INDIANAPOLIS - On a brisk Saturday morning Senior Day at Carroll Stadium, the IUPUI Jaguars women's soccer team defeated Youngstown State 1-0 for its first win—and goal—since October 10. Junior forward Maya Lacognato was the hero, scoring in the 85th minute to help IUPUI to a 4-10-3 record (3-5-2 HL). Senior goalkeeper AP Woodall recorded her fourth straight shutout, one of the longest such streaks in program history.
 
Youngstown State now drops to 2-10-5 (2-4-4 HL) and has gone two games without a goal.
 
"One thing we did was move Autumn Weeks up into the midfield," head coach Chris Johnson explained about his team's emphasis on offense. "That gave us a little more punch in terms of the ability to win the ball in that space. We worked a lot on shooting, crossing and finishes, combinations up top, and the players did a great job today being unselfish."
 
The Jaguars' first chance came on a fourth-minute corner kick from Renae Blevins, followed shortly by their first official shot attempt from Elizabeth Bueckers. Penguins defenders were in position to knock down the first chance, while Bueckers missed the net.
 
Youngstown State countered in the eighth minute when Abriana Rondin broke into the penalty area with a head of steam and an open look. Her shot missed wide left, much to the chagrin of away fans in the stadium. IUPUI came close in the 11^th minute, but keeper Brooklyn Kirkpatrick snared Paige Waskom's cross attempt before it could reach Bueckers.
 
The Jaguars made their first substitutions in the 26th minute, deploying Alex Stocker and Emma Antoine in relief of Blevins and Alex Bond. Waskom tested Kirkpatrick two minutes later, and Jessica Jacobs tried again in the 33rd minute from outside the box. Youngstown State's goalkeeper was up to the task.
 
Both teams swapped a number of personnel in the waning moments of the first half. Antoine came tantalizingly close to ending IUPUI's goal drought in the 42nd minute, chipping a loose ball past a diving Kirkpatrick, but a Penguins defender managed to clear the ball on the goal line to preserve the deadlock.
 
"It was frustrating for sure," Johnson said about the missed chance. "We created some very good opportunities, but couldn't just quite put it away. Very proud of the players for just continuing to plug away and to keep at it."
 
LaVigna had the first chance of the second half for Youngstown State, but her 47th minute attempt went wide. The Jaguars quickly countered upfield, and Blevins fired a shot off a visiting defender for a corner kick. IUPUI's bench was irate about a hard tackle that went uncalled, and the first corner led to a second, but no goal.

Weeks received a yellow card in the 50th minute, but the Jaguars kept pressing. Bueckers came within inches of paydirt three minutes later as her high shot ricocheted off the crossbar, but the score remained 0-0. Woodall made her first save of the game in the 55th minute on Root.
 
In the 74th minute, Lacognato sped up the left side, pressuring Youngstown State's back line before passing towards the middle. Hannah Roberson tried for goal, but her shot was down the middle and easily saved by Kirkpatrick. Nonetheless, the play gave Lacognato an idea, one that she executed about 10 minutes later.
 
The Jaguars goal drought finally ended as Lacognato drove to the net with Waskom and Blevins. Waskom's cross-crease pass was true, and Lacognato tapped it past Kirkpatrick to ensure that IUPUI would not face a third straight 0-0 tie.
 
"Paige [Waskom] crossed it, and I was like: all you've got to do is just tap it in," said Lacognato about her critical play. "Kept my composure, and that's what happened."
 
Blevins had the chance to make it 2-0 in the 87th minute but elected to pass, allowing Youngstown State to intercept. In any case, the Penguins couldn't muster much offense in the game's final moments.
 
Afterwards, the IUPUI Jaguars honored their five academic seniors on the field: Woodall, Blevins, Bueckers, Ciena Miller and Emily McGrath.
 
"I'm honestly just proud that I called [IUPUI] home," said Woodall. "I couldn't have done any of these accomplishments without my team. They're half the reason it happened."
 
IUPUI will conclude the regular season with a vital matchup against UIC on October 27 on the road. Only a victory will keep their Horizon League Tournament aspirations alive. That contest will be broadcast on ESPN+.