Field hockey team seeks redemption

The last time the IU field hockey team played Michigan State, the Hoosiers fell 4-3 despite a late comeback attempt.

The Hoosiers will have a chance to avenge that loss Thursday in their first Big Ten Tournament match, which starts at 2:30 p.m. in Columbus, Ohio.

IU junior forward Audra Heilman said the game has given the Hoosiers some added motivation.

“We started to score a little too late last time,” Heilman said. “If we score early, we will come out in the end with the success that we want.”

Michigan State finished the regular season with a 9-9 record, including a record of 4-2 in Big Ten play. The Spartans finished well enough to earn the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament, while IU is the No. 6 seed.

Heilman said the offense needs to come out aggressive early and put pressure on the Spartans’ defense.

“We need to press like we did against Michigan,” she said. “If we do that, we can find a lot of success. We also need to find connection between the lines and get into the circle.”

IU Coach Amy Robertson said she believes the defense will also be a key to winning Thursday’s match.

“We have to have better defensive positioning and organization,” Robertson said. “That’s a big key for us — not giving them easy passes into the attack. We need to solidify the midfield and not allow them to advance the ball.”

Robertson also said that despite the loss to Michigan last Sunday, the Hoosiers feel upbeat heading into the weekend.

“I think we are really confident and excited for this opportunity,” she said. “We have a lot of things going for us right now. We are peaking at the right time. A lot of aspects of our game are coming together at the right time.”

If IU defeats Michigan State on Thursday, they will face the winner of Northwestern and Ohio State on Friday.

“The biggest thing we can do is to really focus on playing our game,” IU junior goalkeeper Maggie Olson said. “When you’re playing so many teams, you don’t have time to adjust. Having a really strong basis of a game plan that we know we can play is the most important thing.”

Robertson said the team’s experience in the tournament last year has helped them prepare for the quick turnaround.

“It’s a sprint to put things together,” Robertson said. “Most of the team has the experience of how it works because we did it last year. As a coaching staff, we prepare for who we could be playing next.”

Follow reporter Dan Matney on Twitter @Dan_Matney.