On Thursday night time in opposition to Maryland, Indiana girls’s soccer concluded its dwelling slate in a style that has turn into all too acquainted: scoreless. The gang was sparse, and people in attendance shivered as a result of unforgivingly chilly and windy circumstances.

Coming into the competition, the Hoosiers had been already eradicated from postseason rivalry. Sitting in lifeless final within the Huge Ten with a measly two factors by way of eight matches, head coach Erwin van Bennekom’s staff was compelled to hunt satisfaction and ethical victories versus {hardware}.

After a 2-2 draw to Purdue by which Indiana notched its first convention objectives in over a yr, van Bennekom famous that the assault performed extra direct and strayed from his conventional philosophy. With freshman midfielder Olivia Smith incomes Huge Ten Freshman of the Week honors after scoring her first collegiate objective, issues started to look a bit extra promising given the circumstances.

Just like the Hoosiers, Maryland has struggled mightily on the assault. In reality, the Terrapins are the one different staff to common lower than a objective per match. Pitting the 2 worst offenses within the Huge Ten in opposition to each other figured to yield a slog, and it did simply that.

From the primary kick on Thursday night time, it was evident that the power and aggressiveness the Hoosiers displayed in opposition to Purdue had vanished. Primarily Indiana’s solely threatening likelihood of the primary half got here within the ninth minute when junior midfielder Paige Webber made a blistering particular person run however couldn’t fairly get sufficient energy behind her left-footed strike.

The following segments of the primary half, and a majority of the second interval, featured sloppy battles for possession with uncommon spurts of well-worked build-up play. As an alternative of pushing greater traces and leaping on the entrance foot as they did in opposition to the Boilermakers, the Hoosiers sat again and easily couldn’t work into the attacking third.

Within the 86th minute, regardless of 5 Indiana substitutions indicating a transparent ploy for a last-ditch attacking effort, the Terrapins broke by way of. Graduate pupil ahead Alyssa Poarch threaded an ideal go to senior ahead Alina Stahl, who was in a position to slip a low shot previous sophomore goalkeeper Jamie Gerstenberg.

Like she all the time does, Gerstenberg popped up and grabbed the ball to renew play. However for a quick second, the Germany native sat motionlessly. Regardless of a couple of minutes left earlier than the buzzer would harshly sound, the one-goal deficit felt insurmountable.

In a season crammed with seemingly infinite woes, the Hoosiers had their hearts damaged on Thursday night time. At dwelling for the ultimate time in 2022, they did not ship a objective for the thirteenth time this season. Van Bennekom repeatedly mentioned the efficiency wasn’t ok in opposition to the Terrapins, a sentiment he has echoed robotically.

One last likelihood stays, nevertheless. Whereas disappointment set in at maybe a brand new stage, Indiana can nonetheless safe its elusive first Huge Ten victory. The staff travels to Ann Arbor, Michigan to tackle a 3rd straight lackluster opposition within the Michigan Wolverines on Sunday afternoon.

Van Bennekom’s younger squad has little to play for on the floor. After a demoralizing loss like that on Thursday, it will be arduous accountable the Hoosiers for not placing their greatest foot ahead on Sunday.

Nonetheless, as is the case with constructing a program, robust cultures develop with successful. Possibly, by recording its first convention win in over a yr, Indiana can salvage some satisfaction and start to instill a successful mentality.

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