IU walks for World Heart Day
As the temperature began to rise Monday afternoon, IU students, faculty and staff were in front of Showalter Fountain dressed in white T-shirts with the slogan “Done with 41” across the chest.
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As the temperature began to rise Monday afternoon, IU students, faculty and staff were in front of Showalter Fountain dressed in white T-shirts with the slogan “Done with 41” across the chest.
The IU Student Association will begin its “Moving Speaking” tour to gather student opinion on campus.
Monday night, IU Student Association Congress Assembly voted on proposed resolutions consisting of appointments, redistribution of congress seats and gender-neutral restrooms on single-gender floors.
On a warm, breezy Friday afternoon, a sea of red IU Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps members awaited the arrival of the RIDE Indiana bikers outside Assembly Hall.
Mohammad Fahad al-Qahtani graduated from IU with his Ph.D. in economics in 2002, and in 2009 he co-established the largest independent human rights organization in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association.
After completing its summer pilot program, Crimson Cruisers is looking to expand in semesters to come.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU field hockey team’s season came to an end Friday with a 3-0 loss to Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. Big Ten Network announcers Lisa Byington and Kara Lentz referred to the Hoosiers as “the Cinderella team” because of their upset against No. 9 Northwestern on Thursday.Although the final score read 3-0, the numbers can be misleading. IU outshot Michigan 11-3 in the first period but failed to capitalize on multiple shot-on-goal attempts and Michigan being down two players for a few minutes due to penalty card issues.IU Coach Amy Robertson said she was pleased with her team’s competitive spirit. She also acknowledged her players’ problem was failure to complete the strong plays they started. “We were dominating, but we couldn’t finish,” Robertson said. “The pressure builds when you can’t get that ball to go into the net, and you run out of time. Your shot selection sometimes gets worse before it can get better.” Although the season ended with a loss, Robertson said she was happy with this season. She also said she expects her team to improve in the offseason and that this season’s success sets them up for better things in the future.“I think our seniors helped us build for the future,” Robertson said. “Next year, seeing what we could do will be a huge motivator for us. Winning that one game in the Big Ten Tournament has lit a fire under us.” Sophomore forward Audra Heilman said she was pleased with the growth of the team this season.“This season had a lot of ups and downs, but as a team we grew each and every game,” Heilman said. “We came into the Big Ten Tournament knowing everything we did would pay off sometime, and the first game showed that.”The team is losing senior forward Morgan Fleetwood and graduate student goalkeeper Viki Green. Though the team lost in Fleetwood’s final game as a Hoosier, she said she was proud of the team and the program.Fleetwood also said the team had its struggles but that she will remember this team for the way it handled its challenges.“We had ups and downs, but we kept fighting until the end,” Fleetwood said. “The thing that sticks in my mind is that this team has a fight.”Fleetwood said she is leaving her teammates with the message that if they keep working toward their goals, they can go as far as they want.Fleetwood was a team leader, but Robertson said the team consists of many leaders in different areas. She mentioned junior defender Hannah Boyer, junior back Danielle McNally and Heilman as having different leadership roles within the team. The coach is confident the team will be just fine.“We have leaders that bring something different,” Robertson said. “Hannah Boyer leads by example, Danielle is a spirited competitor and Audra has that fire to be her absolute best and will do whatever it takes.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU field hockey team avenged its loss to Northwestern earlier in the season by defeating the Wildcats 4-0 and advancing to the semifinal round in the Big Ten Tournament.As the No. 7 seed in the tournament, the Hoosiers came in as underdogs to the No. 2-seeded Wildcats. Despite what the numbers said, IU was able to complete the upset and register its first Big Ten win of the season.IU took a 2-0 lead into halftime behind goals from sophomore forward Nicole Volgraf and junior forward Mariella Grote. IU Coach Amy Robertson said the message at halftime was to keep attacking and remain confident.