3 Takeaways From The 2-1 Win For IU Women's Soccer Vs. Ball State In Muncie

Hoosiers Now 2-0 Early In The Season

Bill Armstrong Stadium Where IU Plays There Home Soccer Matches

Early Offensive Flurry Turns Into A Whimper

Muncie-The game was barely six minutes old and IU put two early goals into the back of the net. First Kennedy Neighbors took a pass from Layla Sirdah on a breakaway just under four minutes in for the lead. Not even three minutes later, the Hoosiers had another break. While the shot was tipped out of bounds by the goalie, Indiana converted the subsequent corner on a header by Haden Vlcek that Sirdah set up.

However, after this, IU’s offense went into hibernation and got very few opportunities the rest of the afternoon. Ball State pulled one back in the 28th minute. From there, neither side got many looks and the second half especially was dominated by the defenses.

How Do The Hoosiers Replace Paige Weber?

The Hoosiers could barely find the back of the net in 2022 with just 11 scores in 17 games while going 3-7-7. In 2023, IU allowed the same 16 goals they did the previous fall.

However, the entire fortunes of the squad turned around due to increased success offensively where they found the back of the net 31 times. This was mostly due to Paige Webber’s breakout year. She became a one-woman wrecking crew putting 12 balls into the goal. As a result, Indiana had a miraculous turnaround going 12-4-4 a season ago and making their first NCAA Tournament in a decade.

Fast forward to now and the Cream and Crimson no longer have Weber due to her eligibility expiring. This leaves the question of whether the team can continue its performance from last autumn or if goals will be hard to come by again.

So far the results are mixed. While the Hoosiers have a stout backline once again, the ability to score will be tested without Weber. While the flashes are there as happened early on Tuesday, the inconsistency in creating chances and finding the net remains an issue.

Ultimately, how many goals occur, will determine if 2024 is more like the lows of 2022 or the highs of 2023. The potential is there, but it needs to be realized.

Rick Greenspan And Fred Glass Deserve Credit For Upgrading Facilities At IU In The 2010s

Some said IU had Mid-American Conference (MAC) level facilities as recently as 15 years ago. When walking the campus of Ball State in Muncie, this certainly appeared true as most of the Cardinals’ stadiums were on a level with those of the 2000’s in Bloomington.

These facilities are very nice for a MAC level program and Ball State is among the best in their conference across the board. However, these same types of places kept Indiana from being competitive in many ways for years in the Big Ten.

While the tenures of previous athletic directors Fred Glass and Rick Greenspan were not perfect, both deserve kudos for upgrading the Hoosiers’ facilities to match the rest of the league. From Cook Hall, to Memorial Stadium, to Andy Mohr and Bart Kaufman Field, to Assembly Hall, to Wilkinson Hall, to Armstrong Stadium, and the Pfau Golf Course, nearly every stadium on Indiana’s campus is now modern and as good as most in the country. Former IU point guard and now Ball State men’s basketball coach Michael Lewis could likely attest to this after his time in Bloomington during the 90’s. Lewis made an appearance at the match on Tuesday afternoon with his connections to both schools.

As a result of the upgrades, programs like women’s soccer and many others have taken a massive step forward both on the field and off it. For this, Glass and Greenspan deserve credit.