INDIANAPOLIS - The IU Indianapolis women's soccer team dropped a 3-2 home decision to perennial Horizon League powerhouse Milwaukee on Saturday (Sept. 19) as the visiting Panthers found the game-winner in the 85th minute. Junior
Keilah Muldrow tallied twice for the Jaguars, but the Milwaukee attack outshot the hosts 17-10 and finished with an 11-2 advantage in corner kicks.
Milwaukee's (3-4-2, 1-0 HL) Maya Wilson tallied the game-winner in the 85th minute off a nifty combination, resulting in a shot past IU Indy keeper
Gwen Eiler. Despite yielding three scores, Eiler had a strong showing between the pipes, finishing with five saves, including stopping a penalty kick in the first half.
"I think that we played with a bunch of heart, we kind of, this is probably our hardest opponent, we know how to approach the rest of the conference," Muldrow said. "I think this, even though it's a loss, it sets the tone for how much more we have in store for the rest of the games."
"We had great effort. We put together a good 80 minutes, had a lapse, but that's something that's correctable. Knowing that Milwaukee is a standard bearer in the Horizon League for how many years now, we went head-to-head, toe-to-toe. We were right there with them, neck and neck. (I'm) proud of their effort and knowing that everything that we did in the non-conference schedule prepared us for this," head coach
Angela Berry White said. "Without that non-conference schedule, we're not ready to meet a team like this in our conference, but we're right there, and I think just by our efforts today, it showed."
The Jaguars (2-5-2, 0-1 HL) operate from the catbird seat almost immediately as Muldrow snuck in behind the Milwaukee backs off a gorgeous ball from
Lindsey Castillo. Given time and space, Muldrow angled a shot just inside the far post for the game's first goal in just the fourth minute.
Milwaukee drew even on a Denise Camarena finish in the 19th minute, only to see Muldrow tally again in the 28th minute. This time,
Annaliese Black sent a corner kick to
Maci Sammons on the back post. Sammons centered the ball to Muldrow, who redirected a nifty back heel for her fourth score of the season. Milwaukee's Abby O'Brien knotted the score in the 42nd minute when the Jaguars were unable to clear a Sadbh Griffin corner kick, resulting in O'Brien's volley score.
After the wild first half closed at 2-2, the second half saw both teams settle in with possession and shot attempts far more even. However, a late lapse allowed the Panthers to get the final tally of the day as Wilson snuck loose after a throw-in deep in IU Indy territory.
Muldrow finished with a game-high four shot attempts as she hunted the hat trick after halftime. Freshman
Madeline Chappa had a pair of attempts from her midfield spot.
Ashlyn Skinner-Barrett and Taylor Richards had a team-high three shots apiece for the Panthers while Milwaukee keeper Lauren Nidey made three saves in the win.
The Jaguars will return to action when they host Wright State on Thursday (Sept. 24) at 7:00 p.m. at Carroll Stadium.