“We weren’t going to sit back and try to protect our lead,” Robertson said. “We had to go out looking for more goals and more attack going. The spirit and energy of the team was great to see, they never doubted themselves.”During the second half, the Hoosiers stayed true to the message. Senior forward Morgan Fleetwood found the back of the net in the 46th minute. Grote also found the back of the cage for a second time, making the score 4-0.The defense completed the shutout despite the Wildcats’ shot opportunities. Although the Wildcats outshot the Hoosiers 17-6, IU still managed to make the most of its chances by making four goals. Thursday’s win allows IU to remain undefeated against Northwestern in the Big Ten tournament, bringing the tournament series record to 3-0. The win marks the first Hoosier postseason victory since 2009, when they beat the Penn State Nittany Lions 3-1 in the semifinal round. This win led them to play Michigan in the championship game. They would lose the match 3-2.Robertson said the win may have served as a revelation to the team, and the win displayed their true potential. She said the team has a lot of momentum going forward.“We can really do this,” Robertson said. “We ended up advancing with a 4-0 win, and they know it is not a fluke.”The Hoosiers’ next contest will be Friday against the Michigan Wolverines. Robertson said she initially thought her players would be happy with just a win, but she noticed a difference in their demeanor after the win that gives her hope.“I thought we would be satisfied just to win today, but when I looked in our team’s eyes, they looked determined to take this all the way,” she said. “We’re happy about the performance, but there is more work to be done.”Robertson said her team was looking forward to playing Michigan after losing 4-3 when they played Oct. 19. She also said while they weren’t trying to get ahead of themselves, she said she believes they can do great things.“I honestly think we can go all the way,” Robertson said. “The belief is there like never before, and now they know they can get the win, that they can play, and I like the momentum we have headed into the semifinals.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU field hockey season might come down to one more game. At 2:30 p.m. today, the Hoosiers will face the Northwestern Wildcats in the Big Ten tournament. IU Coach Amy Robertson said the team will carry a persistent mindset into the upcoming game against the Wildcats. She also said the team will look for payback since it lost the last contest against Northwestern.“We still have unfinished business,” Robertson said. “The girls are willing to put it out there one more time and see if we can get some retribution with a huge upset.”The last time the Hoosiers faced the Wildcats was Oct. 12 at Northwestern, where they lost 4-0. Although the team failed to score a goal, Robertson noted that her team made a few mistakes, and she thought they didn’t play that bad of a game. However, Robertson said in order for the team to have a different outcome in today’s game, everyone has to be on the same page and give relentless effort.“We can’t have just a few people have a good game, we need to do it together,” she said. “It means playing your role, being where you are supposed to be and having the fight and mentality that you’re not going to stop until you get what you want.”Robertson discussed a theme at practice called “Support Your Fellow Hoosier.” She said the theme was about supporting your teammates at all times on the field. She also said the support makes it easier for a player to attack the opposition because you know your teammates will be there to help.Robertson said she feels pretty fortunate that her team is in the Big Ten Conference because no matter what the record is, you get a chance to play, and her team is very eager for the chance. “The team seems really excited,” Robertson said.“There are a lot of teams in the country where their season is already over. There’s nothing but a feeling of fortune on our side, so let’s take advantage of this opportunity.”She said that after every game, her players wish they could play that team again. Now, their wishes have been granted.Robertson compared the tournament to a new season, and she mentioned the only pressure her team feels comes from within. “The only pressure is the commitment of going into this game despite a lack of success in Big Ten games and still believe we can win one,” Robertson said. “We’re going to take it one game at a time. We can’t focus on Friday, just Thursday.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU field hockey team hosted its senior game Saturday against No. 24 Ohio State. IU was unable to come away with the win, losing 3-1, despite graduate student goalkeeper Viki Green’s 10 saves during her final home game as a Hoosier.IU Coach Amy Robertson said Green’s play in the game was outstanding, and she also mentioned that she could see the passion in her goalkeeper’s performance.