245 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(11/01/07 11:28pm)
While on a recruiting trip in 2004, IU women’s soccer coach Mick Lyon went for a run through the hills of England, his native country. He said he felt fine, but the next day he could hardly walk. Lyon hid the odd feelings in his legs for a month before seeking medical help. Soon after, he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a disease that affects the nervous system.\nWhat made Lyon’s case of MS atypical was that two years earlier his wife had been diagnosed with the same disease. \n“That’s extremely unusual,” said Dr. David Mattson, director for the IU School of Medicine’s Neuroimmunology/Multiple Sclerosis Program. “Occasionally people will meet because of their MS and get married, but I’ve never had a situation like that.”\nBut both Mick and Elizabeth Lyon said their cases of MS are manageable and they are lucky for it. Both have passions they said they would never let MS take away. For Elizabeth Lyon, it’s running, and for Mick, it’s coaching.\nDiagnoses don’t hold them down\nMick Lyon coached the University of Evansville women’s soccer program for nine years before coming to IU in 2002. A week after he got the job at IU, Elizabeth was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.\nElizabeth Lyon has since become a national MS ambassador. Her passion for running has pulled her through, and she has started a running club. Her “celebrate ability, not disability” mentality has helped her support her husband, and it has brought the couple closer together.\n“There are things that probably are unseen to people around us that we are very aware that are going on,” she said. “Certainly there is a sixth sense between us. He sees and feels when stuff is going on with me, and likewise.”\nMick Lyon waited from February 2004 until December of that year before telling his team about his condition. He said he needed the time to become comfortable with himself. \nLike Elizabeth, Mick’s passion made his MS seem like merely “a bump in the road.” He said his MS causes him to become fatigued over the course of the season, but he said it has not affected his passion for coaching or his ability to coach.
(10/26/07 3:58am)
The IU women’s soccer team is in the middle of a pivotal moment in its season. Their mettle will be tested as they finish their regular season play on the road against three top Big Ten teams.\n“These are must wins,” senior midfielder Katy Stewart said. “We have the chance to go 3-0 and win the Big Ten title or go 0-3 and barely make the (Big Ten) tournament.”\nThis weekend, the Hoosiers will face Ohio State on Friday and then No. 13 Penn State on Sunday. After the weekend, IU will finish the regular season at No. 5 Purdue.\nThe Hoosiers are currently 12-2-2 with a record of 5-1-1 in the Big Ten. This test will show whether they are a top team in not only the Big Ten, but the nation, something they believe they can be.\n“Our coach has been reminding us that all of our games are must wins,” senior forward Lindsay McCarthy said. “We have the chance to win the Big Ten so I think everyone is excited about these games coming up. We are not scared at all. We are ready to get out there and give it our all.”\nLast weekend, the Hoosiers dropped a road game similar to those coming up, when IU was dealt its second loss of the season last Friday at Illinois. \n“We haven’t been on the road much, so I think since it was their Senior Night and there were a lot of fans there, that we might have got distracted,” McCarthy said. “But it was good for us to experience that, because we are going to face that with the next three games. It was a good awakening that I think is already preparing us for our next three games.”\nStewart said the loss was a result of the Hoosiers not being able to capitalize on opportunities, a problem she said the team will try to fix.\n“(Illinois) play(s) a lot different style than Big Ten teams we play, as well as any other non-conference teams we played,” Stewart said. “So they brought a very different style at us, and I don’t think we were able to adjust as quickly as we needed to. The thing about it was we had shots on goal, we had as many shots as they did.”\nIU coach Mick Lyon said he wants his team to be excited for the weekend’s matches but focused at the same time.\n“I want their mind set to be excited, but not to let that excitement overcome them,” Lyon said. “What we need to do is just perform well, and we will have chances to win all three of our last games. Our focus has been on Ohio State, and we need to have a mind set that we are going there to win a game, and then we will go and take care of Penn State at their place.” \nLyon also said that he wants his defense to play better than they did at Illinois.\n“On the defensive side, we need to step up and rise to the challenge. Either you become a mouse or a mountain lion,” Lyon said. \nThe game against Ohio State kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The match at Penn State will be at 1 p.m. Sunday and will be aired on the Big Ten Network.
