EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Indiana Women’s Soccer team (8-7-1, 3-5 Big Ten) picked up a huge win on the road at Michigan State (8-6-2, 2-5-1 Big Ten) on Sunday by a score of 2-1 in overtime. Abby Smith took the cross from Rebecca Candler and headed home the game-winner, her second game-winning goal of the week.

 

“We had a number of chances early in the overtime period but put a couple of the shots over the goal,” Indiana head coach Mick Lyon said. “But we continued to put pressure on them and Candler made a great move to get open and made a perfect pass to find Abby at the back post and she put it home.”

 

The Hoosiers have now won three of their last four games in Big Ten play to get to 3-5 in conference play with three games remaining.

 

It was a very windy day at DeMartin Stadium and Michigan State took advantage of being with the wind in the first half, outshooting Indiana 10-2, and taking a 1-0 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Hoosiers then took the wind advantage in the second half and outshot the Spartans, 8-5. But in the overtime periods, Indiana outshot MSU 4-2, and 2-1, before Abby Smith’s game-winner.

 

The Spartans scored first at 18:12 off a corner kick as Sarah Stone bobbled the served ball into the box by Olivia Stander and Allyson Krause pounced on it from a yard out for her fourth goal of the year.

 

Michigan State held that 1-0 lead until the 60:10 mark of the game when the Hoosiers earned one of their eight corner kicks in the game. Abby Smith sent the ball into the box and it appeared to be going towards the front post but was deflected over everyone rushing to the front post and Lara Ross was waiting in the middle of the 6-yard box to put home her first goal of the season, tying the game at 1-1. It is the first goal for Ross since her freshman season when she had two goals.

 

Neither team was able to get the go-ahead goal over the final 30 minutes so the game moved to overtime. In the first overtime session, Abby Smith had a wide open header attempt sail just over the crossbar that would have won the game. The Hoosiers continued to pressure the MSU goal but could not find the back of net so a second overtime period was needed.

 

At 102:38 – just 2:38 into the second OT – Rebecca Candler took a throw-in on the right side just inside the 18-yard box and made a great move to get open with her left foot. She chipped the ball towards the back post where Smith was waiting to head it inside the left post for her third goal of the season and second this week. She also had the game-winning goal in the Hoosiers 3-0 win on Thursday against Purdue. Overall, it is her third game-winning goal of the season as she also had the winning marker against Missouri State earlier in the year.

 

For Candler, she now has nine assists on the year to set a new single-season record at Indiana. The four assists in Big Ten play is tied for the most in a single-season by an Indiana player along with Emily Hotz (2001), Tracy Grose (1998) and Carrie Watts (1998).

 

Sarah Stone made the start in goal and allowed the lone MSU goal in the first half while making four saves. Shannon Flower replaced her in goal to start the second half and made two saves while not allowing a goal in the second half and overtime to pick up the win.

 

Indiana will now play its final three regular season games at home starting on Friday against Minnesota at 5:00 p.m. ET as part of a double-header with the IU Men’s soccer team, who will play at 7:30 p.m.