Team set for Penn State matchup

With one goal in seven shots on net, the offensive play of the IU women's soccer team in Wednesday's game against the University of Evansville might have left IU coach Mick Lyon wanting to see a little bit more.\nThe defense came through for the Hoosiers, though, giving junior goalkeeper Stacey Van Boxmeer her sixth shutout of the season.\n"The team's really tight and there for each other, and we're just ready for any team," junior forward Lindsay McCarthy said. "We didn't play great (Wednesday), but we still got that win."\nFollowing IU's 1-0 win against the Purple Aces at Black Beauty Field, Lyon expressed his confidence in his team's back five.\n"I don't see us giving up a goal again," Lyon said. "I just look at our schedule going, 'It's going to be really tough for someone to score against us."\nThe Hoosiers (8-2-3, 4-0-0 Big Ten) hope to see Lyon's vision come true Sunday when they take on No. 13 Penn State (7-3-2, 3-1-0 Big Ten) at noon at Bill Armstrong Stadium. Last season the Nittany Lions advanced to the NCAA Final Four.\nLyon has reason for his confidence in the team's ability to keep balls out of the net. In 13 games this season, Van Boxmeer has posted a 0.59 goals-against average. If this number holds up, she will break the program record of a 0.70 GAA set in 2000 by Chrissy Heubi.\n"Any balls over the top we're real comfortable with because we got speed back there," Lyon said about his defense. "And our goalkeeper, Stacey, plays well off her line so she covers everything up right there."\nVan Boxmeer gives credit to the four defenders for keeping the opponents from getting off too many shots.\n"If you look at the stats -- one shot on net, one save," Van Boxmeer said after Wednesday night's game. "My defense is helping me out so much, they're so consistent, so comfortable, that it makes my job basically just talking to them and telling them positionally what to do."\nLyon credits the back four coming together as a team for the reason of their great play.\n"They understand each other," Lyon said. "They're talking to each other, and as one person moves, the other three are going, 'I know what I want.' So they've really got an understanding of each other. (But) I want them to have a better understanding. There are still times where they're disagreeing with each other, but at least they don't take that disagreement to the point that they break down."\nIn addition to the GAA record, the Hoosiers are approaching a couple of other team records as well. IU has gone 11 games without a loss, second behind a streak of 14 straight wins that spanned between the 1993 and 1994 seasons. The six shutouts are three away from the record for most shutouts in a season, behind the 1993 and 1998 seasons, when the Hoosiers posted nine shutouts each year.\n"It definitely helps our confidence," Van Boxmeer said of the unbeaten streak. "But we do know going into this game it's going to be a different game altogether. Penn State's always aggressive, always smart with the ball, and every game against them is always a battle."\nLyon said that for his team to be successful Sunday, he will "expect anyone on the field to be errorless for the game."\n"That's what you need, because Penn State has a couple special players," Lyon said. "If you're errorless and eliminate that threat we'll have a nice game"