No. 10 Hoosiers improve to 2-1

In a game that was much closer than the rankings would have suggested, the No. 10 Hoosiers (2-1) defeated the Ball State Cardinals 2-1 Saturday.\nThe IU field hockey team was bolstered by goals from senior All-American forward Lydia Schrott and junior forward Kate O'Connell.\nThe in-state rivals played evenly the entire game. Both teams failed to score in the first half, saving the scarce scoring for the second half. The game remained tied at 0-0 until O'Connell scored in the 43rd minute off an assist from junior midfielder Amanda Oyler.\nThe Cardinals responded with a score in the 50th minute, but the All-American Schrott scored her fifth goal of the season in the 57th minute to push the Hoosiers in front for good.\nJunior goalkeeper Haley Exner held the Cardinals to a lone first half score while also recording nine saves. The Hoosiers managed to outshoot the Cardinals 14-13 for the game.\nBefore the game Saturday, Exner expected her team to play steady defense due to a strategy change made this season. The Hoosiers have implemented a zone defense, moving away from the man-to-man strategy used last season.\n"We've been working on our defense a lot playing together in practice everyday," Exner said Friday before the Ball State match-up. "It takes a lot of time to learn a zone defense. I think now that we've worked on that a lot in practice that we're more confident going into a game."\nAt 2-1, the Hoosiers record is above .500 for the first time this season. They will continue their streak of away games Tuesday when they take on Miami (Ohio) in Oxford, Ohio.\nIU coach Amy Robertson sees the games on the road as an opportunity to not be distracted by things at home and stay focused on the field.\n"When we went to Virginia (earlier this season), it was the same time all the students were coming back to campus," Robertson said Friday. "I think with all of the distractions that were here it was good to be in a hotel and get a good night sleep and focus on field hockey"