Indiana field hockey should be well rested after playing two games in two days last week in Louisville, Kentucky against Miami University and the University of Louisville. The Hoosiers dropped both contests 2-1 but showed plenty of fight late in each game.
Now on Friday, Indiana returns home to Deborah Tobias Field in Bloomington, looking to turn that grit into its first win of the season against the University of New Hampshire.
New Hampshire suffered a similar fate to Indiana in its first two games. The Wildcats also faced two ranked opponents in two days, taking on No. 20 Saint Joseph’s and the No. 11 University of Connecticut. New Hampshire dropped its first game 2-1 before falling 5-0 to UConn.
Senior forward Nicole Poulakis is the star for New Hampshire. Last season, she was named the America East Offensive Player of the Year. The Wildcats went 12-7 last season, winning the America East Conference championship and earning an NCAA Tournament bid, their 11th in program history. Their season ended in the first round with an 8-2 loss to Harvard University.
Indiana has faced the Wildcats five times and has won all five contests. The teams last met in 2016, when the Hoosiers won 5-3 in Bloomington.
For Indiana, the biggest challenge will be finding a way to turn its strong stretches of play into goals. The Hoosiers managed just two goals across their first two games despite long periods in control against both Miami and Louisville. Freshman midfielder Gabriela Garayo Aranceta and sophomore forward Celia Arroyo Cabezudo scored Indiana’s two goals on the weekend.
With Indiana looking for more offensive production, senior midfielder Inés Garcia Prado will be an important piece to the puzzle. Prado had a solid weekend but struggled to find the back of the net. She took five shots across the two games, with three being on goal. Indiana will need Prado to keep creating chances and find a way to convert them into goals against New Hampshire.
With both teams searching for their first win of the season, Friday gives Indiana a chance to build on what worked last weekend. The Hoosiers have shown they can create opportunities against quality opponents, but they will need to capitalize on them against New Hampshire. The game begins at 3 p.m. Friday and will be streamed on Big Ten+.
Follow reporter Jack Davis (@JackDavis0006 and jjd5@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana field hockey season.
