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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Amidst a nine-game winning streak and 4-0 start in Horizon League play, the IUPUI women's soccer team will return to play on Friday night (Oct. 6) when the Jaguars take on Youngstown State at 7:00 p.m. at Farmers National Bank Field. IUPUI (10-3, 4-0 Horizon) is second to only Duke for the nation's longest winning streak and is coming off an impressive 3-0 win over Green Bay on Saturday.
After allowing seven goals in the season's first four games, the Jaguars have caught fire defensively, allowing just two scores in the month of September. During the current nine-game winning streak, IUPUI has outscored foes 15-2 with one of the two goals allowed coming via penalty kick. Sophomore goalkeeper
Sophia Lipka has already tied the school record with eight shutouts this season and earned Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week three times this year. Freshman back
Natalie McNally captured the most recent Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week award, helping IUPUI to wins over UIC and Green Bay.
Lipka has a 0.68 goals against average and .868 save percentage, having started all 13 matches in goal. Her 10 wins are the most by an IUPUI goalkeeper since Hall of Famer Jamie Farrell won 13 in 2008. She's just the second keeper in IUPUI history to record at least 10 wins in a season, joining Farrell, who achieved the feat twice.
Offensively, the Jags have continued to be efficient and timely as freshman
Valentine Pursey leads the squad with five goals, four of which are game-winners. She had the most recent game-winner against Green Bay, breaking her personal four-match scoreless streak. Seniors
Krissy Kirkhoff and
Hayley Shelton have three goals and six assists each and have combined to score three game-winners. Freshman
Miranda Ricks and junior
Jessica Flores each have two goals and freshman
Jillian Steinbrink has a goal and two assists.
Flores, who went 48 straight games without a goal, has now scored goals in each of the Jags' past two outings.
IUPUI is an impressive 5-1 on the road this season with the lone blemish having come at Valpo on Aug. 20.
QUOTABLE: "We have a lot of young ladies that are playing with a lot of confidence right now. I think we have a group defensively that is very confident in their ability to limit opportunities and keep opponents off the board," head coach
Chris Johnson said after his team recorded its eighth shutout of the year in the 3-0 win over Green Bay.
CHART CLIMBING: Kirkhoff and Shelton are tied for the program's all-time lead in assists with all three having connected on 17 assists in their careers. Kirkhoff is now third on the program's all-time list in career points with 69 (26 goals, 17 assists) overall. Megan Hock (2008-11) has the program's all-time mark with 74 points (32 goals, 10 assists).
TEAM ACADEMIC AWARD: IUPUI captured the program's eighth straight United Soccer Coaches (formerly NSCAA) Team Academic Award on Thursday (Oct. 5). It's the 12th time in program history the Jags have been recognized and the program's 3.72 grade point average ranked among the nation's best.
SCOUTING YOUNGSTOWN STATE: Youngstown State is 4-8-1 overall and 0-4 near the midpoint of Horizon League play. The Penguins are 2-1-1 at home with victories over St. Bonaventure and Fort Wayne. YSU has dropped three straight since a recent 1-1 draw with Duquesne on Sept. 17. Kyler Lum leads Youngstown State with six goals and an assist while Marissa Martin and Alison Green have two goals each. In goal, Kylee Moffett has made 11 starts and has a 1.67 GAA and 51 saves for a .729 save percentage.
INSIDE THE SERIES: IUPUI is 6-0 all-time against Youngstown State in a series that dates back to 1999 as the two schools were conference opponents. The two sides last met on Sept. 21, 2007 as the Jaguars won 3-2 in overtime on a Leslie Walker goal.
UP NEXT: IUPUI will open a two-game homestand on Friday, Sept. 13 when the Jaguars host Wright State at 7:00 p.m. at Carroll Stadium on ESPN3.
