Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
4-4-2
Indiana
5-5-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | OT 3 | OT 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Northwestern | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Team Stats
Smith, Abby (2)
Assisted By: Keller, Tori
Free kick from sideline, 10yds off endli
104:36
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Wildcats Suffer Another Double-Overtime Heartbreaker
9/21/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
By Jasper Scherer
Northwestern Athletic Communications
EVANSTON, Ill. -- In a physical game between two teams each looking for their first win in B1G play, Northwestern's women's soccer team fell to Indiana 1-0 Sunday afternoon in an overtime thriller at Lakeside Field.
The 'Cats outshot Indiana, 12-5, but the Hoosiers made their final attempt count. With 5:24 remaining in the second overtime period, senior midfielder Tori Keller lofted a cross into the Northwestern box, and fellow midfielder Abby Smith used every inch of her 5-foot-4 frame to put home a header just past the outstretched arm of freshman goalkeeper Lauren Clem.
Northwestern remain in search of its first win in the conference, but even in defeat, the 'Cats defense continued its strong play to open up the season. NU held Indiana without a shot or corner kick in the first half, and Smith's late effort was all that kept Northwestern from walking away with its second shutout in three games.
Looking to build off her assist from Friday night's game, sophomore forward Addie Steiner had a few early opportunities to add to her team-leading six goals, but she was unable to find the back of the net against Hoosiers goalkeeper Sarah Stone.
After Steiner was subbed out with around 13 minutes left in the first half, senior midfielder Sami Schrakamp filled in on offense with a couple of dangerous runs into the Hoosiers box. The 'Cats had their best first-half scoring opportunity on one of those runs, when Schrakamp broke free down the sideline with just over 17 minutes remaining in the half. She was unable to find anyone in the middle of the box, however, and her shot attempt sailed harmlessly into Stone's hands.
In a last-gasp scoring attempt before halftime, Northwestern threatened again with just minutes remaining when freshman forward Maria Fayeulle found open space down the left sideline. She received the through pass and took a heavy touch on the ball, but Indiana's attempted interception deflected out of bounds for a corner kick. Junior midfielder Natalie Cikos put the ensuing cross into the box right in front of Stone, but the Indiana goalie deflected the pass out of bounds to keep the game tied at zero.
Indiana came out of halftime with two early shots, but Clem maintained her clean sheet with a save and a punchout clearance just moments later. Those proved to be the only real threats Indiana would muster in regulation, as the defense picked up where it left off in the first half in keeping the Hoosiers off the board.
In a scary moment at the 31:35 mark, Northwestern midfielder Nandi Mehta and Indiana midfielder Kailee Feinstein were involved in a head-to-head collision, and each player left the game. Play resumed with a dropped ball, and the 'Cats controlled the majority of the possession until they won a corner nick with 29 minutes remaining. Sophomore midfielder Maria Grygleski put the cross in on the spot kick and Steiner, subbed back in at the half, put her header just wide of the goal.
Schrakamp later subbed in with 22 minutes left in the game, and she nearly won a penalty after colliding with a Hoosiers defender in the box with 4:30 left in regulation. The referee ruled a foul against Schrakamp, however, and the game headed into overtime without a goal on either side.
Neither team put forth a serious threat in the first overtime period, with Northwestern's lone chance on offense coming on a corner kick that once again found Stone's gloves. In the second period, the Wildcats had another opportunity on a set piece when Grygleski took a free kick from just outside the Indiana box, but her line drive shot went directly at Stone.
Minutes later, Indiana was awarded a free kick near the right sideline deep in Northwestern's half and Keller's cross found Smith for the game-winner.
The 'Cats fell to 0-2-2 in the B1G, and they'll head to University Park, Pa., to face Penn State on Friday at 6 p.m. CT.
