By Nick Jenkinson-SCINN Sports Director
The Saint Louis Billikens came to Bloomington Sunday afternoon and left with a 2-0 win over the Indiana Hoosiers Women’s Soccer Team on Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium. Saint Louis is 3-1-1 on the season while the Hoosiers have lost two straight to fall to 2-2-1 and will travel to Athens, Ohio this Sunday to face the Ohio University Bobcats at 1 PM.
The game was scoreless at half and then the Billikens scored in the 49th minute when Hope Kim dropped the ball off inside the penalty area to Audrey Smith who was challenged by Indiana Goalkeeper Dani Jacobson from just outside the six yard box as Smith sent a perfect cross to Leah Simpson on the left side for an easy tap into an empty net to give the Billikens a 1-0 lead.
Saint Louis scored its second goal in the 80th minute when Caroline Chier lifted a free kick from the near the left touchline to the top of the six. Following touches by both teams in a pinball like exchange Ava Rademeyer received a deflection and flicked the ball to Audrey Smith who banged it passed a Hoosier Defender into empty net to give the Billikens 2-0 lead and Goalkeeper Pepper Escher who got her first Shutout in her collegiate start made on save and Saint Louis posted its third clean sheet of the season.
This was the fourth straight time Saint Louis has defeated Indiana and leads the all-time series 4-1-1. Saint Louis had a 6-4 shot advantage and 2-1 shots on goal. Dani Jacobson did not make a save for the Hoosiers. Indiana had 5 corner kicks to 4 for Saint Louis. Indiana committed 13 fouls and Saint Louis committed 10 as Audrey Smith picked up a yellow card at the 2:27 Mark and Amaya Falzarano picked up a yellow card for the Hoosiers at 79:12 Mark. Indiana was called offsides three time and Saint Louis were called offsides once.
Indiana Head Coach Josh Rife was concerned that the Hoosiers only had one shot on goal for the entire match. “You’ve got to work on your craft and say, how do we, a little more clinical in those moments… Probably forcing the keeper to actually have to make a save?… How can we be a little better with some shot selection? ” Rife said after the match.
The Hoosiers started the season with 2 wins over Hampton and Youngstown State before a 1-1 draw with Bellarmine and now back-to-back losses. Indiana has one more non-conference road trip to Ohio before the Hoosiers open Big Ten play at Nebraska on September 10.