Robertson preps Hoosiers for Saturday's 2010 opener

Following a 2-0 loss to Wake Forest in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament, IU coach Amy Robertson, who enters her 11th season at the helm of the No. 17 IU field hockey team, described what she wanted to see her team improve upon this year.

“Goal scoring efficiency and mentality here in training so that it shows up in the games, and games may be a little easier than our training,” Robertson said.

The Hoosiers posted a 14-7 record in 2009 and are seeking to build upon last season’s berth in the Big Ten championship game by defeating the Demon Deacons.

IU returns 13 letterwinners from the 2009 season, including senior goalkeeper Alex Mann, who posted a 1.89 goals against average last season.

Robertson offered high praise for her goalkeeper.

“Her teammates trust her,” she said. “She has great composure, and she’s constantly directing the defense, which allows her to have to take shots from the places where you want to take them. She’s great back there.”

Mann deflected the credit.

“Whatever gets through my defense eventually gets to me, so I try to set them the best that I can so that, ultimately, I don’t have to touch the ball that much,” she said. “It’s all about communicating to the defense and setting them up for success.”

Offensively, last season’s leading scorer, sophomore forward Morgan Fleetwood, returns for the 2010 campaign.

Fleetwood earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors after her 2009 campaign in which
she scored 15 goals and tallied 36 points.

“I’m going to have to work with my teammates, and this year especially, I’m going to be thinking more of how can I set my teammates up for success if there’s going to be double-teams,” Fleetwood said. “I’m focusing more on working with my teammates and setting them up.”

Last season, IU played on the Big Ten Network once. However, the Hoosiers are set to appear on the conference’s national station twice in 2010.

“It’s nice because people who can’t come to the games — friends, family, prospects — have a chance to see our style and our team,” Robertson said. “I think it’s a huge bonus and positive. This is a welcome change for us.”

Mann said the team was excited to have an extra game shown on television this season.

“That’s showing that our program is getting better, and it’s something that people need to be watching,” Mann said.

Thoughts on the Hoosiers’ No. 17 ranking in the Kookaburra/National Field Hockey Coaches Association Preseason Poll varied from coach to player.

Robertson said she appreciates the recognition.

“I didn’t know what we were ranked,” the coach said. “Preseason is really just a guess for everyone. But it’s nice to have the respect from the other programs in the country. We’ll take that as a positive.”

Mann offered a contrasting perspective.

“It doesn’t really mean anything just because it’s a preseason poll,” she said. “It’s a marker for us, and we want to keep increasing that number throughout the season. It’s just a starting point.”

The Hoosiers open the 2010 season Saturday in Amherst, Mass. against Boston College and play California in their 2010 home debut at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 9.