INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Maya Wilson scored the game-winning goal in the 85
th minute to send the Milwaukee women's soccer team to a thrilling 3-2 victory over IU Indy Saturday afternoon from Carroll Stadium.
"That was a hard-fought conference road match," head coach
Kevin Boyd said. "And it was hot, so it was a battle. I thought their team played well. They got on us early, got a goal in the first five minutes."
The Panthers (3-4-2, 1-0-0 Horizon League) came back against the Jaguars (2-5-2, 0-0-1 Horizon League) twice on what was a very hot day – with temperatures in the upper-80's and the heat index in the 90's – to claim the victory in the first match of the Horizon League regular season for each team.
"I didn't think it was pretty," Boyd said of the result. "I thought it was ugly and I thought we made too many mistakes. But at the same time, we found a way to go on the road, grind, and dig out a win. It shows that we've been in the fire during our non-conference because we just kept responding. They got a goal. We responded. They got a goal. We responded. And then second half, we tightened up our defense and held them out and found a way to get the only goal of the second half."
Wilson played hero when she found herself open on the wing following a combination of passes from
Ashlyn Skinner-Barrett and
Emily Petring, calmly finishing for her first of the season at the 84:17 mark to give Milwaukee its first lead of the day.
The victory also extends a long streak for the program, with the team's unbeaten streak in regular-season league games – dating back to the 2022 campaign – now up to an impressive 40 (32-0-8) straight.
"Happy with the team," Boyd said. "Proud of what they did on the day. Now, we'll just keep growing and are happy to get our three points and go home."
The day started out challenging for the Panthers when IU Indy took advantage of a long ball over the top to net the first goal of the match just 3:58 into the day.
The team responded well, finding an equalizer at the 18:42 mark when
Denise Camarena one-timed a crossing pass from
Sadbh Griffin past the keeper for her first goal as a Panther.
Skinner-Barrett nearly made it 2-1 in the 23
rd minute, sending one off the crossbar. The ball caromed straight down and nearly crossed the goal line before spinning back into play and the match went on at 1-1.
The Jaguars then found a second goal in the 28
th minute, with Kellah Muldrow using a backheel touch off a corner kick for her second of the day to make it 2-1 in favor of the home team.
Milwaukee had a chance to draw even again in the 33
rd minute, only to see a save of a penalty-kick opportunity keep the deficit at one.
Taylor Richards also had a great look in the 34
th, sending her own shot attempt that was blocked back on target – but an impressive stop by the keeper prevented the score.
The Panthers then took advantage of a corner kick of their own – one of 11 on the afternoon – to pull even at 2-2. Griffin's kick was deflected by the defense first but went right to
Abby O'Brien who slotted it home at the 41:23 mark to once again make it a new game.
The second half did not feature as many quality scoring chances either way, with Skinner-Barrett's near miss in an attempt to chip the keeper in the 58
th minute the most opportunistic look before Wilson's late winner.
Kennedy Flord started the final play with a throw-in, where Petring immediately one-touched it to Skinner-Barrett. She found Wilson on the other side of the field and she did the rest.
The defense then closed out the final five-plus minutes, with
Lauren Nidey beating a Jaguar to a final through ball opportunity with under 40 seconds remaining in regulation to stomp out the final threat. Nidey ended the match with three total saves.
On the day, Milwaukee finished with advantages of 17-10 in total shots, 8-5 in shots on goal, and 11-2 in corner kicks. Skinner-Barrett and Richards each recorded a team-high three shots. Griffin finished with a pair of assists.
Up next, the Panthers will be back home to continue Horizon League play, hosting a pair of games next week. The first will be a matchup against Oakland Thursday, set for a 6 p.m. kickoff.
