The IU field hockey team opened its season with two wins this weekend, defeating New Hampshire 3-2 and St. Louis 6-0 in Louisville, Ky.
Senior standout Audra Heilman scored all three Hoosier goals in the team’s first game.
New Hampshire struck first, but IU Coach Amy Robertson said she was proud of the way her team fought back.
“We just fought and battled through every play,” Robertson said in a press release Friday. “It was as a team. Audra got the three goals, but everyone contributed. It was a lot of fun to be part of a game like that.”
IU had seven shots in the first period but was unable to convert until Heilman’s first goal in the ?second period.
It was a deflected penalty corner shot assisted by junior Karen Lorite.
New Hampshire answered with a goal from Lindsey Nerbonne.
But less than five minutes later, Heilman found the back of the net for the second time to tie the game once again.
In the 68th minute, Heilman converted the Hoosiers’ game-winning goal off an assist from Rachel Stauffer.
“We looked at each (other) at half-time, and we all knew we weren’t going to step off that field without the victory,” Heilman said in the release. “I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”
IU got goals from four different players in its second win of the weekend, a 6-0 victory against St. Louis.
Heilman had another hat trick, and junior Sydney Supica, freshman Maddie Latina and junior Rachel Stauffer also scored for the Hoosiers.
The win was a complete turnaround in terms of improvement from last season when the Hoosiers lost their first two games to start the season.
IU will return to Bloomington this weekend to play California on Friday before playing UC Davis on ?Sunday.
“It’s the fun thing about our team, we can play people in positions they don’t usually play, and they still perform really well,” Robertson said in a press release Saturday.
“When we do slow it down a little and play with the purpose we need to play with, we are firing away and able to get it in the back of the net.”
Grace Palmieri
