Box Score (.html) I Box Score (.pdf) I Photo Gallery I Highlights I Lyon Postgame I Cowen Postgame

INDIANAPOLIS - The IUPUI women's soccer team kicked off the 2018 campaign with a 2-0 blanking of crosstown foe Marian at Carroll Stadium on Friday night (Aug. 17). Senior Braegan Lyon tallied the game-winner in the 51st minute and sophomore Jessi Cowen added some late insurance with her first career goal in the game's 81st minute. 

Junior goalkeeper Sophia Lipka needed just one save to record the shutout, although it was a key stop in the game's early going. 

IUPUI (1-0) controlled the run of play early, but Marian had the best scoring chance of the first half when the Knights were awarded a penalty kick in the game's 30th minute. Brittney Zendejas sized up Lipka and rolled a shot to the Jaguar keeper's right, but Lipka pounced and knocked down the attempt for her only stop of the night.  

"It definitely boosts your confidence - especially me and the [defensive] line," Lyon said of Lipka's PK stop. "It shows I know who I have behind me now. It's comforting."

IUPUI outshot Marian 8-2 in the first half, but didn't get a shot on target until the Jaguars were awarded a penalty kick of their own in the 47th minute. However, MU's Brenna Malatestinic stonewalled sophomore Valentine Pursey for one of her four saves on the evening. However, after yelling at her teammates in the locker room after a scoreless first half, Lyon took matters into her own hands early in the second half.

"I kind of yelled at them," Lyon said. "I told them we needed to step it up and get the first goal quick and we did, so that was nice."

In the 51st minute, Lyon was on the business end of Natalie McNally's corner kick, driven over everyone towards the far post. Lyon wasn't even sure what body part made contact with the ball, but was sure she redirected into the open net for her second career goal. Armed with a 1-0 lead, the Jaguars' attack started to take control as the game wore on. 

That said, it took nearly 30 more minutes for Cowen to add insurance off assists from Emma Chambers and Miranda Ricks. Chambers flared a pass to Ricks on the right side, who then settled the ball before slipping a short lead to Cowen. The Carmel-native knew exactly what to do, easily slotting a shot home for the game's final tally. 

"It was surreal. It felt like I was at practice, honestly," Cowen said. "[Miranda] bodied the girl off and we made eye contact and got it to me and I took the shot."

IUPUI closed with a 23-5 shot advantage and 7-2 edge on corner kicks. McNally paced IUPUI with five shot attempts while Chambers had three tries. Lipka collected her 12th career shutout and upped her career record to 16-5-3 with the win.

The Jaguars will be back in action on Monday night (Aug. 20) when they trek to Butler for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff.