IUWS @ Maryland - 3/7/21 @ 11:30 am on BTN+

[Class of '66 Old Fart 85,957]

Women look to bounce back from the loss to Penn State earlier this week.

Live Stats

No. 24 Indiana Women's Soccer (2-2) will head to College Park, MD. for a match with the Maryland Terrapins (0-3-1) at Ludwig Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 11:30 a.m., and the match will be streamed on Big Ten Network+.
 
SCOUTING THE MARYLAND TERRAPINS
Maryland is 0-3-1 to start the season. Most recently, the Terps are coming off a 3-1 loss against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Thursday afternoon. Senior Sydney Staier scored the Terps lone goal on a breakaway in the 26th minute after forcing a Buckeye turnover. Maryland saw two goalkeepers against OSU in redshirt-freshman Kennedy Tolson and sophomore Nicole Kwoczka who each played 45 minutes and totaled a combined three saves. The Maryland Terrapins are led by Ray Leone who is in his fifth season as head coach. In 2019, he led the Terps to their first ever Big Ten Tournament appearance and finished 9-8-3 for the program's first winning season since 2012. The Hoosiers lead the series against the Terrapins 2-1-3.  The teams tied in the last meeting 0-0 in double overtime in College Park, MD.
 
LAST TIME OUT
No. 24 Indiana women's soccer dropped a 2-1 decision to No. 13 Penn State on Thursday afternoon at Holuba Hall in University Park, Pa. after the Nittany Lions scored the gamewinner in the 60th minute.  Indiana scored the first goal for either team in the 53rd minute on an IU corner kick. Freshman defender Anna Aehling headed it right to senior defender Hanna Németh who booted a long one to the far back of the net. The Nittany Lions responded with a goal in the 54th minute to tie up the game. The gamewinner came in the 60th minute from Penn State's Sam Coffey.
Indiana looked for the equalizer late as the Hoosiers earned a corner in the 90th minute, but a shot from Madeline Carlson to the top right of the net went wide.
 
NEW HOOSIERS HAVE IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Indiana women's soccer welcomed six new freshmen to Hoosier Nation. Four freshmen have earned starts in the first four games of the season - Anna Aehling, Anna Bennett, Gabi Rennie and Jen Blitchok. Sofia Black and Zoe Tiger have also provided great minutes off the bench for the Hoosiers. Bennett and Aehling are the only two freshmen who have started in all four of IU's games this season. Also, they have each earned their first career point after dishing out assists.
 
HOOSIERS RANKED #24 IN UNITED COACHES POLL
The Indiana women's soccer team is ranked #24 after the United Coaches Soccer Poll was released on Tuesday afternoon after opening the season with a 2-1 record. This is the first time since Oct. 27, 2009 that the Hoosiers have been ranked in this poll. Indiana was last ranked #24 on Oct. 20, 2009. The highest ranking achieved by Indiana is #22 twice in 2009 on Sept. 15 and Oct. 13.
 
FORBES AND KOPEL EARN BIG TEN WEEKLY AWARDS
Indiana women's soccer senior Melanie Forbes was named Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week, in addition to earning TopDrawerSoccer's player of the week. These accolades come off of Forbes' gamewinning goals in back-to-back games for the Hoosiers. In overtime, Forbes scored the gamewinner in the 94th minute against Rutgers on Thursday Feb. 25. She gave the Hoosiers their first win of the season at Bill Armstrong Stadium. On Sunday Feb. 28, Indiana defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes, 2-0, as Forbes netted a brace to put the Hoosiers ahead. Her first goal was assisted by sophomore Avery Lockwood in the eighth minute for her second gamewinner of the season. Forbes netted a goal in the 30th minute unassisted to secure the Hoosier win which ties her single season career high.
 
Senior goalkeeper Bethany Kopel was named Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week award on Tuesday afternoon. This is the first time in her career that Kopel has earned this award. In three matches, she has had 11 saves and two consecutive shutouts. Kopel continues to add to the Indiana women's soccer program record in shutouts as she leads with 20.
 
ENTERING VAN BENNEKOM'S SECOND YEAR
In the first season with head coach Erwin van Bennekom at the helm, Indiana went 8-9-2 on the year and advanced to the program's 14th appearance in the Big Ten Tournament. He named the fourth coach in Indiana Women's Soccer history on Dec. 4, 2018 after spending the last four seasons at Duke as associate head coach. His time at Duke was the most successful stretch in the Blue Devils' history, earning a 68-17-11 record and advancing to a pair of Women's College Cups. During the offseason, he added associate head coach Sergio Gonzalez and promoted assistant coach Emily Basten.
 
THREE EARN CONFERENCE PRESEASON HONORS
The Big Ten announced its Women's Soccer Preseason Players to Watch List with sophomore Avery Lockwood and freshmen Anna Aehling and Jen Blitchok representing Indiana. In addition, the preseason poll was unveiled with the Hoosiers coming in in eighth place. Both were voted on by the conference coaches.
 
Lockwood, a midfielder from Grand Rapids, Mich., started every game last year and led the team in points (13), goals (5) and game-winners (3). She was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, as well as Top Drawer Soccer's Top 100 Freshmen list. Aehling, a defender from Coesfeld, Germany, has competed for her country multiple times, including in the U17 UEFA European Championship, U17 FIFA World Cup and U19 UEFA European Championship. Fellow freshman Blitchok joins the Hoosiers as a forward from Grandville, Mich. She saw great success at the club level, leading Midwest United FC to a U18/19 U.S. Soccer DA Championship. She was also an All-State and All-Conference selection from Grandville High School.
 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 85,957]

Halftime in College Park and tied 1-1.  We've peppered the net with 8 SOG but could only make 1 count.  Maryland only has 1 SOG but they made it count.  Jen Blitchok got the Hoosiers on the board at 12'.

                                       IU              MD

Shots                            14               2

SOG                                 8               1

Corners                          4                0

Fouls                              6                7

 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 85,957]

Hoosiers win 3-2 and move to 3-2 on the season.  In 55' Alaina Kalin scored our 2nd goal assisted by Oliwia Wos.  In 82' Jen Blitchok got her 2nd goal of the match with another assist from Oliwia Wos.  Back in Bloomington next Saturday hosting Illinois.

                               IU      MD

Shots                    20      10

SOG                       11        5

Corners                  7         4

Fouls                     14       13

 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 85,957]

Alaina Kalin's goal.

 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 85,957]