“Viki played like a senior who wanted to win her last game,” Robertson said. “She played fearless, confident and her ability allows her to play the way that she feels.”Green, though, said she felt very disappointed after the defeat.“I wanted to get the win more than anything, and it’s just overall disappointment that we didn’t get it,” Green said. “The reason I’m most disappointed, is that I love these girls on my team and everyone wanted that win in the Big Ten and we didn’t get it.”Senior forward Morgan Fleetwood said while she also shared the hurt feelings of her teammates, the fact that her team still has a chance to avenge the Big Ten season.“It’s always upsetting to end the Big Ten season this way but, we still have another chance,” Fleetwood said. “We still have the Big Ten tournament, and we can make NCAA’s by winning that, so it’s one game at a time.”The Hoosiers had a few opportunities to tie the game. During one play in particular, IU had three shots on goal, but the team failed to find the back of the net.Although her team failed to capitalize on those few trips down the field, Robertson said she admired the team’s attacking mentality. She also noted that the scoreless trips left her with a feeling that her team had been robbed. “I liked the way we looked on attack,” Robertson said. “We were scrappy, we were diving, creating good chances, and it is really unlucky that we didn’t finish with a couple more goals. I feel robbed in that game. Ohio State is a very good team on the ball, but I felt like we got robbed and I feel very disappointed.” Robertson said her team is planning to do big things in the tournament. She also noted that all it takes is one win in the Big Ten and the pain from prior conference losses can be avenged.“We’re a pack that’s gonna go out in the Big Ten tournament, unleash the dogs and see what we can do because we have nothing to lose,” Robertson said. “We still have that one that we are trying to get, and whether it means postseason or not, it would take away from a lot of the hurt from the close losses where we didn’t see the result we felt like we deserved.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU field hockey team will host No. 24 Ohio State for Saturday’s senior game. The match will be the last home game for senior forward Morgan Fleetwood and graduate student goalkeeper Viki Green. IU Coach Amy Robertson said although this is the senior game, the approach will be the same.“We don’t want to place greater emphasis on this game,” Robertson said. “We’re going after it and playing to win. A win would be nice for seniors. It’s momentum heading into the tournament, and it proves to ourselves that we can win a game in the conference.”Fleetwood said this experience will be both exciting and sad. She also acknowledged that while leaving IU behind will be a difficult task, she’s confident she and her teammates will remain close.“I will always have these girls, and I’ll always be a part of this team,” Fleetwood said. “I still talk to my upperclassmen from when I was a freshman, so things change, but it’s all for the good.”Though Fleetwood has been at IU for five years and Green for two, Green admitted the experiences and extent of her stay at IU won’t make leaving any easier.“It’s very bitter,” Green said. “I don’t want the season to end. I’ve had a lot of fun experiences in my two years here, and it’s probably been my best decision I’ve ever made to come to IU and play hockey.”Green also explained how unreal the thought of leaving has been to her.“It’s going to be a shock to go back home to Ireland and not be able to see these girls again,” she said. “We’ve got Facebook, so we can do that. These are definitely my friends for life. I’ll definitely stay in contact with them.”Junior forward Emily Bowker shared a story about Green she found memorable and funny.“A little story about Viki Green is she actually bought a moped here, and it got towed and stolen,” Bowker said. “Let’s just say her dad wanted to get her. It’s so many memories with our Irish teammate.”Junior defender Hannah Boyer said she, too, will have funny memories of Green.“Viki is one of the most disorganized people I’ve ever met,” Boyer said. “She’s always wearing someone else’s clothes, at all times. She’ll walk in the locker room, and we will recognize the sweatshirt is ours, or the T-shirt is one of ours.”Both Boyer and Bowker said Fleetwood is a mentor. Bowker also credits Fleetwood for her progression as a player.“Morgan has been one of my teachers since I’ve gotten here,” she said. “It was certain people who reached out to me, and Morgan was one of them, and she got me to where I am today.