With 1:09 remaining in the second overtime, frustration turned to joy for the Wolverines. Freshman Emily Schmitt scored to give the Michigan women's soccer team an exhilarating 1-0 victory over Indiana yesterday afternoon.
Schmitt's goal earned the Wolverines (1-1 Big Ten, 4-2-2 overall) their first conference victory of the season. They lost 2-0 to Ohio State in their Big Ten opener on Friday.
Yesterday's win was the Wolverines' third in the Big Ten in the three-year history of the program, with one of the previous two also coming at the expense of the Hoosiers (1-1, 4-4).
The winning goal developed when sophomore forward Jessica Limauro got a free ball. After an Indiana defender left Schmitt to double-team Limauro, the forward fed the ball to a wide-open Schmitt in front of the box. Schmitt promptly drilled the ball in upper-right corner of the net, and the Wolverines held off the Hoosiers for the remainder of the second overtime period.
Schmitt's goal ended what had been a frustrating afternoon of missed opportunities for a Michigan offense that outshot Indiana, 36-8.
"It was amazing, seriously, it was like the best feeling," Schmitt said. "I had chances in the game. Actually, the whole team had chances, but I personally had a lot of chances. I felt we outplayed them through the whole game, and it was nice to finally get a goal, and get the victory."
With the victory, the Wolverines avoided a third consecutive tie at Michigan Soccer Field. Michigan played both No. 22 Kentucky and a solid California team to 2-2 ties last weekend.
"We didn't want to end up with that third tie in a row at home," Michigan coach Debbie Belkin said. "We're creating opportunities, and last week we said we almost did it, but now we had our chances and we did it."
The Michigan offense created many opportunities throughout the game, especially in the second half and overtime periods.
Michigan's best scoring chance in the first half came when a Wolverine headed a corner into the crossbar. Several other opportunities were thwarted by Indiana goalkeeper Meritt Elzey who made 13 saves, as well as an aggressive and physical Indiana defense.
While Indiana could muster just two first-half shots, both were from well inside the box and in front of Michigan goaltender Jessica Jones.
Despite coming out and equaling Indiana's physicalness in the second half, the Wolverines' offensive frustrations continued.
The best opportunity of the half came when the Wolverines could not convert on another header in front of the net, as the ball deflected off an Indiana defender and away from the goal.
Defensively, Michigan's second goalie of the game, Jori Welchans, stopped everything that came her way.
The first overtime was marked by controversy rather than scoring opportunities, as Indiana coach Joe Kelly and sophomore defender Nicole Porter were ejected during the period.
Both had previously received yellow cards, when Porter was given a red card following her second foul. Porter and Kelly were ejected when Kelly apparently told Porter to stay on the field in protest. Kelly also felt that time should have been stopped after a red card.
As for the soccer action, neither team could put together much of an attack.
The second overtime was highlighted by a flurry of Michigan attacks against a winded and clearly defensive Indiana team, finally culminating with Schmitt's goal.
The victory did not come without a cost for the Wolverines, however. Freshman midfielder Stephanie McArdle went down in the second half with a possible hyperextended knee, and freshman midfielder Jen Stahl aggravated recurring soreness in her knee earlier in the game.
Like most Big Ten games, this one proved to be physical.
"The difference between the Ohio State game and this game is we weren't physical against Ohio State and they were all over us," Belkin said. "(Today) we just bunkered down and just fought back and I was pretty pleased with that."
Michigan's 2-0 loss to Ohio State (1-1, 7-2) on Friday in Columbus, Ohio, ended the Wolverine's five game unbeaten streak.
In sharp contrast to the Indiana game, the Buckeyes shutdown the Michigan offense, outshooting the Wolverines, 17-3. None of Michigan's shots were on goal.
Ohio State midfielder Becky Borchers put the Buckeyes ahead for good when she scored from the middle of the penalty box on a long pass from defender Jennifer Plante at 23:00.
Midfielder Katy Traeger headed in the other Buckeye goal ten minutes later off a cross from midfielder Jodie Stranges.
The Wolverines next travel to Seattle to take on the Washington Huskies on Friday at 6 p.m.
MARGARET MYERS/Daily
Freshman Mari Hoff and the Wolverines avoided Indiana defenders long enough to win in the second overtime yesterday, 1-0. Michigan is now 1-1 in the Big Ten.