Box Score
INDIANAPOLIS - If head coach Chris Johnson's women's soccer team didn't have bad luck this season, it wouldn't have any luck at all. The Jaguars dropped a 2-0 contest at Butler on Tuesday afternoon and was shut out for the fifth consecutive match.
"I really don't know what to say," Johnson said. "We didn't play badly. Actually, we played 75 minutes of really good soccer."
Things began ominously right off the bat as Butler's Meredith Buemi sprinted between IUPUI's center backs and netted her fourth goal of the season 27 seconds into the match. Kathleen Coyle set up the play by rolling a lead pass in behind the IUPUI defense for the assist.
The remainder of the first half became a see-saw affair with both teams putting together scoring opportunities.
Senior Joan Vidimos (Chesterton, Ind./Andrean) and junior Mia Moody (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli) led the IUPUI attack early with Vidimos getting two early shot attempts.
At the other end, senior goalkeeper Sarah Webster (Indianapolis, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) was able to keep Butler out of the net with three early saves. She also saw Ashley Twehues hit a post midway through the first half.
IUPUI appeared to tie the match in the 54th minute when freshman J.J. King (Mason, Ohio/Mason) whipped a left-footed corner kick into the box. Junior Stacy Downing (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) sprinted into the play and appeared to redirect the ball past Butler goalkeeper Kirby Zwickel.
The referee called Downing for a hand ball and negated what would have been Downing's sixth score of the season.
Moments later, Butler sealed the deal when Buemi scored her second goal of the match. The Butler speedster was able to outrun goalkeeper Jessie Mann (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove) to a loose ball just inside the right corner of the box. Buemi rolled a shot to goal that trickled over the line before Jenni Cusick (Floyds Knobs, Ind./Providence) or Lisa Gebhard (Fond du Lac, Wisc./Fond du Lac) could recover.
IUPUI managed just one attempt in the second half, a King drive in the waning moments that was blocked before it got to goal.
For the match, Butler outshot IUPUI 17-10. The Jags enjoyed a 5-4 advantage on corner kicks. Zwickel made three saves in the shutout while Webster and Mann both made three stops in 45 minutes work.
The loss dropped IUPUI to 2-10-2 on the season while Butler improved to 7-7-2. The Jags fell to 0-6 all-time against the Bulldogs.
"We just have to keep our heads up," Johnson said. "We're not playing poorly. We need to keep a positive outlook and keep working.
"Things will eventually go our way."
IUPUI returns home on Friday when they host Detroit at Kuntz Stadium. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m..