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU field hockey team stayed home this weekend and played host to the No. 15 Michigan Wolverines on Friday and the Villanova Wildcats on Sunday. On Friday, the Hoosiers lost to the Wolverines 4-3 in a game in which IU trailed 2-0 at halftime. The second half, however, was a different story.The Hoosiers came out firing, as junior forward Emily Bowker scored IU’s first goal, seven minutes into the second half. Her teammate, junior back Danielle McNally, found the back of the net for the tying goal just two minutes later.However, the Wolverines scored just one minute later to retake the lead.Moments later, the Hoosiers retaliated with a goal coming from sophomore forward Nicole Volgraf, making the game 3-3. Michigan broke the tie just three minutes later, putting the Wolverines up for good, as they took the game 4-3.The Hoosiers had a break at the final moments of the game, but time elapsed before they could get the shot off.IU Coach Amy Robertson acknowledged her team’s hard effort in the second half but also mentioned there was no comfort in the loss.“There is no moral victory for us, we wanted to win this game,” she said. “It’s not that we played afraid to lose, but we just didn’t play to win in the beginning.”Bowker elaborated on how she was encouraged by her team’s effort and noted that Michigan is a young team finding success, and IU can do the same if they keep improving.“Every time they scored, we scored, and that says something,” she said. “We have to keep getting better. Michigan is a young team too, and we will see them again in the Big Ten tournament and next year.”Sunday’s game was a different story. The Hoosiers were on the winning side, defeating the Wildcats 4-0. This game was headlined with Fleetwood breaking the team record for most career points (110) and goals (43). Fleetwood tallied three goals in this game and assisted on sophomore midfielder Amanda Bennison’s first career goal.Robertson expressed her happiness for Fleetwood and noted that this is something she had in mind since recruiting her. She also noted that Fleetwood is no stranger to breaking school records so, it came as no surprise.“It’s a fantastic honor,”Robertson said. “Honestly when I recruited Morgan, I was very confident that was going to happen. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy in many ways. She also held the career goal scoring record at her high school.”As for Fleetwood, she acknowledged that she had no idea how close she was to breaking the record. However, she also mentioned that milestones have no effect on how she approaches the game and talked about how exciting it is to hold such records.“It’s pretty cool, it’s a nice acknowledgement to have but, it doesn’t change the way I go into each game,” she said. “It’s a great accomplishment being a senior and being able to have that once I leave IU.”Robertson acknowledged Fleetwood’s accomplishment is worthy of praise.“We don’t usually make a big deal about honors, but this one is a huge deal,” she said. “It has been a long time since that has been broken. It’s exciting and a real positive heading into next week’s senior game.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU field hockey team will be back in action this weekend, defending its home field with two games in Bloomington. This Friday the Hoosiers are hosts to their in-conference rival the No. 15 Michigan Wolverines. Then, on Sunday, IU will face the Villanova Wildcats.IU Coach Amy Robertson mentioned that in order for her team to come away with the win, it will come down to building off past success and being confident in its abilities.“We have to believe in ourselves,” she said. “This team is capable of all sorts of great things. And when they believe it, play to win and compete, we see glimpses of a really great team.” Junior defender Hannah Boyer acknowledged that one of Michigan’s greatest strengths is its competitiveness. However, she said she is confident that her team will be victorious.“Michigan is a fighting team, and it is going to be a very physical game,” she said. “It’s definitely going to be a good matchup, but I know we can come out on top.”Robertson noted she doesn’t see getting the first Big Ten win as pressure, but instead it adds to the desire of the team. And while she noted that she was happy the volleyball team and women’s soccer have had recent success in the Big Ten, she said her team’s time is now.