University of Minnesota Athletics
Thursday, September 24
Bloomington, IN
6:30 PM
University of Minnesota
6-2-2, 2-1-1
2
at
1
Indiana
4-5-1, 1-3-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Indiana | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Photo by: Brady Paitrick
Second Half Strikes Push Gophers Past Indiana, 2-1
9/24/2026 9:01:00 PM | Soccer
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Propelled by a two-goal surge in the second half, the University of Minnesota soccer team (6-2-2, 2-1-1 Big Ten) earned a 2-1 victory over Indiana (4-5-1, 1-3-0 Big Ten) on Thursday night at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
Ava Westlund and Caroline Birdsell provided the scoring for the Golden Gophers, finishing back-to-back goals in a five-minute span during the second half to secure Minnesota's second Big Ten win of the season.
After a scoreless opening 45 minutes that saw both defenses staying firm, Minnesota came out aggressively in the second half.
The Maroon and Gold found the back of the net in the 53rd minute when Westlund finished off an assist from Katelyn Rigg to give the Gophers a 1-0 lead.
Just over four minutes later, Minnesota doubled its advantage. In the 58th minute, Taylor Heimerl set up Birdsell, who scored for the 2-0 lead off a corner kick.
The Hoosiers cut the deficit in half in the 85th minute on an unassisted strike by Maggie Ledwith, making it 2-1 with five minutes remaining.
Goalkeeper Sarah Martin recorded four saves on five shots on goal for Minnesota.
The Gophers continue their road trip on Sunday, Sept. 27, when the Gophers head to West Lafayette, Ind., to face Purdue. Kickoff against the Boilermakers is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. CT and can be streamed live on B1G+.
Ava Westlund and Caroline Birdsell provided the scoring for the Golden Gophers, finishing back-to-back goals in a five-minute span during the second half to secure Minnesota's second Big Ten win of the season.
After a scoreless opening 45 minutes that saw both defenses staying firm, Minnesota came out aggressively in the second half.
The Maroon and Gold found the back of the net in the 53rd minute when Westlund finished off an assist from Katelyn Rigg to give the Gophers a 1-0 lead.
Just over four minutes later, Minnesota doubled its advantage. In the 58th minute, Taylor Heimerl set up Birdsell, who scored for the 2-0 lead off a corner kick.
The Hoosiers cut the deficit in half in the 85th minute on an unassisted strike by Maggie Ledwith, making it 2-1 with five minutes remaining.
Goalkeeper Sarah Martin recorded four saves on five shots on goal for Minnesota.
The Gophers continue their road trip on Sunday, Sept. 27, when the Gophers head to West Lafayette, Ind., to face Purdue. Kickoff against the Boilermakers is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. CT and can be streamed live on B1G+.
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Soccer
Midfielder/Forward
/ Soccer
Goalkeeper
/ Soccer
Forward
/ Soccer
Forward
/ SoccerTeam Stats
MINN
IND
Goals
2
1
Shots
8
12
Shots on Goal
3
5
Saves
4
1
Corners
3
8
Fouls
6
5
Scoring Plays
Ava Westlund (4)
Assisted By: Katelyn Rigg
GOAL by MINN Westlund, Ava Assist by Rigg, Katelyn.
52:29
Caroline Birdsell (2)
Assisted By: Taylor Heimerl
GOAL by MINN Birdsell, Caroline Assist by Heimerl, Taylor.
57:04
Maggie Ledwith (4)
GOAL by IND Ledwith, Maggie.
84:18
Game Leaders
fwd
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
fwd
Shots
1
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
1
Shots
0
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
1
Thursday, September 24
Sunday, September 20
Thursday, September 10
Sunday, September 06