INDIANAPOLIS - The IUPUI women's soccer team fell into an early one-goal hole against visiting UIC on Sunday afternoon (Aug. 23), but roared back with four unanswered goals on way to a convincing 4-1 victory at Michael A. Carroll Stadium. Sophomore Krissy Kirkhoff scored twice and junior Tori Minnich added the game-winner and an assist in the win. 

"I thought we came out flat; we didn't come out with the energy we needed," IUPUI Head Coach Chris Johnson said. "The response was good. It was a full 21, 22 player effort today. I was glad to go to the bench and have those kids respond too.

"Every year we start off the year and I always kind of think 'are we going to be able to score goals?' You never know if it's going to happen easily until it does. Once the floodgates opened, it definitely happened for us."

UIC (1-1) wasted little time in taking a quick 1-0 lead, tallying less than two minutes into the match. Haley Kittle crossed a ball into trouble from the right side and a miscommunication between sophomore goalie Catherine Schmidt and her back line led to Emily Wauer scoring from point blank range. 

That ultimately was the lone blemish for the Jaguars on Sunday though, as Kirkhoff had an almost immediate response in the game's seventh minute. Senior Sierra Bryant sent a long lead pass up the right side to Tori Minnich, who then carried the ball deep into UIC territory. Minnich angled in from the right and rolled a pass in front of UIC goalie Kelly Fritz to Kirkhoff, who finished with ease at the far post. The game remained tied until IUPUI mounted an offensive explosion in the second half. 

Minnich started the fireworks, netting her first goal of the season from the right side. Sophomore Haley Shelton setup the score with a lead pass Minnich, who drilled a diagonal shot past Fritz, just 14 seconds into the second stanza. Three minutes later, Kirkhoff got a gift goal when her shot went between the legs of Fritz and just inside the far post for a two-goal lead. Fritz had to account for Minnich at the far post on the play and the concentration lapse led to Kirkhoff's 11th career goal and third career multi-goal game. 

"I did not think that was going in," Kirkhoff said. "I think because Tori was standing right there, (Fritz) didn't expect it. I would get Tori that credit, honestly."

Sophomore Beth Parks added a cherry on top of the win when she picked the pocket of a UIC defender an rolled a shot inside the far post in the 75th minute to cap the game's scoring. It was the Colorado State-transfer's first career goal, coming in her IUPUI debut.

Schmidt earned the win, making six saves in nearly 81 minutes of work, while Nicole Kulovitz came off the bench to finish the match. Fritz made two stops in the loss.

"It felt really good," Kirkhoff said of the four goals. "A couple weeks ago, we didn't have the best game, so it really felt good to come out and play our best today.

"The second half, we really came out and put it to them in the first couple minutes."

Two days after firing 22 shots against EIU, IUPUI needed just eight attempts (six on frame) to knock off UIC. Kirkhoff, Minnich and Shelton each had two shot attempts, combining to put five on frame. The Jaguars' four goals were the most in a game since IUPUI scored four times on Halloween last year in a 4-1 victory over South Dakota.

The 1-0-1 start is the best by an IUPUI squad since 2013 when the Jags began with a draw with Green Bay and a home win over UIndy.

IUPUI's season-opening homestand will continue on Friday night (Aug. 28) when the Jaguars host Marshall at Michael A. Carroll Stadium at 6:00 p.m.. Friday's match is free and open to the public.