texas.
The Hoosiers were given a No. 4 seed in the Mercado Region, and will face off against the 13-seeded VCU Rams in the first round. With the great year that Indiana is having thus far, it will be interesting to see how the Hoosiers compete with some of the other elite programs around the country. Head coach Teri Moren says Selection Monday is one of her favorite times of the year.
“Monday night is always exciting,” Moren said.”The selection show is unlike any night, as I’ve always told our players. You work so hard, and in such a strange year there have been a lot of challenges. All the work that these kids have done has paid off to this point.”
Potential matchups
VCU
The Hoosiers will certainly get the best of VCU in this first-round game, as the Rams have won seven of their past eight games. This includes the program's first ever A10 tournament championship with an 81-69 win over UMass. Indiana will have to be on its A-game against a scorching hot Rams squad.
VCU is led by three very good guards that Indiana needs to account for come game time. Most notably, the Hoosiers will need a strong gameplan to stop Taya Robinson, who was recently awarded A10 First-Team honors. Robinson is having quite the senior campaign, averaging 14.7 points per game while also picking up a spot on the A10 All-Defensive Team.
But the other two guards VCU starts can not be forgotten about in this game. Tera Reed and Sarah Te-Biasu are having spectacular seasons as well, as Reed was awarded All A10 Third Team and Te-Bisau was selected to the A10 All-Rookie Team.
Indiana has shown flashes of shutting down some very good guards at times, such as holding Nia Clouden of Michigan State to two points in the first half of the Big Ten tournament game. But making that a consistency will be key in this matchup against VCU, whose production comes mostly from their guards. Nicole Cardano-Hillary, who will most likely get the assignment of guarding Robinson, will need to play her best game of the season in order for Indiana to advance to the round of 32.
Gonzaga
If the Hoosiers get past the Rams in the first round, they would most likely take on fifth-seeded Gonzaga. The Bulldogs are coming off a buzzer-beating conference championship victory, so they will be riding high off of that momentum right into the tournament. The Zags have been a Top 25 team consistently throughout the year, so the Hoosiers will certainly not have a cupcake second-round game in San Antonio.
The Bulldogs are led by a very solid guard/forward duo in Jill Townsend and Jenn Wirth. The two combine for around 25 points per game, and have been their main catalysts in the scoring column this year. They are also a very good defensive team, holding a BYU team that was second in the WCC to only 42 points on the day.
In this game, it will be important for the Hoosiers to find multiple ways to score. If the Hoosiers can get their outside shots to fall while establishing Mackenzie Holmes and Aleksa Gulbe inside, Indiana has a great shot to advance to the Round of 32.
NC State
This would be quite the challenging Sweet 16 game here for the Hoosiers, as the Wolfpack were awarded the No. 1 overall seed in the entire tournament. NC State is coming off an ACC championship victory, and is certainly a contender to win the entire tournament. The IU and NC State two teams are also neck and neck in scoring margin, showing they have done well against their competition this year. Indiana making the second weekend by itself would be a huge step in the right direction for Moren and company.
“[I think we can go] as deep as we can get,” Moren said. “We are going to be excited about that, but we have to get past that first round first before you even get to the next, and our focus right now is on VCU.”
The Wolfpack are led by stud center Elissa Cunane, who would definitely be defending Holmes if these teams faced off against each other. She can give you 20 on any given night with her great presence inside. But the reason NC State is so dangerous is because any of the starting five can do that same thing. It would be the biggest challenge this Indiana team has had by far, and this is really where they could have used Jaelynn Penn.
Preparing for the tournament
The main concern that was seen during that Michigan State loss was the lack of efficiency on the offensive end. There were too many missed shots, free throws, and turnovers that allowed the Spartans to take the lead and eventually win the game. This absolutely can’t happen in the tournament, as the Hoosiers will need to play their best basketball all 40 minutes of every game they are in.
Another concern was the fact that Clouden — after scoring just two points before halftime — was able to score 28 points in just the second half. IU will be facing another very good guard this Sunday in VCU’s Robinson, so it will be interesting to see how the Hoosiers make adjustments to their perimeter defense before the opening round.
