Hoosiers confident despite losing grads

The IU women's field hockey team opens its season in a familiar position but an unfamiliar location.\nAfter finishing last season ranked No. 9 in the nation, the Hoosiers open this season one slot lower. The No. 10 Hoosiers will make their first trip ever to Charlottesville, Va., this weekend to take on the No. 19 Virginia Cavaliers Saturday. From there, they will travel to Farmville, Va., to play the Longwood Lancers. \nAfter making a run in the NCAA Tournament all the way to the Elite Eight last season, the Hoosiers will attempt to recreate similar success with a revamped roster.\n"This team is so much different from last year's team," senior back Morgan Miller said. "Last year we had a lot of good individuals. This year we have a good team that has a lot of unity."\nIU coach Amy Robertson agreed. \n"Our team chemistry has been outstanding," she said. "They have really good energy. They're a very positive group, and they push each other while still having a lot of fun and staying focused."\nThe team has been playing well despite losing seven seniors, including standout midfielder Kayla Bashore, from last year's team.. Since graduating from IU, Bashore has become a member of the U.S. National Field Hockey Team. Bashore's former teammates will get a chance to cheer her on this weekend in Virgina when Bashore competes at the AstroTurf March on Madrid Tournament.\n"Kayla means a lot to this program," Robertson said. "We're proud of her and our program, and we're really excited to see an IU alum play for the U.S. team."\nThis year's team is centered around captains and seniors Morgan Miller and Lydia Schrott and junior Meredith Brown. The captains were elected by their teammates this summer.\nAfter starting every game last season, junior goalkeeper Haley Exner also returns for the Hoosiers. Exner, who is considered one of the top goalkeepers in the nation, recorded 138 saves last year and allowed only 35 goals the entire season. \n"This is an opponent which is out of our region, and it's a great opportunity to play them," Robertson said of the Cavaliers. "I predict that our teams will be pretty evenly matched. It all depends on who takes advantage of their opportunities."\nAnother opportunity the Hoosiers will have this weekend will be to prove skeptics wrong about this year's squad.\n"People around the country think because we lost seven seniors that it's a rebuilding year for Indiana," Miller said. "But we know we can get back to where we were last year"