Indiana University Athletics
2005 Women's Soccer Season In Review
12/2/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Dec. 2, 2005
After finishing sixth in one of the best conferences in the country for women's soccer, Indiana shut the door on another foundation-building year in IU history.
In a year that saw mixed results, Indiana started the season witj one the toughest opening schedules since head coach Mick Lyon took the reigns of the program in 2002. Indiana opened the season on a four-game road trip that began on the West Coast. Indiana faced Loyola Marymount (8/26) and then-No. 18 Southern California 98/28) in back-to-back contests, coming away with a 0-1-1 mark to open the season.
"Overall, it was a solid season opener," Lyon said. "It was a tough start for them to come on the road and play a couple of great teams. That was the design of the schedule, to prepare the team for a Big Ten conference slate with a high level of play in non-conference action."
Indiana continued its road swing in the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge facing Missouri (9/2) and Iowa State (9/4). The Hoosiers battled to a 1-1 record over the next two games to improve their record to 1-2-1. Freshmen Molly Beckwith and Molly Kruger helped IU break its scoring slump when they combined for the Hoosiers' first goal of the season in their defeat of the Cyclones, 1-0. Beckwith sent in the season-opening goal off an assist from Kruger.
IU then returned home for the inaugural Hoosier Classic (9/9-11), hosting then-No. 18 Marquette, Miami and Xavier. First team All-Big Ten selection Kristen Zmijewski led the Hoosiers' to a third-place finish with four goals over the weekend. Senior Courtney O'Bryan and Zmijewski also earned All-Tournament team honors for their efforts.
The Hoosiers pulled in a couple more non-conference wins, defeating Butler (9/16) and Bowling Green (9/18) to take a 2-0 win streak into conference action. Sophomore Beverly Markwort, who anchored an IU defense that allowed only one goal in two matches, earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for her performance against the Bulldogs and Falcons.
Going into conference play, the Hoosiers stared at a tough opening schedule that slated back-to-back road games coupled with two of their first three opponents ranked in the top 25.
IU drew then-No.3 Penn State (9/23) as its first conference opponent followed by a trip to Minnesota (9/25). Led by the efforts of a stingy defense headed by senior Robin Barker, O'Bryan, junior Lauren Lamping and sophomore Jenna Babcock, the Hoosiers stayed with the Nittany Lions for most of the contest. IU held Penn State to only one goal until near the 70th minute of action before Penn State found the net again and took the victory, 2-0.
Against Minnesota, Indiana came out strong by scoring the game's first goal off a shot from Kruger. However, Minnesota would tie the game early in the second half to send the match into extra periods. The Hoosiers were unable to hold the Golden Gophers out of the net, falling 2-1 in double overtime as Minnesota scored with 38 seconds remaining in the contest. The heart-breaking loss returned the Hoosiers to Bloomington with one thing on their mind, a conference win. Though wounded from a 0-2 start in Big Ten play, Indiana looked poised to open its season at home on a positive note.
Opening the gates of Yeagley Field at Armstrong Stadium for the first time in conference regular-season action, IU looked to upset a ranked opponent with then-No. 22 Michigan (9/30) coming to town. The Wolverines out-shot the Hoosiers, 20-14, in the contest, but a relentless IU squad needed only one shot to dethrone Michigan to earn its first Big Ten win over the Wolverines since 1994.
The squad continued to battle through the rest of conference action with its final two games of the season deciding the fate of it's postseason hopes. With Iowa (10/23) and Purdue (10/27) set to close the Hoosier schedule, Indiana needed to come out on top of both teams to make the conference tournament.
With their backs against the wall in an overtime battle, the Hoosiers saw Beckwith head in the game winner off a serve from sophomore Lindsay McCarthy to overcome the Hawkeyes, 3-2, to keep their postseason hopes alive.
Indiana then welcomed in-state rival Purdue to Armstrong Stadium for the annual Golden Boot game and its final regular-season contest. With a win or a tie needed to make the tournament, Indiana played one of the best games in the history of the rivalry, taking the affair into double overtime for the first time since the two schools inaugural meeting in 1999.
The game came down to a penalty kick with seconds left in the double-overtime affair as Kruger stepped up for the Hoosiers with the score tied 1-1. In a miraculous save, Purdue's goalie stopped Kruger's blast into the left corner of the goal, resulting in a tie. However, the tie was just enough for a Hoosier postseason berth.
Heading into the conference tournament, Indiana collected a pair of conference nods as Kruger and Zmijewski garnered selections to the All-Freshman team and first team All-Big Ten, respectively.
Zmijewski led the Hoosier offense with six goals and two assists for a total of nine points on the season. Zmijewski's finished the season first on the team in goals and points and tied for second in assists.
Kruger's efforts on the season included leading the Hoosiers in shots (57), shots on goal (34), finishing tied for first in assists (3) and tying for second on the team in goals (3).
Lyon and the Hoosiers then headed to Ann Arbor, Mich., for the 2005 Big Ten Tournament (11/3-6) as the sixth seed and would make their fourth appearance in the championships in as many years. Though losing in the first round to NCAA qualifier and third-seeded Michigan State (11/3), the Hoosiers walked away with a solid effort. For her competitive efforts against the Spartans, sophomore Katy Stewart earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Tournament team.
"This season was filled with ups and downs," Zmijewski said, "but I'm glad we finished strong towards the end of the season. It's something I will never forget."
The young Hoosier roster will return nine starters for the 2006 season, while Indiana and Lyon said goodbye to four graduating seniors. Barker, goalie Lauren Fabbro, O'Bryan and Zmijewski called Armstrong Stadium their home away from home for the last time in 2005, all wrapping up stellar careers at IU.
Indiana finished the season 7-10-2 overall, 3-6-1 in Big Ten action, with a selection to the first team All-Big Ten, a Big Ten All-Freshman team honoree and a Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.
"This turned out to be a season that almost was." Lyon said. "We are losing four wonderful seniors, but we have some talented youngsters and I know we have a bright future. My goal is to build a program that is not satisfied with just making the tournament. I want the Big Ten Tournament to not be our goal, but the norm and a stepping stone."