Despite the concerns, the loss to Michigan State could very well be a positive for this team. Yes, winning a Big Ten tournament would be big going into the tournament and a massive accomplishment for this program. But that loss now gets the team back on track after nine straight wins in order to achieve the main goal for this team — winning an NCAA title.
(03/12/21 2:45am)
INDIANAPOLIS -- A second half with miscues on offense, crucial turnovers, and missed free throws ultimately cost the Hoosiers a chance to accomplish their goal of winning the Big Ten Tournament this year.
The Hoosiers were stunned by the 7th seed Michigan State Spartans 69-61, and will now await Monday night to find out their opponent in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Head coach Teri Moren and company are not pleased with Thursday's performance.
“We’re disappointed in the outcome,” Moren said. “We didn’t have an answer for (Nia) Clouden in the second half, and we had Nicole (Cardaño-Hillary) in foul trouble. I thought [Michigan State] stepped up and hit some timely shots, and at times I thought their energy level was better than ours.”
Despite the loss, the Hoosiers' Big Three did not disappoint. Grace Berger led all Hoosiers in scoring with 19 points, and Mackenzie Holmes was not far behind with 17. Ali Patberg came alive at the end, as she finished with 12 points and also added six assists. Having Nicole Cardaño-Hillary in foul trouble really hurt the Hoosiers, as the dynamic MSU guard duo of Alyza Winston and Nia Clouden got going offensively as soon as Cardaño-Hillary came out of the game.
Both teams started out slowly from the field, as there were just five combined points in the opening four minutes. But the Hoosiers would soon figure things out thanks to some big stops on the defensive end. Cardaño-Hillary was able to deflect some Spartan passes and gain some extra offensive possessions. And IU seemed to have found its scoring, with Holmes in the point and Berger driving to the basket combining for nine first-quarter points.
As the first quarter winded down, the Hoosiers forced Michigan State into more and more difficult shots. IU held Clouden, the Spartans’ star player, to zero first-quarter points and only allowed her to take one shot. The Hoosier defense also forced seven first-quarter MSU turnovers. Considering the Spartans average 14 turnovers per game on the year, making MSU uncomfortable on the defensive end was a priority for Moren’s team.
Berger was doing it all offensively early on in the second. With her slashing ability and a lethal mid-range shot, the Spartans could not figure out an answer to stop her. As they tried focusing more defenders on her, this opened up room for Aleksa Gulbe and Holmes to do what they do best — score the ball inside. However, some missed free throws throughout the half cost the Hoosiers to not extend their lead.
With the defense continuing to look great, the transition opportunities opened up thanks to some great passing on the break. And when not in transition, the Hoosiers kept finding Holmes down low. With her variety of post moves, Holmes was able to get to the basket with ease and extend the Hoosier lead to eight at the end of the first half. Moren said the team could have done more to build the lead on MSU.
“In the first half I feel like we left the door too wide open,” Moren said. “We missed too many layups and too many free throws. There were times that our spacing was not very good, and I thought they did a good job with Mackenzie in the second half, making things a little bit more difficult.”
Clouden wasted no time getting started at the beginning of the third quarter, as she had a quick eight points less than three minutes into the half. All of the sudden, the eight-point Hoosier lead turned into a one-point Spartan advantage. Cardaño-Hillary in foul trouble didn’t make things any easier, as Winston also found her shot down the stretch in the third.
The Hoosiers' inability to make shots and turnovers in the third hurt their momentum severely. With only 11 points in the third, the Hoosiers needed to find some sort of scoring besides Holmes and Berger.
An 8-2 start for the Spartans in the fourth put the Hoosiers in their largest deficit of the game. Being down nine, IU needed a spark to come back, and got that with Ali Patberg. Scoring baskets and making plays for her teammates, Patberg helped the Hoosiers come back right into the game. However, a couple of late 3s for the Spartans were able to put the game to rest and stun the second-seeded Hoosiers 69-61.
This ends the hopes for Indiana to win the Big Ten title the team has been chasing all year. IU will wait until Monday night in order to find its seeding in the NCAA tournament that will be played in San Antonio.
