IU faces MSU, Ball State

The IU field hockey team is coming off of a loss to Penn State and, more recently, a come-back victory against Lock Haven.

This Friday, the Hoosiers travel to East Lansing, Mich., for a Big Ten matchup against the No. 22 Michigan State Spartans.

On Sunday, they travel to Muncie for a game against in-state rival Ball State.

Though the Spartans are ranked No. 22, junior forward/midfielder Emily Bowker said the ranking is not a concern for her. She insists she is much more concerned about her team’s resilient efforts going into this game.

“We bounced back against Lock Haven, but the game should not have been that close and nerve-racking,” she said. “We are still on that bouncing-back end where we need to go out there and get the win, and I’m very confident in our team right now.”

Junior defender Hannah Boyer expressed her feelings after the loss against Penn State.

“We’re definitely eager to get back to Big Ten play,” she said. “None of us were satisfied with how Friday went against Penn State. We brought a lot of energy and a good fight to practice, so we are ready to get back out there.”

Although IU outscored Ball State 15-2 between an exhibition and a regular season match last year, IU Coach Amy Robertson said she’s always excited to play against the Cardinals because they are the only other team in Indiana with a Division I program. Since they are the only two field hockey programs in Indiana, she said there are bragging rights on the line.

Though her team has many resources in the Big Ten conference, Robertson said her team has to be careful playing against an opponent from the Mid-American Conference. She said the Cardinals would have an extreme sense of pride if they were to pull out a victory Sunday.

“That is a feather in their cap to beat a Big Ten team,” she said. “You have to know they are bringing their best against you, so you can never underestimate them or think just because you are in the conference that is supposed to win that you’re going to win.”

IU has played Ball State in the regular season every year since 2006.

Boyer said because field hockey isn’t prevalent in Indiana and because this is an in-state game, there has always been a rivalry, and the Hoosiers expect to fight just as hard as in years past.

Bowker said this game is as critical as any other because of the IU’s youth as a team.

“It’s not easier to get up for because every game is so competitive at this point,” she said. “And when you are a younger team, you don’t have days off.”

Boyer agreed with her teammate and mentioned their approach to the game doesn’t change.

“We treat every game like it’s our hardest game of the season,” she said. “No matter who our opponent is or whether they’re in the Big Ten, MAC, ACC, we are going to treat it like our biggest game of the year.”