In one of the biggest weekends of the year for Indiana field hockey, the Hoosiers were unable to come up with the Big Ten wins they desperately need. Indiana fell to No. 15 Michigan and No. 11 Ohio State at home, dropping its overall record to 4-7 and Big Ten record to 0-4.
Offense was the decisive blow to the Hoosiers' chances of pulling off the upset, as they scored 0 goals on a total of 19 shots over the weekend.
“We’re putting ourselves in the right spot; it’s just about finishing,” the team said postgame.
The first game of the weekend came against Michigan on Sept. 29. Indiana came out of the gates slow, allowing two quick goals in the first few minutes of the game and putting itself in a hole it could not climb out of. Michigan was able to cruise after the first quarter outburst to a final score of 2-0.
After the first quarter, the Hoosiers were able to somewhat turn things around around by winning the possession battle and putting pressure on the Wolverine defense with corners and shots on goal. Unfortunately, the change in intensity and pressure did not amount to any goals, although there were some close calls.
Junior Yip Van Wonderen’s waved off goal because of its height, and redshirt senior Sydney Keld’s saved penalty shot were two critical moments in the game that didn’t go in the Hoosiers’ favor. The Hoosiers also didn’t help themselves out by being two players down late in the fourth quarter after committing yellow and green card infractions.
It was more of the same against Ohio State on Oct. 1, as the Hoosiers lost 3-0 to the Buckeyes. Indiana was unable to translate its second half offensive improvements against Michigan, with zero shots on goal and zero corners in the first half.
Once again, the team woke up in the second half with four corners and five shots in the third but failed to convert on its chances. Junior goalkeeper Arabella Loveridge shined, keeping the Hoosiers in the game with nine saves, with many of them against shooters on the doorstep.
After a disappointing weekend in front of the home crowd, the Hoosiers will look to get back on track on the road against Bellarmine University on Oct. 8.
