Hoosiers defeated by No. 13 Michigan in Big Ten semis

The IU field hockey team’s season came to an end Friday with a 3-0 loss to Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals.

Big Ten Network announcers Lisa Byington and Kara Lentz referred to the Hoosiers as “the Cinderella team” because of their upset against No. 9 Northwestern on Thursday.

Although the final score read 3-0, the numbers can be misleading. IU outshot Michigan 11-3 in the first period but failed to capitalize on multiple shot-on-goal attempts and Michigan being down two players for a few minutes due to penalty card issues.

IU Coach Amy Robertson said she was pleased with her team’s competitive spirit. She also acknowledged her players’ problem was failure to complete the strong plays they started.

“We were dominating, but we couldn’t finish,” Robertson said. “The pressure builds when you can’t get that ball to go into the net, and you run out of time. Your shot selection sometimes gets worse before it can get better.”

Although the season ended with a loss, Robertson said she was happy with this season. She also said she expects her team to improve in the offseason and that this season’s success sets them up for better things in the future.

“I think our seniors helped us build for the future,” Robertson said. “Next year, seeing what we could do will be a huge motivator for us. Winning that one game in the Big Ten Tournament has lit a fire under us.”

Sophomore forward Audra Heilman said she was pleased with the growth of the team this season.

“This season had a lot of ups and downs, but as a team we grew each and every game,” Heilman said. “We came into the Big Ten Tournament knowing everything we did would pay off sometime, and the first game showed that.”

The team is losing senior forward Morgan Fleetwood and graduate student goalkeeper Viki Green.

Though the team lost in Fleetwood’s final game as a Hoosier, she said she was proud of the team and the program.

Fleetwood also said the team had its struggles but that she will remember this team for the way it handled its challenges.

“We had ups and downs, but we kept fighting until the end,” Fleetwood said. “The thing that sticks in my mind is that this team has a fight.”

Fleetwood said she is leaving her teammates with the message that if they keep working toward their goals, they can go as far as they want.

Fleetwood was a team leader, but Robertson said the team consists of many leaders in different areas. She mentioned junior defender Hannah Boyer, junior back Danielle McNally and Heilman as having different leadership roles within the team. The coach is confident the team will be just fine.

“We have leaders that bring something different,” Robertson said. “Hannah Boyer leads by example, Danielle is a spirited competitor and Audra has that fire to be her absolute best and will do whatever it takes.”