YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - The IU Indianapolis women's soccer team had its three-game winning streak come to a halt at Youngstown State on Sunday (Oct. 25) as the Jaguars fell to the host Penguins, 2-1. Senior
Megan Swift scored off a
Caroline Kelley assist late in the first half to account for the Jaguars' offense for the day.
"It's a tough loss. We didn't play well. We had some great opportunities but couldn't finish," head coach
Angela Berry White said. "It's hard to win on the road in this league. But we split on this trip and now it's in our hands. If we win at home Friday, we accomplish one of our goals and that's to make the conference tournament.
"We scored a goal today and that gives us 11 in our last four league games and the last time we did that was nine years ago. The process continues."
Youngstown State (5-9-5, 5-2-3 HL) clinched a spot in the upcoming Horizon League Tournament with the win as both teams were jockeying for a postseason berth. The Penguins scored the game's first goal, thanks in part to a VAR review. YSU's Kamryn Rosa and IU Indy defender
Katie Hoog converged on a 50-50 ball inside Jaguar territory with the ball shooting forward to Sara Felder. Felder, who was originally ruled offsides, slid a shot past
Isabel Oferosky inside the right post in the 31st minute.
Officials went to the replay while Hoog was being attended to, ultimately resulting in an overturned call and the game's first tally.
Swift answered in the 35th minute, getting into space off a pass from Kelley. The Chicago State-transfer had options to each side, but opted to fire on frame, lacing a long range shot off the post and over the endline for her first collegiate score in her 38th career game.
YSU regained the lead in the 49th minute, beginning with a free kick roughly 24 yards from goal. Elena Zuchowski served the restart deep into Jaguar territory where Kate Makkas redirecting a header past Oferosky for her second score of the year.
The Jaguars (7-9-2, 5-5 HL) best scoring chances of the second half came primarily from
Keilah Muldrow as the speedy forward was able to get in space on more than one occasion, but missed wide of target in the 54th and 68th minutes.
Muldrow finished with a team-high four shot attempts while
Lindsey Castillo and
Madeline Chappa had two apiece. Oferosky made six saves in goal and also saw
Elle Blessinger clear a ball off the endline for a critical stop midway through the second half.
With the loss, the Jaguars cling to the No. 6 spot in the Horizon League standings and will host Northern Illinois on Friday, Oct. 30 at 2:00 p.m. on ESPN+.
