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

INDIANAPOLIS - The IUPUI women's soccer team flexed some offensive superiority after a sluggish start and rolled to a 3-1 home win over Belmont at the on-campus Michael A. Carroll Stadium on Friday night (Sept. 13). Natalie McNally, Elizabeth Bueckers and Maya Lacognato all found the back of the net while both Megan Wurth and Valentine Pursey contributed a pair of assists to the cause. 

"I think the fact that we switched to a 3-5-2 and this team played a 4-3-3, so there was a lot of space on the flanks for me and Emma and whoever subbed in, so we were getting a lot of crosses off and a lot of opportunities in the box," Bueckers said. "I think I was due for a 'right place, right time' goal. That's definitely what that was. It was really a confidence builder and that really set the tone for the second half."

Senior goalkeeper Sophia Lipka collected the win in net with a scoreless second half in relief of redshirt freshman AP Woodall. 

Things began ominously for the Jaguars (4-2-1) as they missed some offensive opportunities and then yielded the game's first goal in the 13th minute. Sydney Cason rolled a pass to Julie Garst, who had an initial touch knocked down. However, the Belmont (1-4-1) attacker was able to regain possession and squib a shot into an open net as Woodall was beaten off her line. 

IUPUI pulled even late in the first half when McNally got forward from her defensive spot on a corner kick and put away her second score of her career. Wurth played the corner into danger and Pursey slid the ball to the far side, where McNally ripped a shot off Belmont keeper Lily Herman's hands and inside the far post. 

The second half belonged to the IUPUI attack as the Jaguars outshot Belmont 13-4 after the break and controlled possession for the majority of the 45 minutes. The go-ahead goal came in the 47th minute when junior Miranda Ricks played a corner kick inside the six-yard box, forcing Herman to punch it away. The ball sprung to Pursey, who sent the ball into traffic towards Bueckers, who then poked a shot easily past Herman. 

The third score came in the 67th minute when Wurth sent a quick throw-in to Lacognato, who rocketed a shot from the top of the 18 just inside the post for her team-high third goal of the season. 

IUPUI finished with a 24-14 shot advantage as Pursey and Lacognato combined on 10 attempts. Both Woodall and Lipka finished with three saves each while Herman had six stops in the loss. Niki Clements led the Belmont attack with three shot attempts off the bench. 

Friday's game was the first-ever meeting between the two schools in women's soccer and head coach Chris Johnson collected his 199th collegiate victory with the win. 

IUPUI will cap the weekend at Valparaiso on Sunday (Sept. 15) as that match will kickoff at 1:00 p.m. Central (2 Eastern) on ESPN3.