(10/22/07 3:53am)
Their unbeaten streak stopped at 13 on Friday night, but freshman midfielder Chloe McKay said the IU women’s soccer team is starting a new streak after the Hoosiers came from behind to defeat Oakland University on Sunday.\n“Our first goal was to just go out there and win, and come back, because we did not want to lose again,” McKay said. “It brought us back up, and we now have put the loss behind us and are on our new win streak.”\nIllinois defeated the Hoosiers 3-0 on Friday night. The loss was IU’s first since its season-opener Aug. 31 at then-No. 14 Florida.\nFighting Illini senior forward Ella Masar lit up the Hoosiers, as she scored two of her team’s three goals on Illinois’ senior night.\nIU coach Mick Lyon said the game against Illinois came down to the Hoosiers not being able to capitalize on opportunities, letting the Fighting Illini control the game’s momentum and not coming through in one-on-one situations.\nThe loss moved IU’s conference record to 5-1-1. The Hoosiers are currently third in the Big Ten behind Purdue, 6-0-1, and Penn State, 6-1-0.\nWhile playing at home yesterday, the Hoosiers had to come from behind for the fifth time this season to defeat Oakland 2-1. \nThe win was the last home game of the season for the Hoosiers and secured an unbeaten season at Bill Armstrong Stadium. The 9-0-1 home record is the team’s best in school history.\n“(Going undefeated at home) is fantastic,” Lyon said. “I’m shocked about this team. It is special to have such great kids.”\nOakland controlled the first half of the game Sunday, and led 1-0 at halftime. \nBut the Hoosiers poured on the pressure in the second half, starting with the equalizing goal from McKay just two minutes in.\n“(The goal) started with the ball on the wing, and I knew there was going to be a cross,” McKay said. “And I saw one of our players running in, so I decided to stay at the top of the box and wait for the rebound. I waited, and the ball came shooting back, out and I just put it where the keeper wasn’t.”\nThe game-winning goal then came in the 82nd minute, as sophomore defender Jessica Boots tallied her first goal of the season. \n“There was play in the box and we had a couple of chances that we didn’t fall in, and the ball came back out right outside the 18 (yard box), and I just took a touch and struck it,” Boots said.\nLyon said the biggest difference between the halves was that his team was much more aggressive in the second half. \nThat aggression showed in the final box score. \nIn the second half, the Hoosiers nearly doubled their shot-on-goal total from the first half and out-shot the Golden Grizzlies 13-3.\nBoots said the Oakland – and every game going forward – will be crucial to IU’s season.\n“I think that this game meant a lot,” Boots said. “It was kind of like a start to the new season – the second half of the season – which every game we have to win or we are going to be out.”\nAfter the win, the Hoosiers’ season record stands at 12-2-2. Their next match is 7:30 p.m. Friday at Ohio State.