“We are so hungry for that first win, there is nothing to be complacent about or to be satisfied with, because we haven’t hit that milestone yet,” she said. “It’s our time to get a win, and we’re going for it, nothing we are holding back on, there is no need to hold back, no pressure felt.”Meanwhile, just as IU is searching for their first Big Ten win, Villanova is searching for a breakthrough win. The Wildcats are currently on a four-game losing streak. A game against Louisville Saturday could either add to the current streak or possibly start a new one. Although Villanova has been on the losing end as of late, Robertson noted that the Wildcats are the kind of team you have to be prepared for.“Those are the dangerous teams,” she said. “Their backs are against the wall. They have nothing to lose. It’s no telling what happens in their game against Louisville. They may be coming in with a win and some extra confidence, and if not, those are still teams you always have to watch out for.”Boyer mentioned that her team is in the midst of conference play, and although Villanova isn’t a Big Ten team, they plan to fight as if they were.Junior back Danielle McNally said her team has to remain confident in order to win both games this weekend.“We need to keep our confidence up,” she said. “We have to go in knowing that we can play any team and win.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU field hockey team endured its first back-to-back set of games this weekend, facing the No. 9 Northwestern Wildcats on Friday and the Central Michigan Chippewas on Saturday. In Friday’s game, the Hoosiers were shut out by the Wildcats and lost 4-0.IU Coach Amy Robertson said her team made a few mistakes, but thought overall they played a solid game.“Our structure and defensive organization were good, but the breakdowns we had, Northwestern was really skillful and able to capitalize,” she said. “We didn’t actually play that bad of a game. We just couldn’t get any of our attack going.”The Wildcats scored first in the 23rd minute and never looked back. They scored their second goal eight minutes later and notched two late goals in the second half. The Hoosiers had a few scoring opportunities but failed to find the back of the net.Freshmen forward Rachel Stauffer said her team fought hard against Northwestern, but she thought the loss was a case of bad luck.“I think we came out strong against Northwestern,” she said. “We just couldn’t finish. We stayed in it the whole game and didn’t quit. We just got unlucky.” Stauffer noted the coaching staff was very encouraging after the loss, and she elaborated on the message to the team after the loss heading into the Central Michigan game.“The coaches were really positive, as they always are,” she said. “They told us each game is an opportunity, and we have to come out strong, do our best and take advantage of the opportunities that we have.”On Saturday, IU endured the second game of the back-to-back against Central Michigan. The Hoosiers were down 1-0 before Stauffer retaliated with a goal, tying the game. The Chippewas scored again before the half ended and went into halftime with a 2-1 lead.Although her team trailed at halftime, junior forward Mariella Grote said she never felt the outcome was in question, and she said it was more of a waiting game.“We never felt in doubt,” she said. “We just needed to trust and have confidence in each other. We all knew it was going to happen. We just had to wait it out for the right time.”The Hoosiers took the field in the second half, scoring three unanswered goals and ultimately leaving with a 4-2 victory.Grote said it was a big boost to come back and win the game after trailing. She also said her team didn’t want to just win the game. They wanted to keep scoring. “When we are down, it can be difficult to get us back in it, but when we are back in it, we don’t let up,” she said. “We knew once it was 3-2 that wasn’t the end of our goal scoring. We wanted to push it.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU field hockey team will have its first back-to-back of the season beginning Friday against the No. 9 Northwestern Wildcats, who are 12-2 on the year. Then on Saturday the Hoosiers take on the Central Michigan Chippewas, who are currently on a three-game winning streak.IU Coach Amy Robertson said it will be a challenge to build off of recent success and apply it to the upcoming game.“We’ve got to feed and build off some of the things we have done well in the past two games,” she said. “It came to losing some confidence and forgetting what we know, but we’ve got back on the horse and there’s nothing to lose for us.”Senior forward Morgan Fleetwood said the challenge for the Northwestern game is the mental attitude, which starts with being more consistent.