The No. 16 Hoosiers faced a similar run of results in the second day of the UCSB Winter Invitational, splitting a pair of games on Saturday afternoon. Indiana (2-2) utilized a fierce fourth quarter to break away from No. 23 CSU Northridge, 6-4. Later in the day the Hoosiers met No. 3 UCLA, but the Bruins took a 20-5 victory out of the pool.
Like Friday’s season-opening slate, the scoring duo of Sarah Young and Mollie Williams led the attack effort with three goals each. They both scored once against the Matadors, part of a combined effort with six Hoosiers entering the ledger. Williams and Young returned with two goals apiece in the game against UCLA.
Young leads the weekend total with nine goals in Indiana’s first four games. Williams, playing in her first competitive weekend at the collegiate level, ranks second with seven scores.
Game 3: Hoosiers Battle Back for Win Over CSU Northridge
Indiana 6, CSU Northridge 4
IU: 2 – 1 – 0 – 3
CSUN: 1 – 1 – 1 – 1
Indiana Goals: Williams (1), Beadle (1), Myers (1), Nacouzi (1), Abarta (1), Young (1)
CSUN Goals: Fairchild (2), Yule (1), Sanchez (1)
Williams notched the first goal of the game just 62 seconds into regulation, and Sarah Myers‘ follow-up strike pushed IU to a 2-0 lead. The Matadors tied the game with scores at the end of the first quarter and the middle of the second, but Young ensured a halftime lead with a power play score before the break.
The Matadors clawed back to tie the game at 3-3, scoring the only goal of the third quarter on a power play. They took their first lead over Indiana midway through the fourth quarter, putting the Hoosiers in a bind with time slipping away.
Indiana closed in resounding, scoring three unanswered to put the game out of reach. Jennifer Beadle tied the contest a minute after CSU Northridge took the lead. Joelle Nacouzi regained the lead on IU’s next possession, and Megan Abarta widened the gap in the final 90 seconds.
The win gives Indiana their second top-25 win of the weekend, after taking down No. 25 CSU Bakersfield in the season opener on Friday afternoon.
Game 4: Hoosiers Fall to Third Ranked UCLA
UCLA 20, Indiana 5
UCLA: 3 – 5 – 7 – 5
IU: 1 – 1 – 2 – 1
UCLA Goals: Musselman (4), Williams (3), Fattal (3), Rozeboom (3), Halligan (3), Hill (1), O’Brien (1), Angermund (1), Tielmann (1)
Indiana Goals: Williams (2), Young (2), Nacouzi (1)
The Hoosiers closed the evening with their highest-ranked opponent of the weekend, a game with No. 3 UCLA. The Hoosiers kept it close in the first period, but the Bruins pulled away with a strong second quarter for a 20-5 victory.
UCLA opened the game with a trio of unanswered scores, the first of which came on a power play. Young put the Hoosiers within two goals before the quarter intermission, netting her eighth goal of the weekend. The Hoosiers found their second goal of the half from Williams, who slotted a score midway through the second quarter.
In the third quarter, Joelle Nacouzi capitalized on a close range opportunity with a five-meter penalty score, and Williams found her second goal with 14 seconds on the clock. Young scored the Hoosiers’ only fourth quarter goal, which broke a 3-0 run by the Bruins.
Up Next: Day 3 of the UCSB Winter Invite
Sunday, January 22
11 a.m. ET | No. 16 Indiana (2-2) vs. No. 6 Hawaii (3-0)
Campus Pool/Recreation Center • Santa Barbara, Calif.
The Hoosiers will have a chance at pushing above even on Sunday morning in their game against No. 6 Hawaii. The game is of a certain significance to the Hoosiers’ coaching staff. Ryan Castle came to Indiana after serving as Hawaii’s associate head coach; Emily Carr graduated from Hawaii and was a four-year starter for the Wahine.
Hawaii leads the all-time series, 14-2, and Indiana seeks their first win in this series since the 2013 season. In the last meeting between the Hoosiers and Wahine, a tight 10-8 game that went in Hawaii’s favor.
News courtesy of Indiana Athletics.