(10/19/07 3:08am)
The IU women’s soccer team finally broke into the national top 25 this week, coming in at No. 24. The Hoosiers will seek to demonstrate that they deserve that recognition as they begin the most trying part of the season.\nThe Hoosiers head to Champagne, Ill., tonight as they prepare to end the Big Ten season with road games against four of the five teams ranked ahead of them in Big Ten preseason polls.\nTheir only home game the rest of the season will be Sunday’s non-conference match against the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies, who are currently riding a five-game unbeaten streak.\nLast year, Illinois finished second in the Big Ten and reached the third round of the NCAA tournament. But the Illini are currently underachieving from their preseason rank of 20, and did not receive any votes for this week’s top 25 poll.\nIllinois will not be any easy match for the Hoosiers, however. In their last eight meetings with the Fighting Illini, the Hoosiers are 0-6-2, including losses in the last two meetings. \nLast year’s meeting saw IU lose 1-0 as the team finished its regular season with four straight losses.\n“Last year, we lost to them when we went there, so it is kind of revenge – we are wanting to redeem ourselves,” sophomore defender Kelly Lawrence said. \nThe Fighting Illini are 3-2-1 in conference play, placing them fourth in the Big Ten. But Illinois has been nearly unbeatable this year at home, posting a 5-1-1 record.\n“It is going to be a tough game.” senior midfielder Beverly Markwort said. “They are always tough, and they are ranked up there at the top of the Big Ten. So it is a big game, it is the start of a bunch of good games we’ll have to play.”\nThe No. 24 Hoosiers will go into the match with a 13-game unbeaten streak and an overall record of 11-1-2. They are 5-0-1 in Big Ten play.\n“We kind of thought we should have been ranked the last few weeks, but it definitely means that we are going in the right direction and we are a team that is up there and should be in the NCAA tournament,” Lawrence said. “Last year, the highest we got ranked was 16th, and I feel like we are a better team this year, so we definitely deserve 24th.”\nMuch of IU’s recent success has come off of the foot of sophomore forward Kristin Arnold, who is tied atop the Big Ten with nine goals.\nArnold was named to Soccer America’s Team of the Week and Soccer Buzz’s Elite Team of the Week this week for her exceptional performance, scoring three goals in two games last weekend.\nAfter this weekend’s matches, IU will finish its season with road games against Ohio State, No. 8 Penn State and No. 5 Purdue. \nThose three teams and Illinois made up the top four teams in the Big Ten coaches’ preseason rankings. IU ranked sixth.\n“We definitely need to get points against the better teams in the Big Ten,” Markwort said. “And now that we are ranked No. 24, we want to show we can beat the better teams. The last four games are the better teams.”\nIU will face off against Illinois at 7 p.m. Friday, and then host Oakland at noon Sunday.\n“(The Illinois match) is an important game,” IU coach Mick Lyon said. “Every game from now on is important, that’s where we have put ourselves.”
(10/15/07 4:53am)
The IU women’s soccer team extended its unbeaten streak to 13 games this weekend with home victories over Minnesota and Iowa.\nLed by two goals from sophomore forward Kristin Arnold and scores from freshmen forwards Leigh Anne Cummings and Jocelyn Moses, the Hoosiers defeated Minnesota 4-2 on Friday night. \nMoses’ goal was the first of her career.\nYesterday, the Hoosiers defeated Iowa 1-0 in overtime as Arnold netted her third goal of the weekend in the 98th minute.\nThe win had extra meaning to the Hoosiers after losing to Iowa last year in overtime. \n“It’s really good (to beat Iowa),” Arnold said. “We talked at the beginning about how last year we went into their stadium and they beat us in overtime 1-0. So, to come out today and – even though we didn’t have our best game – to get a win just shows the determination of the team and how closely knit we are.”\nSophomore defender Jessica Boots echoed her teammate’s sentiments.\n“We definitely went out there for revenge,” Boots said. “Last year was very upsetting and to come back and beat them, especially in overtime, is just wonderful.”\nBoots and the rest of the Hoosiers’ defense limited Iowa to \nseven shots – only two on goal. The defense had to be on its game because the IU offense, despite having 23 shots – 12 by Arnold – and a team total of eight shots on net, couldn’t score in regulation.\n“We were pretty solid in the back,” Boots said. “We did well communication-wise and marking, and that’s what helped us win the game.”\nIn six games of conference play, Arnold has recorded eight goals. She leads the Hoosiers in goals with nine and in points with 20.\n“(Arnold) is in a groove right now where she thinks every time she shoots that it is going in and for a forward that is huge,” coach Mick Lyon said. “Her movement off the ball has really opened up. She is starting to really understand the game and how we want it played.”\nArnold said she owes a lot of her success to her teammates finding her open.\n“The girls have done an awesome job of finding me with awesome through-balls, and if I don’t score I’m not doing my job and I shouldn’t be on the field,” Arnold said.\nSince losing to Florida on Aug. 31, the Hoosiers have earned a record of 11-0-2, and are 5-0-1 in Big Ten play.\n“They’re definitely confident,” Lyon said. “I am trying to hold them off from being too cocky. I try to tell them that they are only as good as their next game.”\nThe Hoosiers’ next game is Friday against Illinois on the road. The Hoosiers will host their final home game of the season Sunday as Oakland comes to Bill Armstrong Stadium.
