Hoosiers to attempt new approach in game preparation

Just relax.

This was the main focus of the IU women’s soccer team’s training prior to matches against Minnesota and Wisconsin this weekend.

It’s something IU Coach Mick Lyon said he’s stressed since the team returned from a tough 3-0 loss against Michigan a month ago.

The assistant coaches are practicing it. They players are practicing it. Lyon himself is practicing it as well.

“This is the most relaxed I’ve seen a team here in a couple of years,” he said.
Such an outlook is key going into the weekend’s match-ups, but the team does not lack concentration and purpose at all, Lyon said.

“Our attitude is terrific,” he said. “We’re enjoying ourselves, they’re very relaxed, but they’re also very serious about what they want to accomplish.”

IU kicks off the weekend 5 p.m. Friday against Minnesota, a team with a current 4-3-1 record in the Big Ten. The weekend will then continue with a Sunday match against Wisconsin, presently 3-4-1 in conference play.

“They’ll both present difficult opponents, and it’ll be hard to break them down,” Lyon said. “They each have a couple of special players, or at least one special player, that can create havoc and score goals.”

Sophomore midfielder Abby Smith said no matter which Big Ten foe the team faces, the players stick to who they are and what they do.

Victories against Purdue and Michigan State helped the team to understand how to control an entire game, Lyon said. Now it’s just a matter of going one step further.

“Managing the game can extend now,” Lyon said. “We definitely managed the match between the lines when the whistle blows, but we’ll kind of grow from that a little bit and talk about managing the preparation, what does that all really mean.”

Heading into the weekend, the Hoosiers are nothing but positive about what’s next, Lyon said.

“We’ve come a long way in the last couple weeks for sure,” Lyon said.