It did not take long for Indiana field hockey to begin celebrating on Senior Day at Deborah Tobias Field.
The Hoosiers struck just two minutes into Monday’s game against Central Michigan University, with sophomore forward Celia Arroyo Cabezudo scoring her fourth goal of the season off assists from sophomore forward/midfielder Molly Stutte and freshman midfielder Berta Sáenz de Santa María.
From that point, it continued to be all Indiana. Despite having two goals overturned, the Hoosiers continued to pressure Central Michigan and added another goal before halftime. Junior forward Mijntje Hagen scored off a penalty corner from senior forward/midfielder Theresa Ricci, with sophomore back Lily Freeman earning an assist, giving Indiana a 2-0 lead at the break.
Though both teams struggled to generate much offensive pressure in a scoreless third quarter, Indiana carried its first half momentum into the final period.
The Hoosiers broke through again early in the fourth quarter when Stutte scored her second goal of the season off an assist from Sáenz de Santa María, extending Indiana’s lead to 3-0.
Stutte struck again later in the fourth, converting a penalty corner to give the Hoosiers a 4-0 lead and complete her two-goal performance.
Senior forward Inés Garcia Prado added one more goal with 2:30 remaining. Arroyo Cabezudo assisted as Indiana continued to dominate until the final buzzer.
Garcia Prado said postgame that scoring on Senior Day was a full-circle moment after four years with the Hoosiers.
“It meant everything,” Garcia Prado said. “I still remember when I first came here, and I was like, I didn’t know anything, how anything worked, and I remember being a freshman during Senior Day, and I was like, ‘Wow, this is really cool.’”
“All of the seniors have had a big impact, and it’s really cool to see that through the years,” Garcia Prado added. “And now to be the seniors, it’s like a full-circle moment.”
The Hoosiers finished with an 18-1 advantage in shots on goal and earned five penalty corners without allowing Central Michigan one. Central Michigan’s lone shot on goal came in the fourth quarter and was saved by junior goalkeeper Sadie Canelli.
Indiana head coach Kayla Bashore said the Hoosiers’ defensive pressure was a key part of its offensive success.
“I think our press was really good today,” Bashore said postgame. “We were able to win the ball before our defensive 30, which was a good goal to have, and we were able to generate some attack from that.”
Indiana’s 5-0 victory gave the Hoosiers a convincing Senior Day win and a strong finish before beginning a four-game road stretch.
Bashore said the team will need to continue playing its style of hockey to remain successful on the road.
“Going back to our game, playing our game two, three touch hockey,” Bashore said about the team's strategy going forward. “Being able to organize defensively in our press, being able to generate attack from that, winning the ball, but also just being able to build the play out.”
The Hoosiers will begin their four-game road stretch at 1 p.m. Friday against Cornell University in Columbus, Ohio.
Follow reporter Jack Davis (@JackDavis0006 and jjd5@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana field hockey season.
