ROCHESTER, Mich. - The IUPUI women's soccer team upset No. 3 seeded Oakland in the quarterfinals round of the Horizon League Tournament on Sunday (Oct. 30) by a 2-0 score, earning a matchup with top-seeded Milwaukee on the road on Thursday (Nov. 3). The Jaguars rode a nearly flawless blueprint, getting an early goal and using a bend but don't break defense to notch a school record 11th shutout of the season. The Jaguars would tack on some insurance early in the second half to collect their first road win at Oakland since the 2008 season. 

Junior Emma Antoine made the most of her first start of the season with a goal and an assist and freshman Sarah Henson collected the game-winner in the 12th minute. IUPUI (9-3-6) was outshot by a wide 19-4 margin, but generated enough offense in the counter to secure the win. The two goals came against a defense that had yielded just nine scores in 18 games and had yielded more than one goal in a game just one time prior this season. 

"We had a game plan that was kind of a high risk, high reward type game plan to not let them build out of the back and I thought we did a good job of stifling some things they wanted to do," head coach Chris Johnson said. "(Karabo Dhlamini), their defensive mid had really kind of dominated some games this year, so we moved Sam back into her space and Sam kind of shut her down.

"I thought the kids did an unbelievable job of just buying into the plan and making sure that we were all on the same page."

As both IUPUI and Oakland have struggled to score during the regular season, head coach Chris Johnson rolled the dice and opted for a better attacking group with Antoine getting her first start of the year and Henson returning to the starting group for the first time since Oct. 1. The move paid immediate dividends as the two connected on the game's first goal. Antoine played Maya Lacognato forward and the Jaguars' top striker drew a myriad of attention. She laid the ball off to Henson to cap a lengthy run and the freshman attacker pinged a shot off the inside of the left post and into the net for her second tally of the season. 

IUPUI maintained a 1-0 lead at halftime, despite being outshot 7-2 in the opening stanza. 

The Jaguars tacked on some insurance in the 51st minute when Sam Slimak got free on the right side and delivered a cross, just over the head of OU goalkeeper Noemi Stadelmann. The ball eluded Stadelmann and fell to Antoine on the doorstep, allowing the speedy IUPUI striker to tally her sixth score of the year. 

From there, IUPUI was content to keep numbers behind the ball and weather a storm of Oakland attempts. Maya Turner and Kailyn Smith helped keep things clean in front of Kudlo, while Johnson also shuffled bodies across the back line with Makenna Collins, Abbie Schad, Alex Stocker and Abbey Renner also playing key minutes. 

Oakland outshot the Jags 12-2 after halftime and had a handful of key chances go by the boards. Most notably, OU's Alexa Sabbagh had a shot hit off the post and roll across the endline before Collins cleared the ball away in the 81st minute. Moments early, OU's Jayna Fraser got free inside the IUPUI box, but misfired high of target. 

Kudlo was impressive, finishing with eight saves for her sixth shutout of the season. The Jaguars conceded possession to a nearly 2-to-1 ratio as Oakland controlled the ball for 63 percent of the match. However, 

"I'm beyond proud of this team. The energy was there from the start and kept rising throughout the entire game," Lacognato said. "Everyone who stepped on the field had a huge impact. We played for each other and followed the gameplan, which was very important. 

"Oakland is a very good team, so lots of credit to them, but we really wanted to make a statement and that's what we did."

IUPUI will return to action on Thursday (Nov. 3) at top-seeded Milwaukee in the semifinals round of the tournament. That contest will be broadcast on ESPN+.