(10/12/07 4:54am)
This weekend’s matches against Minnesota and Iowa will mark the last two Big Ten home games for the IU women’s soccer team this season.\nThe Hoosiers are currently receiving the second-highest number of votes among unranked teams in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll, and are ranked 12th in the first Ratings Percentage Index rankings released for 2007. The RPI rankings help the selection committee determine which teams receive at-large bids to the NCAA tournament. \nLed by a potent offense, the Hoosiers are riding an 11-game unbeaten streak, over which they have a record of 9-0-2. In their 12 games (9-1-2) so far this season, the Hoosiers have netted 24 goals, three more than last season’s total.\nWith five of those goals coming off corner kicks, IU coach Mick Lyon is confident in his team’s ability to score from set pieces.\n“We have good players who can serve the ball,” Lyon said. “Having players who can really put the ball where you want it is a huge part of set plays. Anyone can hit the ball as hard as Beckham, but can they put it with the right spin and with the right pace to get it in the back corner every time? I think that’s what we are doing \nreally well.”\nThe Hoosiers have several players who can serve the ball into the 18-yard box on a corner kick.\nFor serves that require a left-footed kicker, freshman midfielder Chloe McKay is usually in charge of taking the kick.\n“We have a couple of different plays,” McKay said. “There is either a back-post run that we are looking for, or we are looking to put it on the two (players) that are standing on the near-post, so they can flick it on to the back-post. We always have at least two to three options wherever we are playing.”\nAfter the ball is served in, it is usually sophomore midfielder/forward Christie Kotynski’s job to gather and shoot the ball. \n“Basically, I’m just following the ball wherever it goes,” Kotynski said. “I have to be on the end of every set piece.”\nKotynski has four of the Hoosiers’ five goals off of corner kicks.\n“We are very dangerous on set pieces, I think anywhere on the field, but especially on corners having the height that we do,” McKay said. “Christie has been doing great with finishing, and so has Lindsay (McCarthy), especially off of headers.”\nMcCarthy, a senior forward, became the third Hoosier in the last three weeks to get at least a share of Big Ten Player of the Week honors. \nMcCarthy scored both of IU’s goals last weekend, as the Hoosiers tied Michigan and beat Michigan State, both on the road.\nMinnesota and Iowa finished in a tie for 10th in the Big Ten last year, but both have winning records in conference play so far this year at 2-1.\nIU plays Minnesota at 7 p.m. Friday night at Bill Armstrong Stadium. It then faces Iowa at 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
(10/08/07 4:10am)
The IU women’s soccer team recorded their third win in the Big Ten on Sunday after a shutout from freshman goalkeeper Lauren Hollandsworth against Michigan State.\nThe 1-0 road win moved the Hoosiers’ record to 9-1-2 and 3-0-1 in the Big Ten. It also extended IU’s unbeaten streak to 11 games, during which the team has a record of 9-0-2.\nHollandsworth had to make a career-high six saves en route to her fourth shutout of the season.\n“Lauren is getting better and better every single game,” IU coach Mick Lyon said. “The experience of playing is helping her, and I think the things that she wasn’t comfortable with at the beginning of the year she is getting better at. She is definitely a great shot-stopper.”\nThough they allowed six shots on goal, the Hoosiers’ defense caught Michigan State offsides four times. \n“I’m extremely happy,” Hollandsworth said. “I always wanted to get at least one (shutout) this weekend. ... I had a lot of help from the defense. They definitely worked hard as well.”\nThe lone goal of the contest came from senior forward Lindsay McCarthy in the \n73rd minute.\nThe score was McCarthy’s third of the season and second in as many games, as she had the Hoosiers’ only goal Thursday in a 1-1 draw with Michigan.\n“I got the ball to my feet, I turned and beat a player and then I found the top right corner of the goal,” McCarthy said. “I feel happy to help my team on an undefeated weekend, and hopefully we will continue that for the rest of the season.” \nLyon was pleased with how his team fared Sunday \nand Thursday.\n“We’re very happy to pick up a win on the road and be undefeated on the weekend.” Lyon said. “Getting a win and tie shows that we are a legitimate team.”\nPutting together successful weekends on the road will be vital for the rest of IU’s season. Four of IU’s last five games will be on the road against top Big Ten teams.\nThe Hoosiers will return to the pitch at 7 p.m. Friday when Minnesota comes to Bloomington. \nThe Gophers are 6-4-1 on the season and 2-1 in the Big Ten after falling to Illinois on Friday.\nAfter Minnesota, the Hoosiers will face Iowa at 2 p.m. Sunday at home.
