After a successful road trip last weekend, IU field hockey returns home for a pair of games against Central Michigan and Miami (Ohio). The Hoosiers will face Central Michigan Friday at 3 p.m. and Miami Sunday at 12 p.m. with both games being played at the IU Field Hockey Complex.
The Hoosiers have started out their season with a 2-2 record and have three opponents ranked in the top 15 in the country.
Last year, IU beat Central Michigan 6-1 on the road.
Coach Amanda Janney said her team is ready to be back in Bloomington after opening the season with four straight games away from IU.
“We are just excited to play on our home turf," Janney said. "Central Michigan is going to be a tough game.”
Janney said that the team really came together this past weekend in Pennsylvania to get those two crucial road wins against two tough opponents in Villanova and then-No. 15 Wake Forest.
IU is out for revenge against a tough Miami team that it lost to 4-3 on the road last season.
The Big Ten Player of the Week, sophomore midfielder Ciara Girouard, said she knows this is a very important homestand for this Hoosier squad.
“This weekend is really big on fixing things and really understand what we are lacking,” Girouard said.
Coach Janney has called upon freshman forward Bente Buwalda to come in and play a very important role on this team so far.
“It was really different than in the Netherlands," Buwalda said, referring to from where she was recuited. "It was way more pressure. Maddie (Latino) has really helped me on the press because I am struggling. I still have to improve on pressing and cutting the right way and making smart moves."
