Indiana field hockey began its season this weekend in Kent, Ohio, splitting the challenging two-game series. Indiana opened up with a 3-1 victory over Kent State University followed later by a tough loss deep into the overtime period against No. 11 Liberty University on Saturday. Despite not finishing the weekend with the outcome they had hoped for, the Hoosiers showed promising quality in their performances.
Indiana kicked off against Kent State Friday afternoon. After a challenging start to last year, losing two close games to Duke University and Liberty to open the 2023 season, the Hoosiers will look to build off early success.
Indiana head coach Kayla Bashore emphasized the importance of getting the team’s confidence going early.
"We need to start off hot," Bashore said. “Our momentum we knew needed to be generated early on.”
The Hoosiers did exactly that, taking early control of the game by scoring first. After a scoreless first quarter, Indiana’s standout senior back Yip Van Wonderen broke the deadlock with her ninth career goal, putting the Hoosiers on the scoreboard with a 1-0 lead.
“It was no surprise to us that she scored because Yip had been playing so well during training and in the past scrimmages,” Bashore said. “It definitely provided that relief for us, we finally felt we were able to work into our game.”
Van Wonderen had an impressive season opener for the Hoosiers, causing significant problems for Kent State. The senior from the Netherlands recorded three shots in addition to her opening goal.
Aside from Van Wonderen, Indiana’s defense held the spotlight throughout the first half. The Hoosiers maintained control of their circle, the Golden Eagles weren’t able to muster a single shot. The score remained 1-0 heading into halftime.
With a close lead, Bashore and the Hoosiers looked to adjust the game plan after an uneventful first half.
“At halftime, we made a few changes to apply more pressure on their backfield,” she said.
Shortly after the start of the second half, Indiana added to its lead when freshman forward Mijntje Hagen scored her first career goal. Less than two minutes later, Kent State responded with its first goal on a shot from senior midfielder Bella Carpenter, cutting Indiana’s lead in half.
Indiana, now back in a familiar spot leading only by one, pushed upfield, and with a nifty pass from junior back Emma Thompson and a strong finish from sophomore midfielder Ines Garcia Prado, the Hoosiers snatched back their two score lead.
The Hoosiers maintained their 3-1 lead into the fourth quarter and never faltered. On the heels of their strong defense, Indiana secured the win, setting the tone for an optimistic 2024 season.
“The marker now is moving on and carrying this momentum to the next opponent,” Bashore said.“We have to celebrate our win and move on to the next one. We have 24 hours to bounce back and take on a tough Liberty.”
Indiana brought momentum into their matchup against ranked Liberty.
“This is going to be a real test to show where we are really at,” Bashore said.
With a chance to make a name in the Big Ten, Indiana aimed to capture a pivotal weekend set. But in a thrilling double-overtime match, Indiana lost to No. 11 Liberty 2-1 Saturday afternoon at Kent State. Even with a dramatic last-minute equalizer in regular time, the Hoosiers couldn’t secure the win.
Despite the exciting ending to regular time, the game began at a much slower pace. In the first half, both teams controlled their defensive circles, allowing each side only three shots.
Liberty’s senior forward Tuti Dell Anna eventually broke the scoring drought, giving her team the lead late in the game with a crucial goal. Her strike ended the deadlock and put the Flames ahead in the closing minutes.
However, Indiana’s Sofia Arrebola Garcia’s heroics in the final seconds of the game kept the Hoosiers in the fight. Her last second goal helped push Indiana to overtime, knotting the score at 1-1 as time expired.
After this end to regular time, both teams sought to maintain their offensive momentum as they headed into ten minutes of overtime. The Hoosiers opened the period generating two shots on goal, however, strong play from Liberty’s sophomore goalkeeper Michaela Skinner kept the Hoosiers scoreless in the first overtime.
Building on a strong performance in the first overtime, Indiana aimed to secure a victory against their highly ranked opponent in the second overtime period. However, Liberty came out firing, applying early pressure and taking several shots.
In the 75th minute, Liberty’s forward, graduate student Ella Murphy, received a pass from Dell Anna and netted the game winning goal, bringing a long fought match to its conclusion, 2-1.
Coach Bashore emphasized the importance of building momentum early in the season. Despite the loss, the Hoosiers have plenty to take pride in and build upon as they move forward. Indiana’s performance against No. 11 Liberty showed the Hoosiers’ capability to challenge the best teams in the league.
The Hoosiers will return to Bloomington for their home opener, taking on Maine University at 11:30 a.m. Monday at Deborah Tobias Field.
