Confidence is key against Notre Dame

After two 1-0 wins last, the women's soccer team faces rival Notre Dame in South Bend tonight.\n"Notre Dame is obviously one of the best teams in the country," coach Joe Kelley said. "They are talented and deep. A lot of their players have international experience.\n"It is a great environment to play in, and I think we are ready. As a program, we have grown, and I think our players have gained confidence in their ability. \nConfidence means so much to this team, and I think we are at the point where we aren't scared of a team like Notre Dame."\nIn eight career meetings with the Fighting Irish, the Hoosiers have lost all encounters, including a 4-1 loss in Bloomington in 1999. \nJunior Lisa Tecklenburg said she thinks that experience will be a good factor in trying to beat Notre Dame.\n"This year's team has a lot of juniors and sophomores who are experienced and know how to win a game like this," she said. "We have to remain calm and treat this like just another game, and just get back to the basics."\nWinning at Alumni Field in South Bend has been impossible for the Hoosiers during the last few years. The Irish are ranked third in the nation, have an unbroken 28-game winning streak at home and are 96-3-1 in their last 100 home matches.\nSophomore Emily Hotz said she is looking forward to her first encounter with Notre Dame. \nAfter scoring the only goal against Butler Tuesday, she said the team has been playing a lot better lately. \n"We have to prepare for Notre Dame the same way we do for every other team" she said. "We are focusing on mental toughness. The team is looking great. We are intense, optimistic and coming together at the right time."\nHotz said she is not preoccupied with losing. \n"You can't take this Irish team lightly. The way we have been playing though, we know we can compete with them," she said. "We are not intimidated, but excited."\nTecklenburg said she feels this is a game to show the nation just how good this team is. \n"Playing in the Big 10, it's hard to be ranked in the Top 25 due to so much competition," she said. "If we win or lose, we still should be ranked in the Top 25. We haven't earned being there yet, but the way we have been playing and the way we are capable of playing, we deserve to be there, and this can prove it."\n Only six current Hoosiers have battled the Irish before, so there will be a lot of players making their first trip to South Bend. \n The team kicks off their Big Ten Schedule in a few weeks. The Hoosiers have a 33-10-1 all-time record against non-conference foes.\n "This is good preparation for the Big 10 schedule," Tecklenburg said. "We know they battle and play a hard game, just like our conference opponents. This game can go either way...it can work for us or against us, depending on how we handle the game. This can define the season"