BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A strong combination of offense and defense proved to be a strong formula for success on Sunday for the Indiana Women’s Soccer team at Bill Armstrong Stadium, as they came away with a 5-0 win against Eastern Kentucky. Senior Lisa Nouanesengsy scored three times for IU, the third time in her career she has posted that many goals in a single game to extend her Indiana record in that category.

 

The win improves the Hoosiers record to 5-0-1 on the year and it is the fifth shutout of the year and the third straight. Indiana senior goalkeeper Shannon Flower and the defenders in  front of her have an active shutout streak of 363:46 minutes.

 

“We talked about having composure in and around the box, it has been a problem for us the past three games, in terms of getting our shots on frame,” Indiana head coach Amy Berbary said. “Today we were able to compose ourselves and found the back of the net.”

 

Once again, Indiana dominated the run of play, outshooting the Colonels, 28-4 in the match, with 13 of those 28 shots being on goal. The Hoosiers also drew six corners in the match to just two for EKU (0-5-1).

 

The first goal of the game was almost a carbon copy of Friday’s game-winning goal against Eastern Michigan, with Kayleigh Steigerwalt serving the corner into the box and Jessie Bujouves getting her head on it to find the back of the net in the sixth minute. It was the second goal of the year for Bujouves and the third assist of the season for Steigerwalt.

 

 “Jessie has done a great job in practice for us and earned her way into the starting lineup and she proved it this weekend by having two game-winning goals, both coming on set pieces,” Berbary said.

 

From there, it became the Lisa Nouanesengsy show, as she tallied the next three goals for the Hoosiers. First she received a cross from Rebecca Candler in the eighth minute andgot enough on it to get it by the EKU keeper for the goal. It was Candler’s second assist of the season and the 13^th of her career, tying her with Carly Samp for 7^th on the career list at IU.

 

“So many players of our players have stepped up at different times this season to score goals or assists. Lisa is the engine that makes us go, but today she was on a different level.”

 

Nouanesengsy’s second goal came via penalty kick in the 50^th minute that was awarded following a hand ball foul by EKU in the box.  She is now 2-for-2 on PK’s in her career, and this time it put the Hoosiers ahead, 3-0.

 

She wrapped up the hat trick in the 58^th minute, this time with Bujouves finding her in the box and she beat the keeper to the far post for her fifth goal of the season.

 

Just over a minute later, Candler got in on the goal scoring action when she was on the receiving end of a crossing pass from Monica Melink and easily beat the EKU keeper to provide the final margin of victory, 5-0. For Candler, it was her second goal of the year and seventh of her career, while Melink racked up her third assist of the season on the play.

 

Flower made two saves in goal to earn her fifth shutout of the season and the seventh of her career, tying her for sixth place on the career shutouts list at Indiana.

 

Through the first six games of the year, Indiana has allowed just one goal, which sets a new school record. The 5-0-1 start is also the second-best team record through the first six games of the season, trailing on the 2009 season when the Hoosiers started 6-0-0.

 

Indiana will return to action on Friday, Sept. 13, when they host St. John’s at 6 p.m. ET at Armstrong Stadium as part of the Hoosier Classic. Joining Indiana and St. John’s for the weekend will be Central Michigan and Ohio State. The Hoosiers will play Central Michigan on Sunday, Sept. 15, and will not play Ohio State.