CHICAGO  – The Indiana women’s soccer team (3-0-1) held a 20-8 edge in shots against the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers but neither team was able to find the goal as the game ended in a 0-0 draw at Loyola Soccer Park. IU’s senior goalkeeper Shannon Flower made four saves in the game to preserver her third shutout in four games so far this season.

 

“It was one of those games where we were not able to finish, no matter how many good opportunities we created,” Indiana head coach Amy Berbary said. “Loyola had a good gameplan coming into the game but we just couldn’t find a goal so we will continue to work on that in practice this week.”

 

The draw keeps the Hoosiers undefeated through the first four games of the season for the first time since 2009 when IU started 6-0-0. Overall, it is just the fifth time in school history that Indiana has been undefeated through the first four games of the season (1994, 1998, 2000, 2009). The 2009 season was also the last time that IU allowed just one goal through its first four contests.

 

Besides the big advantage in shots, the Hoosiers also drew six corner kicks to just one for Loyola and forced Loyola keeper Monica Gonyo to make seven saves in the contest.

 

“We stayed strong in the back on defense and Shannon played a very strong game once again in goal,” senior defender Lara Ross said. “We just have to capitalize on our chances when we get them. But we showed are fit enough to play beyond 90 minutes and we are very happy that we have only allowed one goal so far this season and we will keep building off that.”

 

In the first half Kayleigh Steigerwalt had a shot from 25 yards out that hit the crossbar, Tori Keller’s shot from just outside the box forced the Loyola keeper to make a diving save and Rebecca Candler had a shot around the six-yard box but sailed it over the goal to send the teams into halftime tied, 0-0.

 

The second half, Indiana continued its pressure on the Loyola goal with Candler hitting the post on a cross by Bekah White and Steigerwalt’s shot from six yards out saved by the Loyola keeper with 15 minutes left in the game.

 

Loyola mounted one last charge at the IU goal late in regulation, when a long free kick was sent into the box but Flower deflected it over the goal and then negated the last second corner kick by the Ramblers to send the contest to overtime.

 

Three minutes into the first overtime session, Steigerwalt once again sent a ball into the box and found an open teammate but the ball ultimately did not cross the line. Then late in the first overtime period, Candler had her service just sail high of the crossbar before before Loyola took a shot from long range that had a chance to go in but Flower was able to punch it over the crossbar to send it to a second extra session.

 

In the second overtime session, Monica Melink and Lisa Nouanesengsy teamed up to threaten the Loyola goal but Melink’s header was saved by a Rambler defender on the line. A couple minutes later, Melink found Candler in on goal but her shot was saved once again by the Loyola keeper to keep the game scoreless.

 

The last time Indiana played a scoreless draw was on Aug. 31, 2012, at UC Santa Barbara.

 

After playing three of its first four games on the road to start the year, Indiana will now return to the friendly confines of Bill Armstrong Stadium for the next six games, starting on Friday, Sept. 6 against Eastern Michigan at 6 p.m. ET.