Hoosiers seeking No. 3 Big Ten seed

It's been a motto for the IU women's soccer team all season long: The next game is the most important game of the players' lives.\nIn terms of important games, Friday's road game against Purdue (12-4-3, 5-3-1 Big Ten) could certainly qualify. The Hoosiers (9-5-4, 5-3-1 Big Ten) look to snap a three-game losing streak, work toward a higher seed for next weekend's Big Ten Tournament and try to earn an NCAA Tournament bid -- not to mention they are playing their in-state rivals.\n"I think we've refocused and are prepared for a huge game this Friday," senior midfielder Carrie DeFreece said. "I think we're going to take out our anger from the frustration from the last three games and have a good game this weekend."\nIf the Hoosiers defeat the Boilermakers, it will be only the second time, the first since 1999, that IU has bested its rival. A win would also give the Hoosiers the third seed in the Big Ten Tournament. If they lose, the Hoosiers could fall as far as the sixth seed, depending on the outcomes of the Northwestern-Wisconsin and Michigan-Michigan State games.\n"We just got focused on one goal we're looking at, which is (to) win the next game to become third in the league," IU coach Mick Lyon said about his team's attitude in practice this week. "It's the only focus we've got."\nTo pull off the win, IU will have to do something it hasn't done during its current three-game losing streak -- score a goal. IU has lost all three games to Northwestern, Iowa and Illinois by a 1-0 decision.\n"I don't think it's anything we've necessarily been doing wrong," senior forward Megan Pipkens said. "We've had the chances; we just have to capitalize on the opportunities."\nLyon said his staff will keep telling the girls to do the same things they've been doing offensively all season, but just try to find other ways to tell them. He also said getting back to fundamentals on throw-ins and corner kicks will be key.\n"I think we also got a little bit away from our set plays," Lyon said. "We've thrown in a few different ideas, and we might go back to the drawing board and say, 'Hey, let's go back to plan A,' and hit it hard and execute it to perfection because that's where some goals will come."\nEven though the Boilermakers own the all-time series against IU at 7-1-1, the record can be deceiving. No IU-Purdue women's soccer game has ever been decided by more than one goal. Three games have gone into overtime, including last season's 1-1 tie.\n"We've been mighty close," Lyon said. "It's been just a hair's breadth difference between a win and a loss. Last year was even closer, with missing a penalty in overtime."\nEven with IU trying to beat the Boilermakers for the first time in seven years, the Hoosiers are more concerned about getting the win to help their postseason chances.\n"Our pure focus is we go in there, we get three points, we keep marching forward," Lyon said. "And it will be big to be in West Lafayette and put them on their tails. (That) would be nice"