(10/05/07 4:19am)
After playing to a 1-1 draw in two overtimes against Michigan last night, the IU women’s soccer team will play Michigan State at noon on Sunday.\nThe Hoosiers got on the board first in the 24th minute as senior midfielder/forward Lindsay McCarthy blasted a shot into the Wolverine goal from 20 yards out. \nIU had its seven-game winning streak derailed with the draw, but still has a 10-game unbeaten streak going and an 8-1-2 record overall.\nAfter the Wolverines, the Hoosiers will be ready for another Michigan team, as they take on Michigan State on Sunday. The Hoosiers haven’t had two consecutive road games since the beginning of their season when they played two games in Florida against Florida and Jacksonville.\n“The atmosphere is a lot different,” sophomore forward Kristin Arnold said of playing on the road. “Especially this year, because we are so used to playing at home.”\n“I think it is (tougher to play on the road), but I also think we adjust to it very well,” McCarthy said.\nIU coach Mick Lyon said Michigan State will prove a tough opponent to play on the road, because they have a strong defense, but also have talented players who can score. \n“They play the same way every year,” Lyon said of Michigan State’s defense. “They play a 4-4-2, defending with a block of eight – four midfielders and four defenders. They try to make games into 1-0 affairs and low-scoring affairs, and they make it difficult to get multiple goals against them. Then they are looking to steal a goal here and there.”\nOn offense the Spartans are led by sophomore forward Lauren Hill and senior midfielder Maureen Pawlak, who have five and four goals respectively. \n“They’ve got two or three dangerous players that are creative,” Lyon said. “Lauren Hill ... leads them in points and is a dangerous player. She’s got a lot a little bit of quickness and speed and knows how to score.”\nHill leads MSU with 12 points on the season, while Pawlak is second with 11. Lyon said keeping the Spartans’ shot total down is a big goal for the Hoosiers this weekend. \n“We want to reduce that number,” Lyon said, “because I feel like at times we aren’t pressing close enough to the ball when they are 25-28 yards away, and when you get a player like Maureen Pawlak, she is looking to score when she is 25 yards away. I want our defense to get closer and put pressure on the ball so they don’t have that choice of shooting.”
(10/04/07 4:27am)
With a seven-game winning streak and a nine-game unbeaten streak on the line, the IU women’s soccer team will have targets on their backs as they travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., today to face the Michigan Wolverines.\nThe streak is the longest for the Hoosiers since winning 14 in a row from Oct. 3, 1993, to Sept. 14, 1994. IU has not dropped a game since its first contest of the year against then-No. 13 Florida on Aug. 31. The team’s record currently stands at 8-1-1.\n“Last year was pretty rough, because we beat the top Big Ten teams and then lost to low ones,” senior midfielder/forward Lindsay McCarthy said. “So, any team we play is going to be hard. ... Just like coach (Mick Lyon) said, ‘We are on a pedestal, and what are people going to want to do? Knock you off.’” \nIU coach Mick Lyon wants his players to use the streak as motivation, but not get so wrapped up in their success that they forget their overall team goals.\n“If you ask anyone, whether it is a baseball player or a football team, you try not to focus on (streaks),” Lyon said. “But at the same time, you use it as a little extra motivation. It is finding that balance between the two. Our season is not based on how many games we win in a row. It is based on how well we are doing at the very end.”\nLast year, IU had a similar streak for 14 games after losing its first match of the season.\nDuring that streak, the team gathered a 10-0-3 record – not counting the loss – before Northwestern knocked them down. The team never recovered, losing its last three regular season games, all on the road in the Big Ten. IU then lost to Michigan in the Big Ten tournament.\nThe Big Ten coaches’ preseason rankings had Michigan slotted to finish fifth in the Big Ten, one spot ahead of Indiana.\nDespite being ranked higher than IU at the beginning of the season, the Wolverines have struggled, and IU now ranks higher. The Hoosiers are receiving votes for the Top 25, but by the amount of votes they’re ranked 28th.\nThe Wolverines (2-6-1) have lost their last three contests, including two Big Ten matches against Minnesota and Iowa, who were slotted to finish 10th and 11th respectively in Big Ten preseason rankings.\nBut Lyon said he knows that any game in the Big Ten can be difficult, especially on the road.