MILWAUKEE, Wis. – After battling a rain delay to start the game and then having to finish the game with just 10 players, the Indiana Women’s Soccer team (3-0) had more than enough offense to defeat UW-Milwaukee by a score of 3-1 at Engelmann Stadium.

 

With two road wins already on the season, it is already the most road victories in a season since the Hoosiers had three wins on the road in 2010.

 

“I was very proud of the way that we responded and came together as a team after Milwaukee got a goal early,” Indiana head coach Amy Berbary said. “We were able to get two goals before the end of the first half, with the one that we scored just before halftime to take the lead really being the difference maker. But Milwaukee is a very good team with a dominant attack, so to come away with a win on their field is a positive sign for us.”

 

Sophomore Kayleigh Steigerwalt had the best statistical game of her young IU career, scoring her first collegiate goal and being credited with her first career assist in the winning effort. Senior Lisa Nouanesengsy matched Steigerwalt’s output with a goal and an assist on her ledger as well. Rounding out the scoring was Rebecca Candler with a goal and Bekah White with her first assist of the year.

 

Senior Shannon Flower allowed her first goal of the year but made two saves to pick up the win in goal for Indiana.

 

The Panthers (0-3) got onto the scoreboard first with a goal in the 17^th minute to take the 1-0 lead.

 

The Hoosiers were not able to respond until the 35^th minute when White got the ball in the middle and sent it out wide to Steigerwalt, who beat her defender and then finished it inside the near post to tie the game at 1-1.

 

Then in the 43^rd minute, Steigerwalt was back at it on the attack but this time it was her shot that was saved by the Milwaukee keeper and fell to the foot of Nouanesengsy, who finished it off for her second goal of the year and the 15^th of her career to put Indiana ahead, 2-1. Nouanesengsy now sits alone in ninth place on the all-time goals scored list at Indiana.

 

In the second half, the Hoosiers continued the attack and were able to give themselves some breathing room when Candler was on the receiving end of a tremendous thru ball by Nouanesengsy that beat both central defenders for UWM and put Candler in on goal, 1v1 on the keeper. Candler’s touch from 12 yards out eluded the UWMkeeper to put IU ahead for good, 3-1.

 

“I think we proved a lot to night, battling through some adversity,” Candler said after the game. “They were able to get the first goal but we didn’t hang our head or lose focus. We regrouped, came together as a team and found a way to come back and get the result.”

 

The final 20 minutes did not go by quietly when Veronica Ellis was issued a straight red card, forcing Indiana to play the remainder of the game at an 11-on-10 disadvantage. But the defense was strong and a team effort as they kept the Panthers attack at bay to preserve the victory.

 

Indiana will return to action at 1 p.m. ET at Loyola-Chicago, a team that hasn’t played a game since last Sunday.