IU hungry for Boilermaker blood, conference win

The Hoosiers confront their rival Friday afternoon when the women's soccer team travels to West Lafayette for its final game of the Big Ten season. IU's biggest rival, No. 13 Purdue, has had a successful season thus far and will provide stiff competition. \n"This is my biggest rivalry," junior defender Carly Everett said. "I'm pretty excited. This is always my favorite game of the year." \nEverett, a native of Fort Wayne, said because she is from Indiana she knows more players on Purdue than any other team in the conference and that motivates her to play well.\nBoth IU and No. 13 Purdue have clinched spots in the Big Ten Tournament, but the game does have seeding implications. Coach Mick Lyon said he wants to dictate IU's seed as much as possible, noting that the Hoosiers could be as high as third and as low as seventh. \nAside from conference play, this game marks the first of three consecutive matches against opponents from other parts of Indiana. IU will battle Indiana State in Terre Haute Sunday and Butler at home next Wednesday. \n"We want to create some dominance within the state, and this will be the start," Lyon said. "We need to set a precedent that we're going to be the top program in this state, and we'll go after the others as we go along."\nPurdue (10-3-1, 5-2-1 Big Ten) is a stingy team that hasn't scored many goals but moreover hasn't conceded many goals. Lyon said the Hoosiers will have to sharpen up defensively and stay tuned in from the first whistle on in order to secure a victory.\n"It takes a lot of focus and a lot of concentration, especially in the Big Ten," senior defender Lisa Tecklenburg said. "There's so many strong teams, that we know if we let down or screw up, or if we don't cover for each other, then people are going to capitalize on that."\nIU is near the bottom of the conference in shots taken, but it will be necessary to attack frequently to break through the stifling Boilermaker defense. \n"We have to shoot more. We just don't shoot enough," Lyon said. He added that the team creates good opportunities but they squander them by taking an extra touch or making an ill-advised pass.\nAs this game marks the final game of the Big Ten season, Lyon said his team has developed a newfound respect from their opposition for being competitive from the start to finish of games. For Lyon, it's been a learning experience throughout.\n"I could probably fill a small book on what I've learned this year," Lyon said. \nIU's two game break from conference play before the Big Ten Tournament does not worry the players who are confident in the disciplined method of their coaching staff.\n"I think it's going to be really important that we still continue to train really hard," Everett said. "But I think we're going to be fine. I think we're all motivated enough and our coaches are strict enough and disciplined enough that we're going to be really well prepared"