CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Northern Iowa scored two second half goals and held off Indiana State on Sunday afternoon as the Sycamores fell on the road to the host Panthers in Missouri Valley play, 2-0.
 
ISU (1-5-6, 0-3-1) struggled to gain traction against the Panthers (10-1-1, 3-1) at the UNI Soccer Stadium as the Sycamores were outshot 18-4, including 6-0 in the decisive final 45 minutes. The Sycamore defense battled the Panther offense throughout the game with Maddie Alexander posting six saves, while Maddie Helling made a key stop in the net to keep the game within reach against UNI.
 
The Panthers broke the seal on the net in the 60th minute as Lauren Heinsch received a cross in front of the net from Olivia Knoepfle and went upper left from six yards out to give UNI the 1-0 lead. Allison Groothuis put in the second goal in the 70th minute off the assist from Marissa Gross to provide the final scoring margin.
 
UNI pressed the advantage early in the contest as the Panthers put three shots toward the net in the first six minutes. ISU's Carlie Jensen put ISU's first scoring opportunity on net in the 11th minute, but UNI keeper Caitlin Richards recorded the save to keep it scoreless.
 
The Panthers outshot the Sycamores 12-4 in the opening half with ISU's Sasha Thompson, Nora Henderson, and Alexa Mackey all being turned away.
 
Alexander went the distance in the net for ISU as the senior keeper recorded six saves in the contest. She's posted 51 over the 2023 season in 12 matches to lead the Sycamore defense on the year.
 
Heinsch and Maddie Eastus both had four shots apiece on Sunday afternoon to lead the UNI offense. Richards posted two saves in recording the shutout in net.
 
Up Next
Indiana State returns home to Memorial Stadium on Thursday, October 5, as the Sycamores welcome UIC for a midweek Missouri Valley match. The Thursday night contest will serve as Youth Soccer Day as the Sycamores will feature pregame high fives, halftime penalty kicks, and more with youth teams from around the community. Kickoff between ISU and UIC is set for 6 p.m. ET with the game set to be carried live on ESPN+.
 
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on Sycamore Soccer, visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from the both the App Store and the Google Play Store.