Racers fall 3-0, remain above .500
Story by Mark McFarland, Contributing writer
Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis proved to be too much for the Racers as the soccer team finished with a 3-0 defeat on Sept. 20.
Head Coach Jeremy Groves was not proud of how the players came into the game.
“There wasn’t really a lot to take out of it,” Groves said. “Kind of flat out we just didn’t show up, which I think was the most disappointing thing from my end.”
This tough performance came after an amazing weekend where the team earned two shutout wins in front of the home crowd.
Though the Racers led the first half in shots 7-3 it was a tough half, as the Racers could not convert any of these opportunities. Harriet Withers, sophomore from Murwilumbah, Australia, led the team with three shots in the first half as neither the Racers or IUPUI could score.
In the second half it did not take long for IUPUI to reach the board when senior midfielder and forward Grace Perkowitz hit the back of the net in the 58th minute.
Shortly after, IUPUI struck again with the goal scored by sophomore forward Krissy Kirkhoff to put the score at 2-0.
IUPUI then added a third goal scored by junior forward Tori Minnich to seal the victory in the 86th minute in the game.
The game was played on turf and the Racers are unfamiliar with playing on that surface type. Taylor Stevens senior from Fort Wayne, Indiana, said the ball bounces a lot more and the pace of play is different. She said the ball is also a lot harder to get down the field.
The Racers started conference play on Thursday against Eastern Kentucky.
“This is the exciting part,” Stevens said. “The part were we can win championships and stuff like that so, to get a win and be 1-0 in conference would be really nice.”
Not much will change as the team prepares for the game this week by continuing to focus on the little things.
Groves said he is putting a lot more emphasis on the strikers making crisper runs and winning 50-50 balls could be the key to success.
The Racers return home at 1 p.m. Sunday at Cutchin Field, to take on St. Louis University during Family Weekend.