Underclassmen fill big shoes

Coach Joe Kelley has had to go to his bench more times than expected this season. The Hoosiers have been plagued with injuries, as five or more starters sat the bench at one time this season.\nBecause those experienced starters are injured, Kelley has had to look toward his younger, less experienced players to pick up the slack. Of the four who have stepped in this season, only one is a regular starter, with the second most experience being 10 games played in the 1999 season.\nDespite the inexperience, IU has not only performed, but performed well. The Hoosiers are riding a three-game unbeaten streak and senior goalie Chrissy Heubi hasn't allowed a goal in more than 270 minutes.\nKeeping the momentum going for the IU defense is a backfield composed entirely of underclassmen. Freshman Erin Hesselbach, freshman Carly Everett and juniors Dana Philp and Stacey Peterson are responsible for filling the void in the backfield left by injured senior Kendal Willis and the move to forward by junior Whitney Butler. Hesselbach has taken over for Butler at sweeper and has had a difficult task filling the position.\n"I feel pressure having to fill the shoes of starters," Hesselbach said. "The shoes I am trying to fill are enormous. Whitney Butler performed well in the back for us. I have to play to her level or even higher."\nEven with the pressure, Kelley had nothing but praise for his backfield, which has two consecutive shutouts under its belt.\n"We're so good in the air right now," Kelley said. "And in the Big Ten, that speaks volumes. I'm really happy with the backs, if you couldn't tell. I think they've really done a very good job. They're tough, they're fast, they're good in the air and they distribute the ball."\nPeterson has been leading the backfield as one of the few players above sophomore standing. Peterson is also the only player on the defense that has started every game this season.\n"The confidence Stacey brings to the back; she's tough," Kelley said. "Stacey's tough, and she's a good tackler."\nWith a young line-up in the back, freshman mistakes were expected, but come game time, their play was beyond their experience.\n"The decisions they are making are very good," Kelley said. "They don't panic, they're organized and the decisions they are making are the right decisions and that's great."\nPhilp is also one who has made a direct impact during the Hoosiers injury troubles. Philp has started the last three games, and recorded her first career goal at IU Friday against Butler. \n"She didn't play a lot last year and had a tough freshman year," Kelley said. "She knew how hard she had to work, and she has had a lot of confidence in herself. I can't say enough about her. She's doing very well in the air, she's making tackles, making good decisions and she's doing a fantastic job. I love to see her smile, love to see her out there having fun."\nPhilp sees the transition not only as something she and the other underclassmen have gone through, but something the entire team has had to deal with.\n"I think the entire team has made an adjustment to deal with all the injuries," Philp said. "We've completely switched our formation on the field. I think it helps our performance because it plays to our strengths having three people up top and our width coming from the back."\nThe other freshman in the mix is Everett. She has performed beyond expectations and has been a regular in the lineup since IU's win against Ohio State Sept 4.\n"We knew Carly was a very good athlete. We knew she was a decent soccer player," Kelley said. "Well, after two weeks we saw, 'Whoa! Carly is a very good soccer player.' Her decision making and her one-touch passing was much better than we had anticipated because we hadn't seen that out of her. She's doing a fantastic job."\nThe only problem facing Kelley now is what to do when everyone is healthy. \n"I hope we have the opportunity to have that dilemma," Kelley said. "I talked about having to use their imagination, like Whitney up front. I think you'll see some other things like that because we have to look at who we have. Right now the backs are doing very well, and I don't want to break that combination up"