“I think it’s a mental block for us, knowing that they are 12-2 and they are a very strong Big Ten team,” she said. “Just getting over that and playing how we know how to play because we are also a very strong team, we just need to be consistent.”Robertson also said that her team has an advantage because their opponent is in a fairly new position, being the team to beat. She said her team may be the underdog, but that doesn’t bother her at all. Junior forward Emily Bowker agreed with her coach and elaborated on how being the underdog can work to her team’s advantage. “Maybe they aren’t thinking we are the underdog, because we did perform against Iowa and gave them a run for their money,” she said. “I don’t think they think it will be an easy game, but if they do, it will be their loss because we are going to come out hard.”Robertson said the team won’t have much time to prepare for Central Michigan because of the back-to-back situation. She said it comes down to fundamentals, being organized, and playing as a team. Bowker said the team will approach the game against Central Michigan in the same way as the other games, and that they have a one-game-at-a-time mentality.“Hopefully Friday we’re coming out with a win, and we will go into that looking for another win, and we can come out of this weekend 2-0,” she said.Robertson said the success of the weekend will be based on more than just wins and losses.“If we come away with the (win), that’s success in one aspect,” she said. “But for us, it is ‘Are we stepping up to the plate like we need to?’”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU field hockey team is 7-5 after a weekend which included a 2-1 overtime loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes and a 1-0 victory against the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks.In Friday’s game against the Hawkeyes, senior forward Morgan Fleetwood scored the game’s first goal, giving her team a 1-0 lead. Shortly after, the game was delayed due to lightning. After the delay, Iowa tied the game to force overtime and was able to come away with the 2-1 overtime victory. Although her team lost the game, IU Coach Amy Robertson said she admired her team’s competitive spirit. She also discussed how hard of a loss it was for the team.“When we got to overtime, the team wasn’t going to settle for a loss and a moral victory, and our team was really heartbroken over the result, because they weren’t in that game just to play with Iowa,” she said. “They wanted to win it.”Sophomore forward Audra Heilman and Fleetwood both returned to action this weekend after being sidelined with concussions. Both Heilman and Fleetwood said being on the sidelines provided them with a learning experience. Fleetwood said specific changes resulted from watching the game.“I definitely think you gain a different perspective from watching on the sidelines more, because you get to see everything that’s going on,” Fleetwood said. “I took note on structural changes we needed to make and implemented them this weekend.”On Sunday, the Hoosiers traveled to Oxford, Ohio, to take on the RedHawks. IU was victorious, winning the game 1-0. Robertson credited the turnaround victory to the team’s mindset.“We wanted to be very attack-minded,” she said. “Morgan Fleetwood and (sophomore midfielder) Amanda Bennison were really great with second and third efforts, staying in the play and being tough to beat.”Fleetwood noted she was pleased with the team’s performance on the defensive side of the ball.“Our defense was really strong,” she said. “(Graduate student goalkeeper) Viki (Green) had another fantastic game. Our defense overall wasn’t giving up as many corners, and we were stopping the ball outside of the circle a lot.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU field hockey team is coming off a weekend in which they lost 3-0 to conference foe Michigan State. In addition to the loss, the Hoosiers fell in the final moments 3-2 to in-state rival Ball State, leaving IU 0-2 for the weekend. Looking for a different outcome, at 3 p.m. Friday the Hoosiers will play Iowa Hawkeyes at home, and Sunday they travel to Oxford, Ohio, to take on the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks with a 1 p.m. start time.Sophomore forward Nicole Volgraf said her team made certain adjustments in preparation for this weekend’s set of games. “Everyone realized that we had to bring something new and different to practice this week,” Volgraf said. “A new intensity, a new mindset, and there is work to be done, and we have a positive attitude about it.”Her teammate, junior defender Hannah Boyer agreed and said the team’s mental approach has to change for them to be successful.“The biggest adjustment was with our mentality,” she said. “We realized after this past weekend that nothing is going to be handed to us. We have to earn it.”The Hoosiers are currently 0-2 in Big Ten play after losing to Penn State and Michigan State. IU Coach Amy Robertson noted while every game is big, beating Iowa would be a huge win for this team.Boyer said although her team hasn’t recorded its first Big Ten win of the year yet, it is more of a motivating factor than a burden.