The IU field hockey team has spent an extensive amount of time together on and off the turf during the offseason as it strives to improve on its record-setting season from a year ago.
With a core group of players returning for IU Coach Amanda Janney’s second season in Bloomington and eight newcomers on the roster, the Hoosiers open their schedule with two exhibition games this weekend.
“We’ve put in so much work the past six months,” junior forward Maddie Latino said. “There were 16 of us here this summer all putting in work, whether it be in the classroom or just working out together.”
The Hoosiers will play their second annual Cream and Crimson scrimmage today. Members of the team will be split evenly in a full 70-minute game. IU will then travel to Muncie, Indiana, on Saturday to face Ball State in its final tune-up match before the regular season.
The scrimmages will give Janney time to figure out what strengths and weaknesses her team possesses, and — with eight freshmen to incorporate into the new lineup — there will be a mixture of new faces that could see significant playing time in the future.
Latino, the team leader in goals last season, and senior forward Morgan Dye will be working with an inexperienced group up front.
Sophomore forward Claire Woods should see an increased role during her second year in the program after playing in every game and recording one goal and two assists off the bench last season. Freshman forwards Sam Scire and Ciara Girouard are also expected to play a key role in the offensive production for the Hoosiers in 2016.
“We have a lot of good freshmen that are well-adjusted and just want to score some goals,” Latino said. “It’s really comforting to know that there’s other people up top with me that can also contribute.”
The evolving offense has had an offseason of trying to score on sophomore and second team All-Big Ten goalkeeper Noëlle Rother.
In just her second year in the United States, the German shot-blocker who made 114 saves in her freshman campaign has upped her game and the team feel better as a whole, her teammates said.
“She was training all summer at home, so I think she really brought that leadership back with her,” senior defender Kate Barber said. “She just makes amazing saves, and it’s so comforting and nice to have the security there in the backfield.”
Barber, a unanimous first team All-Big Ten selection a season ago, created havoc on both ends of the pitch in 2015. She not only was second on the team in scoring with eight goals, but she also notched seven assists and was third on the team in defensive saves with two. The All-American third team selection also played a key role in the executions of penalty corners and figures to be on the attack again with Latino inserting the ball.
“We have a lot of freshmen coming in so we have a lot of adjusting to do, but I think they fit in well with the team and have brought a lot of positive aspects,” Barber said. “Being an upperclassman is rewarding, but we have a lot of underclassmen to take care of and pull up with us.”