\n“Even in soccer, playing away from home is a tough venture,” Lyon said. “Just with the environment, they are more comfortable. When you are traveling on the road ... you have got to make sure you stay focused on what the trip is about. It’s about winning soccer games.” The Hoosiers are currently tied atop the Big Ten after winning their first two conference games last weekend. Led by the co-Big Ten Player of the Week Kristin Arnold's five goals, the Hoosiers downed Northwestern 4-3 and Wisconsin 2-0 last weekend. \nAgainst Northwestern, Arnold, a sophomore forward, had IU’s first hat trick since McCarthy scored three goals against Oakland in 2004.\nArnold then added two more goals to her weekend tally as IU defeated Wisconsin 2-0.\n“(Being named co-Big Ten player of the week) feels good,” Arnold said. “A lot of it, though, has to give credit to the team. There were a lot of good through balls that I’ve gotten, which is something we have really talked about. So, I mean, while I finished them, I definitely had some really good balls played to me and not finishing them would be doing a disservice to the team.”\nThe Hoosiers play Michigan at 8 p.m. today. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
(10/04/07 4:00am)
"I Ran"
(10/01/07 4:19am)
With five goals this weekend, sophomore forward Kristin Arnold outscored both opponents the IU women’s soccer team faced.\nOn Friday, Arnold scored three goals as the Hoosiers overcame a second-half surge from Northwestern to win 4-3. She netted two more in the Hoosiers’ 2-0 win Sunday over Wisconsin.\n“I had some really good balls that were played into me,” Arnold said after the game Friday. “Tonight was just my night. It’s a really good feeling to look back and know that we won 4-3, and three of the goals came from me.”\nThe Hoosiers came out firing against the Wildcats with Arnold’s first goal coming in the 11th minute of the match.\nFreshman midfielder Chloe McKay played a through-ball down the middle of the field that left Arnold one-on-one with Northwestern goalkeeper Lauren Johnston. Arnold faked a shot that sent Johnston to the ground and then played an uncontested shot into the goal.\nSenior forward Lindsay McCarthy then added her first goal of the season in the 16th minute with a header from a corner kick by McKay.\nAfter halftime, the scoring continued. Only then, it was the Wildcats who were doing the scoring.\nKelsey Hans recorded her fifth and sixth goals of the season, and teammate Shannon Schneeman recorded her sixth goal as the Wildcats went up 3-2.\n“One of the big things we talked about going into the game and again at halftime is that we have always struggled in the first half,” Arnold said Friday. “But today, we went up two to nothing and then came out in the second half and played like crap for 20 minutes.”\nShortly after Hans’ second goal in the 73rd minute, Arnold recorded her second of the night with a turnaround blast from well outside the 18-yard box that soared past Johnston to tie the game at three goals apiece.\nArnold then scored the winning goal in the 86th minute, when she caught the Northwestern defense off guard after a Wildcat goal was negated by an offsides penalty.\nAfter the win Friday, Arnold said the team needed to work on coming out and playing mistake-free.\nSunday, that is exactly what IU did as they defeated the Wisconsin Badgers 2-0. Arnold continued her great play by adding her fifth and sixth goals of the season, both in the first half. \nSo again, IU went into halftime with a 2-0 lead. But instead of looking flat in the second half, the Hoosier defense only let up four shots on goal, two of which forced freshman goalie Lauren Hollandsworth to leave her feet.\n“We have been talking about playing the whole 90 minutes of the game, because it only takes one minute where we lose concentration to let a team back into the game,” sophomore defender Jessica Boots said.\nBoots attributed the strong defense to cooperation between defenders and the rest of the team, in that forwards and midfielders dropped back to help play balls out of Hoosier territory.\nWith the two wins this weekend, IU is now 2-0 in the Big Ten and is riding a nine-game unbeaten streak complete with a seven-game winning streak. Their record now stands at 8-1-1. \n“It’s great momentum, and I’m very happy for the girls,” coach Mick Lyon said. “They have really put together a nice string of wins. And I don’t think we’ve stolen too much either; I think we have earned everything we got.”\nThe Hoosiers finished the entire month of September without a loss and haven’t lost in September since Sept. 25, 2005.\n“I’m hoping I’m not going to be known as ‘Mr. September,’ because we need to be known as the October team,” Lyon said. “We need to now take the next month and win seven in a row.”
