By Nick Jenkinson-SCINN Sports Director
The Indiana Hoosiers and the Bellarmine Knights played to a 1-1 draw Friday Night on Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington. The Hoosiers scored with 13 seconds left in the first half when Piper Coffield converted a penalty kick for her first goal of the season after a video review showed Bellarmine on a handball call. Indiana dominated the first half outshooting Bellarmine 9-0 and 2-0 shots on goal. Bellarmine Goalkeeper Anna Jenkins mad 2 first half saves and Indiana’s Dani Jacobson did not make a save. Bellarmine committed three fouls and Indiana committed two. Indiana had three corner kicks and Bellarmine had 1 and the Hoosiers were called for offsides twice and one of those was a goal that waived off.
In the second half Indiana had another scoring opportunity in the 66th minute that was waived off by a handball call. Jenkins made 2 more saves for the Knights and Indiana could not score again with Jenkins keeping the Hoosiers off the board in the second half with 4 saves on the night. With 44 seconds left in the match the Referee went to the monitor for a video review for a handball call on Indiana and he awarded the penalty kick to Bellarmine. Ella Flynn stepped for the Knights and converted the penalty kick for her first goal of season as the Knights salvaged a 1-1 draw with the Hoosiers and lead the all-time series 1-0-1 after they beat the Hoosiers in Louisville 2-1 on August 31, 2025.
For Bellarmine they were excited after losing their season opener 1-0 at Lindenwood on August 13. For Flynn the Freshman from Lexington, Kentucky it was moment she never forgets as she gets her first goal in just her second game at the colligate level. Head Coach Steve Bronhoffer is 11-7-4 in his second season with the Knights and 1-0-1 against the Hoosiers. Flynn’s goal was the only shot of the match for Bellarmine who were outshot 17-1 and 5-0 in shots on goal. Redshirt Sophomore Anna Jenkins from Plainfield, Illinois played in her 21st match for the Knights after she started her career at Marquette and she put the Knights on her back for 89 minutes making big time saves to keep the Knights in the match until Flynn’s penalty gave the Knights the draw and will travel to Northern Kentucky on Thursday Night.
For Indiana it was major disappointment as the for the third game the Hoosiers give up a second half goal and fifth year Hoosier Dani Jacobson who has allowed all three goals has not made a save so far between the pipes for the Hoosiers. Indiana had 9 corner kicks to 3 for Bellarmine. Indiana had 9 fouls and Bellarmine had 7 as the Hoosiers were called for offsides four times and the Knights had one offsides call. Indiana is 2-0-1 and travels for the first time in the regular season when they head to Xavier on Wednesday Night at 6:30 PM. It was Senior Night for the Hoosiers as they honored the Senior Class before the match with a ceremony as the Seniors walked out onto the pitch with their parents and siblings were presented with a framed Indiana University Soccer Jersey, but this one will be bittersweet as they did not come away with the victory.
Head Coach Josh Rife is 55-44-28 in his 8th season overall and 7-6-3 in his second season with the Hoosiers. Indiana was 44 seconds away from pitching the shutout for the first time this season, but it was not meant to be as Coach Rife said postgame “The Game of Soccer can be so cruel” and despite dominating the entire 90 minutes and keeping the Knights from getting a shot off until 44 seconds left in the match it shows that it only takes on shot to make the difference and instead of a win its a draw and it was not the result the Hoosiers had hoped for after losing to the Knights in Louisville a season ago.