“It gives us even more of a reason to fight, and we want to prove who we are as a team at IU,” she said. “We are ready to turn 0-2 to 1-2 and just keep going off of that.”Volgraf said her team plans to use their 0-2 conference record to their advantage against Iowa. “We are already 0-2 in the Big Ten, and that is motivation to get this W on Friday,” she said. “We are going to use this to our benefit and come out really hard, and Iowa isn’t going to expect it.”The Hoosiers and RedHawks played an exhibition game earlier this season. IU won 4-2. Robertson said although they won in the previous meeting, the key to duplicating the success will be not overlooking them.Volgraf agreed with her coach and also discussed how prior matches have no indication on the outcome of this game.“We have to remember not to underestimate this team no matter what our past wins and losses are against this team,” she said. “It will be really important to recognize they had just as much time as we did to develop as a team, and we have to come out and play IU field hockey.”Boyer said Miami is a rival, and because they play so often, it comes down to who will come out fighting harder. She said her team has to carry momentum from the game prior to Sunday as well as continue to learn and grow.“I’m very confident in our team,” Boyer said. “Even though the past couple of weekends haven’t been what we wanted them to be, that doesn’t mean we lose confidence in each other. Trust is something that is huge on this team, and the trust is there, so we are pretty confident in each other.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU field hockey team finished the weekend winless after falling 3-0 at Michigan State on Friday and losing in the final 18 seconds at Ball State on Sunday, 3-2.IU coach Amy Robertson said injuries played a huge role in the outcome in the game against Michigan State.“Unfortunately, it really affected us to have our backbone midfield players out with concussions,” Robertson said.Senior forward Morgan Fleetwood was involved in a collision in the game against Penn State, and her symptoms began to progress and led to her not playing against Michigan State. In addition to Fleetwood’s injury, sophomore forward Audra Heilman took an inadvertent stick to the head in the Michigan State game which put her on the sideline.The Hoosiers failed to score a goal against the Spartans, losing 3-0. Robertson said although they played a good team, the lineup change and her team’s mental approach might have decided the game.“Overall we didn’t play with as much confidence as we could have,” Robertson said. “And maybe the changes in personnel affected us, and we weren’t able to overcome.”IU was back in action on Sunday as they traveled to Muncie, Ind., to face in-state rival Ball State. The team was again without Fleetwood and Heilman. The Hoosiers lost to the Cardinals on a goal with 18 seconds left in the game.Robertson expressed her disappointment with the way certain players competed against the Cardinals. She said it was like they were not playing with the mind set of accomplishing the goals they had set before the game.“It’s one thing to go out and play a game,” she said. “It’s another to go play with focus and clarity of what you are trying to do.”Heading into the next practice, Robertson noted it will be simple but competitive. She said it will be situational and match-style so they are better prepared.Robertson also said the team will watch film, and they will have a better feel to the game.Robertson said the key to her team improving is returning to the style of play with which they began, and everyone has to be ready to play to be successful.“We need to play IU field hockey,” she said. “We started the season with a different energy, and that is what we have to get back to. Right now the advantage for us is that we don’t have anything to lose after having a weekend like that.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU field hockey team is coming off of a loss to Penn State and, more recently, a come-back victory against Lock Haven. This Friday, the Hoosiers travel to East Lansing, Mich., for a Big Ten matchup against the No. 22 Michigan State Spartans. On Sunday, they travel to Muncie for a game against in-state rival Ball State.Though the Spartans are ranked No. 22, junior forward/midfielder Emily Bowker said the ranking is not a concern for her. She insists she is much more concerned about her team’s resilient efforts going into this game.“We bounced back against Lock Haven, but the game should not have been that close and nerve-racking,” she said. “We are still on that bouncing-back end where we need to go out there and get the win, and I’m very confident in our team right now.”Junior defender Hannah Boyer expressed her feelings after the loss against Penn State.