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Thursday, March 28
The Indiana Daily Student

sports women's soccer

IU looks for victory, Big Ten berth against Ohio State

Everything the IU women’s soccer team has worked for this year comes down to its final regular season match against Ohio State tonight at Bill Armstrong Stadium.

A win or tie will mean a definite position in this year’s Big Ten Tournament, and IU Coach Mick Lyon said the team knows the season-long goal will be defined by this game.

“They certainly all know what’s at stake, and we’ll start the game at the first whistle and really go at them with the mentality that we’re going to do what it takes to be playing next week,” Lyon said.

Relaxation remains a key feature of the team’s mentality going into the game, despite what the outcome will mean.

“The way I always think about it is to just have fun and enjoy the game,” senior forward Orianica Velasquez said. “Every time I do that, I can play with any pressure.”

Ohio State has registered a 7-2-1 conference record up to this point, and Lyon acknowledged that the Buckeyes will be a tough opponent.

Their playing style is the style the Hoosiers like to play against, he said, which will hopefully contribute to success.  

With several players on the squad from Ohio, the matchup will prove to be quite the rivalry, he said, and the team is excited heading into it.  

Senior defender Molly Buynak said maintaining communication will keep the team level-headed throughout the match, especially from a defensive perspective.

“(Senior defender) Ciersten (Burks) and I talk to each other, and it helps us calm down and relax a lot,” she said. “I think we know whatever the outcome is, it’s our last regular season game, so just have fun and enjoy it, and that will relax us a bit.”

A last-minute loss against Wisconsin last weekend has not left the team in low spirits, and Lyon said it was a learning experience for them.

“We could have done better,” Lyon said. “These are our mistakes. Move on like any other game. I don’t want them to think, and I’m certainly not even thinking it, that we’re a team that can’t finish a match, because obviously we can.”

What remains essential in a game with so much at stake is to remember the prospect of getting into the Big Ten Tournament but not let it hinder the team’s performance, Burks said.

“We definitely have that in our mind, but we do have to treat it just as any other game, just go out there and do the things we’ve been doing,” she said.

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