Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Looking To Turn Ties Into Wins
10/8/2015 2:11:00 PM | Women's Soccer
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – There are two opposing views on Indiana Women's Soccer's results in six overtimes this season.
In one sense, there's a certain amount of frustration that comes with being 1-0-5 in overtime periods. Considering three ties came in conference matches, six potential Big Ten points were left unclaimed.
But in another outlook, Indiana is undefeated in overtime. The Hoosiers have played 105 minutes of shutout soccer in the sudden death format, attesting the team's fitness and defensive strength with the game on the line.
But if there was ever a weekend where head coach Amy Berbary would want her team to break out of its eight game winless streak—which has featured four ties—it's now.
Indiana plays No. 23 Rutgers on Thursday before completing the second half of a two-game road trip against No. 11 Penn State on Sunday.
The weekend slate could prove crucial for Indiana in qualifying for both the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments. Rutgers and Penn State rank No. 6 and No. 1 in the RPI, respectively.
"Our conference helps us mentally because every single game matters," Berbary said. "Right now, we're focused on us. We're not looking ahead. We're focused on what we need to do because if we can clean up some of the little things that we're doing, we're going to start getting the results."
The difference between one-point ties and three-point wins has become fractional. Berbary said the only thing holding IU back is waiting for someone to capitalize in front of the net.
After reviewing film of last week's scoreless draw with Iowa, Berbary said she counted 43 times where Indiana touched the ball in the penalty area. Those touches led to 20 errant shots unable to find the back of the net.
Berbary blamed technical errors, which she said were fixable. Each player took about 75 shots on goal at practice last Sunday as part of an increased focus on finishing.
At this point, all it takes is one player stepping up.
"We're still looking for that one person to make the play to win the game, and we all want to be that person," freshman forward Cassidy Blacha said. She scored Indiana's only game-winning goal in an overtime period this season Aug. 30 against Baylor.
"We need to stay composed," Blacha continued. "We don't need to freak out when we get into the box. We all know how to finish. We all know how to strike the ball. We just need to do it."
While added emphasis has been put on finding the last touch, the Hoosiers haven't strayed too far away from their strengths on the defensive end, which sophomore defender Annelie Leitner said is a reflection of the team's fitness.
IU has held opponents scoreless in overtime periods and has six shutouts on the season. As long as Leitner and her defense continue to keep opponents off the board, it'll allow for someone to step up on the other end to turn one-point draws into three-point wins.
"I think it shows how hard we've worked on the defensive part since preseason," she said. "We haven't allowed any goals (in overtime), and I think it shows how hard we work and that we're a good defensive team. We're trying to get more shutouts, but now we just need to work on the attack to turn ties into wins."
In one sense, there's a certain amount of frustration that comes with being 1-0-5 in overtime periods. Considering three ties came in conference matches, six potential Big Ten points were left unclaimed.
But in another outlook, Indiana is undefeated in overtime. The Hoosiers have played 105 minutes of shutout soccer in the sudden death format, attesting the team's fitness and defensive strength with the game on the line.
But if there was ever a weekend where head coach Amy Berbary would want her team to break out of its eight game winless streak—which has featured four ties—it's now.
Indiana plays No. 23 Rutgers on Thursday before completing the second half of a two-game road trip against No. 11 Penn State on Sunday.
The weekend slate could prove crucial for Indiana in qualifying for both the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments. Rutgers and Penn State rank No. 6 and No. 1 in the RPI, respectively.
"Our conference helps us mentally because every single game matters," Berbary said. "Right now, we're focused on us. We're not looking ahead. We're focused on what we need to do because if we can clean up some of the little things that we're doing, we're going to start getting the results."
The difference between one-point ties and three-point wins has become fractional. Berbary said the only thing holding IU back is waiting for someone to capitalize in front of the net.
After reviewing film of last week's scoreless draw with Iowa, Berbary said she counted 43 times where Indiana touched the ball in the penalty area. Those touches led to 20 errant shots unable to find the back of the net.
Berbary blamed technical errors, which she said were fixable. Each player took about 75 shots on goal at practice last Sunday as part of an increased focus on finishing.
At this point, all it takes is one player stepping up.
"We're still looking for that one person to make the play to win the game, and we all want to be that person," freshman forward Cassidy Blacha said. She scored Indiana's only game-winning goal in an overtime period this season Aug. 30 against Baylor.
"We need to stay composed," Blacha continued. "We don't need to freak out when we get into the box. We all know how to finish. We all know how to strike the ball. We just need to do it."
While added emphasis has been put on finding the last touch, the Hoosiers haven't strayed too far away from their strengths on the defensive end, which sophomore defender Annelie Leitner said is a reflection of the team's fitness.
IU has held opponents scoreless in overtime periods and has six shutouts on the season. As long as Leitner and her defense continue to keep opponents off the board, it'll allow for someone to step up on the other end to turn one-point draws into three-point wins.
"I think it shows how hard we've worked on the defensive part since preseason," she said. "We haven't allowed any goals (in overtime), and I think it shows how hard we work and that we're a good defensive team. We're trying to get more shutouts, but now we just need to work on the attack to turn ties into wins."
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Women's Soccer
Defender
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