Team sets record, wins dogfight over weekend

The IU field hockey team set another school record Sunday with its sixth win of the season over Kent State, 1-0.\nThe Hoosiers' (6-3) previous best record was last year when the team went 6-14. Senior Erica Nilsson believes the team has had a complete turnaround from when she started as a freshman.\n"Women's field hockey has done a 180 since my freshman year," Nilsson said. "We've grown as a team and we have great coaches, great recruits, and I'm really excited because we have half our season left and there's a lot more to come."\nThe Hoosiers started the weekend with a game against defending national runner-up Penn State. Although the Hoosiers got on the board first courtesy of a goal from freshman Lydia Schrott, the team was unable to hold the lead and lost 2-1. Even though the Hoosiers lost, Coach Amy Robertson said she was pleased with her team's play. \n"I am proud of the way we played tonight," Robertson said in a statement. "I am disappointed for the girls. They played hard and believed we could win, and never stopped playing. We had set out several goals for this game, and we accomplished all of them. We wanted to play smart and I think we did that. I am especially proud of the way sophomore Morgan Albini and Lydia played. I think this was their best performance yet." \nIn IU's second game against Kent State Sunday the Hoosiers scored the first and only goal of the game early in the second half. Nilsson was able to score off a cross from sophomore Lesley Wiler. \nAlthough Nilsson's goal was the only of the game, the biggest play of the game came with 16:30 left in the game. Kent State had a penalty corner and freshman Berber Rischen's shot went into the back of the net and looked to be the game-tying goal. However, the officials ruled that the shot was too high. \nRobertson believes the call was correct. \n"She made the right call." Robertson said. "Had she called that a goal I would have been on the field pretty quick. The ball cannot be lifted on a hit above the 18-inch board. And it was above the 18-inch board. That's just one of those things that it's tough for the officials to call I'm just glad she called it the right way."\nThat was not the last chance, however, for Kent State as with just two minutes left in the game the Golden Flashes had another opportunity to tie. Senior Molly Pulkrabek made several key saves to keep the shutout intact.\n"I was pretty calm coming into today's game." Pulkrabek said. "And it really helped at the end of the game to stay composed ... I was just trying to tell the team to stay composed and it allowed me to be in the right place at the right time to make the saves." \nThe Hoosiers will return to action this Friday, as they face off against the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor. IU will return home at 2 p.m. Sunday to take on Lindenwood.\n-- Contact staff writer Andrew Rosen at ajrosen@indiana.edu.