Hoosiers looking to extend win streak

The IU women's field hockey team will look to an improving defense to win another set of weekend games, following last week's sweep of Ball State University and Southwest Missouri State University. \n"I'm looking forward to an impressive season," IU coach Amy Robertson said.\nComing off two wins against teams from the Mid-American conference, Ball State and SMSU, the Hoosiers feel confident coming into this weekend's matches versus Appalachian State University and Lindenwood University.\n"As a team, we are really confident on defense," junior Ryan Woolsey said. "I think we can hold our own this weekend." \nWoolsey won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors for her performance last weekend, the conference announced Wednesday. Woolsey and her teammates held Ball State scoreless, propelling the Hoosiers to a 3-0 win.\nIU's defense only allowed one shot in the first half, giving up only five for the whole game. Against SMSU, Woolsey made stops that contributed to a thrilling overtime win.\nOffensive pressure has also been picking up for the Hoosiers. With many of its shots coming after halftime, the team set a new record against SMSU with 33 shots. The previous record was 31, set last year against upcoming opponent Lindenwood Lions.\n"Our team works really well together," sophomore Morgan Miller said. "I want shut outs for both games this weekend." \nMiller put the winning goal in against SMSU.\nThis weekend's games against Appalachian State and Lindenwood will provide the Hoosiers with a further gauge of how the team will perform during the squad's Big Ten campaign. The Hoosiers will face the Mountaineers from Boone, N.C., at 1 p.m. Appalachian State enters this weekend's tilt 2-2, with its wins coming against the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and Georgetown University. The Mountaineers' coach Mandy Latz is a combined 14-10 in two seasons.\nLindenwood will face the Hoosiers for its first game of the season. Last year's Kentucky-Indiana-Tennessee Conference champions posted a 13-4 record and are led by first-year coach and former Pennsylvania assistant coach Lauren Worley Cornthwaite. The game is slated for 2 p.m.\nThe Hoosiers' games for the next weekend will be against the University of Louisville and the College of William & Mary, both at Louisville. \nThe following weekend, the Hoosiers will begin Big Ten play against perennial contender the University of Michigan and Big Ten powerhouse the University of Iowa. Both games will be held at the Mellencamp Pavilion. \n"We're out of the basement now," Robertson said of the team's play in the Big Ten. "I try not to look too far forward, but the games in the Big Ten could go either way."\n-- Contact staff writer Sam Nissen at scnissen@indiana.edu.