“We’re definitely eager to get back to Big Ten play,” she said. “None of us were satisfied with how Friday went against Penn State. We brought a lot of energy and a good fight to practice, so we are ready to get back out there.”Although IU outscored Ball State 15-2 between an exhibition and a regular season match last year, IU Coach Amy Robertson said she’s always excited to play against the Cardinals because they are the only other team in Indiana with a Division I program. Since they are the only two field hockey programs in Indiana, she said there are bragging rights on the line.Though her team has many resources in the Big Ten conference, Robertson said her team has to be careful playing against an opponent from the Mid-American Conference. She said the Cardinals would have an extreme sense of pride if they were to pull out a victory Sunday.“That is a feather in their cap to beat a Big Ten team,” she said. “You have to know they are bringing their best against you, so you can never underestimate them or think just because you are in the conference that is supposed to win that you’re going to win.”IU has played Ball State in the regular season every year since 2006. Boyer said because field hockey isn’t prevalent in Indiana and because this is an in-state game, there has always been a rivalry, and the Hoosiers expect to fight just as hard as in years past.Bowker said this game is as critical as any other because of the IU’s youth as a team.“It’s not easier to get up for because every game is so competitive at this point,” she said. “And when you are a younger team, you don’t have days off.”Boyer agreed with her teammate and mentioned their approach to the game doesn’t change.“We treat every game like it’s our hardest game of the season,” she said. “No matter who our opponent is or whether they’re in the Big Ten, MAC, ACC, we are going to treat it like our biggest game of the year.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After beginning this fall unranked, IU Coach Amy Robertson’s field hockey team has started its campaign with a 6-2 record and risen to No. 24 in the most recent National Field Hockey Coaches Association rankings.Although her game plan changes weekly, Robertson said she is never focused specifically on the other team. The adjustments, she said, are always internal.“We always focus on ourselves,” she said. “We will not switch players around to play against a strength of the opponent. That says something about your team, and we really have a lot of trust in the personnel of this team.”She noted that strategies vary on where the team can apply pressure and finding the other team’s vulnerabilities, as well as protecting its own. Robertson also mentioned how the game plan is a week-long process and that practice plays a role in how her team performs on game day. “The game plan is definitely not something I pull out on game day,” Robertson said. “It’s been practiced all week long. If we have to bring a lot of intensity, then we will practice with a lot of intensity.”Although Robertson and her staff draw up the plays and have a huge impact in how their athletes play on the field, she noted the importance of team psychologist Aubrette Kinne, who is working toward her Ph.D. in counseling psychology.While she is not professionally certified yet, Robertson said she uses what she has learned from Kinne with her players, and she said it’s made a huge impact. Robertson also mentioned that initially, it was surprising to see how well her team meshed with Kinne, and now she says the team loves her.“At first I was worried they would be like, ‘Why do we have a sports psych? A shrink?’ and have this bad idea of it,” Robertson said. “But they love it.”When the team meets with Kinne, no coaches are present so the players can be completely open. They can talk about anything they wish, but they make sure to tend to the matter at hand.“They have real conversations with her, and she helps them relax, build confidence and increase their mental preparation and mental game,” she said. Robertson said the team’s scheme is not complex but that the mind is a big part of the game, so her players are always challenged to be innovative on the field so they can be effective.“Our structure is pretty creative,” she said. “It isn’t real simple, but you need to be creative so it is fluid and you have many opportunities.”Robertson said some might measure the team’s success in wins and losses, but her goal for the team this season is to simply learn both on and off the field.“They aren’t just here to get a win or just to get an A,” she said. “It’s about learning, growing, and being out of your comfort zone and striving for more. If you don’t embrace that in school, then it probably won’t carry over.”