Indiana Suffers "Frustrating" 2-0 Loss To Western Michigan
Amy Berbary couldn’t hide her frustration Sunday, not after losing the way her team did.
For a second consecutive game, Indiana women’s soccer came out of the locker room at halftime playing sluggish.
And for a second consecutive game, it cost IU a result.
Western Michigan defeated the Hoosiers 2-0 at Bill Armstrong Stadium on Sunday. The loss came just two days after a disappointing 1-1 draw with Louisville, putting a damper on the team’s opening weekend.
“Extremely frustrated,” Berbary said. “I'm a bit embarrassed. I think the team was, too. The effort that we put in today alone is something that I’m really disappointed in.”
Western Michigan, the defending MAC Champion, dominated the second half of play after the two sides were mostly even through the first 45 minutes. The Broncos (2-0) had the Hoosiers (0-1-1) on their heels practically from whistle to whistle in the second period, storming into the attacking third shortly after kickoff and never really leaving it.
As time wore on, Indiana fell further and further back defensively, giving up six corners over the course of less than 10 minutes before Western Michigan junior midfielder Kendall Juhnke volleyed on a cross in the 56th minute for the first goal.
Despite a frenzy of Indiana substitutions to try and spark some sort of change in momentum, the Hoosiers couldn’t retain possession long enough to threaten with an equalizer. Juhnke put the game away by cashing in with a second goal in the 75th minute from 20 yards out.
“It was a tale of two halves, really,” Berbary said. “This group needs to understand that they may be one of the most talented groups we’ve had come through here, (but) there’s a difference between wanting to win and actually working to win.”
IU forced Western Michigan keeper Stephanie Heber into making just two saves, both coming in the first half. Neither shot was particularly threatening, leading to simple saves that didn’t strike much fear in the Broncos bench.
Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Bristal Hadley-Mautino made three saves in her Hoosier debut. She started the game in place of true freshman Sarah L’Hommedieu, who got the call between the pipes in IU’s draw against Louisville.
“I thought Bristal did a good job,” Berbary said. “She made a couple of key saves for us. The goals that they scored, I mean, it was the same kid twice. We left her open. We gave up (six) corners in a row. What do you think’s going to happen in a college soccer game? I was pretty pleased with both of our keepers this weekend.”
But she couldn’t say the same about her team’s effort. That much was visible in both words and action.
After the game when players got done signing autographs for fans, seniors Marissa Borschke and Veronica Ellis made their way over near the Indiana bench for an impromptu meeting with Berbary.
The conversation was private, but the message from Berbary was clear: This type of loss is inexcusable.
“We told them to just take their day off (Monday),” Berbary said. “If this happened to us at any point in the season, now is the right time. Just look in the mirror. Ask them to look at themselves individually first. As we talk about effort and we talk about that, if in their minds they think we’re talking about them, we probably are. I think being honest and real, being transparent. We’ve got to look at ourselves as individuals.”