(03/06/21 11:23pm)
Eleven combined points between seniors Ali Patberg and Keyanna Warthen helped propel the Hoosiers to their 16th win in the Big Ten 74-59 over their in-state rival Purdue.
After being up only two points on the Boilermakers entering the fourth, a 10-0 IU run with some great defensive stops down the stretch helped put Purdue away for a season ending win on Senior Day. Head coach Teri Moren spoke about her senior captain and how much she has meant to the program.
“[She’s meant] everything,” Moren said of Patberg. “I think about our culture, and we've been here for seven years. Not to take anything away from Tyra (Buss) and Amanda (Cahill), because I love them and they’ve meant everything to this program. But when I think about Ali Patberg, she’s a kid that told me everything she was going to know and do, and has done.”
Despite only scoring eight points, Patberg made a big difference in this game otherwise. Knowing the threat she is offensively, she was able to find open teammates throughout the game, which created many opportunities for IU to explore on offense.
Mackenzie Holmes and Aleksa Gulbe led the game for the Hoosiers scoring wise. Holmes scored 26 points on the day on a very efficient 12-for-15 clip. She was also very impactful on the defensive side of the ball, totaling two steals and three blocks. Gulbe added 14 points to the stat sheet, while also racking up four rebounds and three assists.
It was quite the track meet to start things off, as both teams were shooting over 50% halfway through the first quarter. The Hoosiers found their scoring with moving the ball around well, eventually finding the open Hoosier for a bucket. Purdue, however, was able to get the ball inside by either driving to the hoop, or feeding it to Fatou Diange, as she had four early points for Purdue.
For Indiana, the plan early on was to get it inside, and it was executed very well. Gulbe and Holmes combined for 10 of the 17 first quarter points for Indiana. Defensively, IU picked it up and did much better towards the end of the first. Holly Noveraske came off the bench and did a great job rebounding against a Purdue team with some size. Nicole Cardano-Hillary was excellent with her perimeter defense as well, getting a couple steals in the quarter.
Second-chance points and turnovers hurt Indiana, and allowed Purdue to take the lead early on in the second quarter. Purdue had four offensive rebounds to Indiana’s zero, and it was clear Indiana needed a response to that. Luckily, Gulbe’s production on the offensive end allowed for Indiana to respond to the second-chance buckets from the Boilermakers.
The ability for Patberg and Berger to make some tough shots helped Indiana extend its lead. The two combined for eight of the 17 IU points in the second quarter, and were a main reason Indiana started to convert more at the offensive end. A Cardano-Hillary buzzer-beating layup sent the Hoosiers into the locker room with a five-point lead over Purdue 34-29.
IU jumped out to a nine-point lead to start things off in the third quarter, thanks to some great ball movement from Berger and Patberg. Nine points from Holmes inside helped get her back on track, after just having four points in the first half. But Purdue would not back down, as they were able to capitalize off some Hoosier turnovers and missed shots to cut the Indiana lead to four.
It would be a back and forth scoring wise down the stretch of the third quarter. However, Purdue would force IU into some late clock turnovers and tough shots, which put the Boilermakers right back in the game with a two-point game heading into the final 10 minutes of the ballgame.
Getting stops on the defensive end helped IU open up the lead in the fourth quarter. Scoring from a variety of levels, the Hoosiers went on a 10-0 run to extend their lead to 13 points at one point. Gulbe and Holmes led the scoring stretch, scoring many points in the paint in the fourth quarter. Thanks to a phenomenal fourth quarter, the Hoosiers were able to defeat Purdue 74-59 on Senior Day. Holmes spoke about how she was able to have a solid scoring stretch in the fourth.
“We were getting good looks from our guards in the first half, so I didn’t really have any solid looks for myself,” Holmes said. “The guards were hitting their shots and in the second half they were guarding the ball pretty hard so it left me some open looks.”
The Big Ten tournament is up next for Indiana, as the Hoosiers take on either Iowa or Minnesota in their first matchup. IU is undefeated against both teams this season, so they look forward to resting up before some tough matchups in Indianapolis.
