BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana women’s soccer team (10-2-1, 3-2 B1G) fell behind early but rose to the occasion, tying the game before halftime and then exploding for a pair of goals early in the second half on their way to a 3-2 win against Illinois (6-5-2, 1-3-1 Big Ten) at Bill Armstrong Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

 

Jordan Woolums registered her first career two-goal game while Rebecca Candler had two assists and Kayleigh Steigerwalt collected a goal and an assist for the Hoosiers. Shannon Flower made four saves in goal to pick up the win.

 

The 3-2 start to Big Ten play is the best for Indiana since they started 4-0-1 in conference action during the 2007 season. The 10 wins on the year is the most since the 2009 season.

 

“We did a good job. We pushed very hard in the first half after we started off slow,” Indiana head coach Amy Berbary said. “Steigerwalt had a great service into the box and Jordan was waiting to put it home. It was something that we really needed before halftime to give us some momentum.”

 

Illinois took advantage of some very wet conditions to start the game, putting a shot in on goal that Flower saved. But when the ball skipped away from her, the Illini pounced on it take a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute.

 

The Hoosiers pressured the Illinois a number of times in the first half but saw their opportunities slip away. Then in the 41^st minute, Bekah White found Steigerwalt all alone down the left sideline and played her into the corner. Steigerwalt took a couple touches and then served a ball into the box where Jordan Woolums was waiting, unmarked, and she headed it inside the far post for the goal to tie the game at 1-1. It was the second goal of the season for Woolums, fifth assist for Steigerwalt and third assist for White.

 

Indiana used that momentum from the goal just before halftime to start the second half strong. In the 50^th minute, Rebecca Candler found Steigerwalt in the middle of the field. After trapping the ball, she spun by a defender and entered the left side of the box before striking a shot that got by the diving Illini keeper and inside the far post to put the Hoosiers ahead, 2-1. The goal for Steigerwalt was her fourth while Candler logged her fifth assist of the year.

 

Less than four minutes later, the Hoosiers struck again. This time Candler found Woolums up the right sideline and Woolums broke into the box behind the Illinois defense. She dribbled in on goal and fired a quick shot over the head of the keeper inside the near post to give the Hoosiers a two-goal lead at 3-1.

 

After a pair of assists on Sunday, Candler now has 17 career helpers to move into a tie for second place on the career assists list at Indiana. She also has nine career assists in Big Ten play, which is a new school record.

 

The Hoosiers will return to the pitch on Saturday when they host Iowa at 6 p.m. ET.