MACOMB, Ill. - The IUPUI women's soccer team closed out its non-conference slate on Sunday (Sept. 12) with a 4-1 road loss at former league foe Western Illinois. The Jaguars struck first with a first half tally, but the hosts tied the game by halftime and scored three unanswered in the second half to roll to the win.
Junior
Maya Lacognato netted her second goal of the year off an assist from senior goalkeeper
AP Woodall, but Western Illinois (5-2) got a pair of goals from Amy Andrews in the win.
IUPUI (1-5-1) grabbed the early lead in the 18th minute when Lacognato got on the receiving end of a longball from Woodall and put a shot pat WIU goalkeeper Megan Rasmussen. It marked IUPUI's first shot attempt of the game and its lone attempt of the first half.
Western Illinois drew even in the 27th minute when Amy Andrews took an assist from Bridget Schuler and netted the equalizer.
Things stayed even for much of the second half and IUPUI missed chances in the 52nd minute when
Elizabeth Bueckers had an initial attempt stopped by WIU goalkeeper Isabel Navas Rodriguez and then had a rebound attempt go wide of target. The Jaguars continued to press, but gave up the winner when they were unable to clear a ball from inside the penalty area and Carolina Gomes ultimately pushed a shot past Woodall from amongst a scrum in the 64th minute.
Andrews added insurance in the 77th minute when she took a Jenna Lundgren assist and tallied her sixth goal of the year. Lundgren slammed the door shut when she converted a PK after a Western player was fouled inside the box.
IUPUI got late shot attempts from
Cassie Rodriguez,
Emma Antoine and
Renae Blevins, but was unable to scratch in the closing minutes.
WIU finished with a 16-7 shot advantage and 7-1 margin on corner kicks. Andrews had four shot attempts all on target, and two others fired three times at Woodall. Bueckers and Lacognato had two shots apiece for the Jaguars.
Woodall finished with six saves in the loss.
IUPUI will open Horizon League play on Thursday, Sept. 16 at 6:00 p.m. at Cleveland State. That match is slated to be aired on ESPN+.