(03/04/21 1:41am)
With a great second half both offensively and defensively, Indiana was able to grab its eighth straight win, beating Iowa 89-80 Wednesday night. It was a game of runs and many lead changes, as the Hawkeyes had most of the control of the game in the first half until Indiana had a second-half comeback.
The big three of Ali Patberg, Mackenzie Holmes and Grace Berger each had 22 points. Holmes added 11 rebounds on top of her 22 points, and Berger added six rebounds to hers. The Hoosiers also had a distinct advantage on the boards, and quite frankly dominated them. To the team, rebounding has always been important to winning games.
“I think that’s something we’ve really been emphasizing in practice for a while now,” Holmes said. “We don’t go practice without doing some type of rebounding drill. We...work solely on getting defensive boards, offensive boards, so it’s nice to see carry over into the game.”
Star players from both sides didn’t waste any time getting going. Holmes had four of the first six points for IU, as did Caitlin Clarke for the Hawkeyes. Nicole Cardano-Hillary did get in some foul trouble early, but Keyanna Warthen gave the Hoosiers some great minutes off the bench, scoring points in Cardano-Hillary’s absence.
IU shot a very good 57% from the field in the first. Thanks to some great passing from Patberg and excellent movement off the ball from Holmes and Berger, Indiana was able to find ways to score against a solid Iowa defense. Defensively, IU was excellent to start things off once again. Holmes and Aleksa Gulbe did a great job of forcing Monica Czinano into some tough shots.
But Czinano would come out of the second quarter with a big chip on her shoulder, scoring the first four points of the quarter. An 8-0 run from Iowa forced Teri Moren to call a timeout and get things fixed on both sides of the ball. Iowa would go up by as much as eight thanks to some great shooting, but Indiana would climb right back in it.
Thanks to great ball movement, Patberg was able to set up Berger and Holmes for some easy buckets inside. However, on the defensive end, there was work to be done. Clarke was absolutely unstoppable, scoring 19 points in just the first half as the Hawkeyes were 5-for-8 from downtown.
Iowa once again came out firing with some buckets from Czinano, but Indiana stormed back again. Cardano-Hillary displayed some terrific perimeter defense which led to some opportunities on the offensive end for the Hoosiers. Berger took advantage of those opportunities, as she had six quick points in the opening minutes of the second half.
Cardano-Hillary continues to play her best basketball of the season, as she hit some big shots to allow Indiana to take the lead. Her on-ball defense was spectacular, holding Clarke to only four points in the third quarter and forcing her into a couple turnovers. The Hoosiers had their largest lead of the game at six heading into the final quarter of play. As Berger said postgame, all the credit goes to Cardano-Hillary for doing her best to guard Caitlin Clarke.
“That’s what Nicole brings to our team,” Berger said. “She’s just a tenacious defender, she’s willing to get up there and pressure full-court, and whatever we need. Obviously Caitlin Clarke [is] a really good player, she’s going to make tough shots. But I thought Nicole was able to slow her down a little bit and make everything tough for her, and that’s exactly what we needed.”
The Hoosiers went back to what’s been working the whole year offensively — getting the ball inside. Holmes absolutely took over in the fourth quarter, as she had six quick points in the first four minutes of the quarter. However, a couple big 3s from Clarke put the Hawkeyes right back into the game.
But Clarke would later pick up a huge fifth foul on a Gulbe rebound and sat the rest of the game. Indiana hit some big free throws down the stretch to close out the game and win 89-80. For Moren, being down in the first half does not affect this team.
“I don’t know that this group gets really fazed,” Moren said. “Just understanding that they got the second half to right some of those wrongs that they made in the first. And that’s what I appreciate about them, I really do. I love the amount of composure that they’ve continued to play with, particularly in the second half when the ball games have been tight going down the stretch.”
The Hoosiers shift their attention to the regular-season finale against arch-rival Purdue on Senior Day this Saturday. Indiana dominated the Boilermakers at Mackey Arena earlier this season, so IU will need to bring the same energy from that game to this one on Saturday to close out the regular season on a high note.