(09/28/07 4:22am)
Other than being the first game of the Big Ten season, Friday night’s game against Northwestern will have extra meaning for the IU women’s soccer team. \nLast year, Northwestern snapped IU’s 13-game unbeaten streak during which the Hoosiers had accrued a 9-0-4 record. After the loss, the Hoosiers’ season took a nose dive, and the team went from being ranked in the national top 25 to losing their three remaining games of the season. They then lost in the first round of the Big Ten tournament and did not qualify for the NCAA tournament.\n“We definitely have to go out there and redeem ourselves,” sophomore defender Jessica Boots said. “We need to start out with a high intensity and try and play our game and put the pressure on them.”\nThe Wildcats have a 5-2-2 record, and IU coach Mick Lyon said that they are a budding and respectable program.\n“They made a coaching change two years ago and have done a super job with their program,” Lyon said. “They have nice soccer players. We need to pounce on them and play in the back line like we have been.” \nMuch like last year, the Hoosiers have built up momentum in the games leading to their contest with the Wildcats. In their last seven games, IU is undefeated with six wins and one draw.\n“The girls definitely have pep in their steps,” Lyon said. “We put them through a tough, physical training session on Tuesday and they responded really well. We have been working on building up confidence in training sessions, and now we just need to take the confidence and put in on the pitch come game time.”\nOne athlete who has some “pep in her step” is sophomore midfielder Christie Kotynski. She is the team leader in goals and assists at five and four, respectively. \nLast week alone, Kotynski added three goals and an assist to her season total. \nAgainst Butler on Sept. 19, she had a game-tying goal in the 62nd minute of play, which gave her team the momentum it needed to score another goal and win the game 2-1.\nThen against Evansville on Sunday, Kotynski scored two more goals and added an assist as the Hoosiers went on to win the match 4-0.\nBecause of the week she had, Kotynski was named the Big Ten Player of the Week and was named to the Soccer Buzz Elite Team of the Week. Soccer Buzz is a magazine dedicated to collegiate women’s soccer.\nAmidst the accolades, Kotynski remained humble. \n“(Receiving this recognition) is cool,” Kotynski said. “It’s surprising though. There are so many good players out there that I’m surprised I was chosen. But it’s definitely cool.”\nKotynski is currently tied for second in the Big Ten with 14 points this season, one behind conference leader, Lindsey Schwartz of Minnesota.\nA point is a statistic that assigns a numerical value for goals and assists. A player gets two points for a goal and one for an assist.\nAfter Northwestern, the Hoosiers will continue Big Ten play as they host Wisconsin at 2 p.m. Sunday. The Badgers come to Bloomington after dropping a game to in-state foe UW-Milwaukee 1-0. The Badgers’ record currently sits at 3-3-1. They will face Purdue on Friday afternoon. \nLyon stressed that both Big Ten games this weekend and every Big Ten contest in the future are very important to the team.\n“Every game from here on out is important,” Lyon said. “We want to get wins out of every weekend.” \nThe Hoosiers will try to get their first win of conference play at 7 p.m. Friday as they host Northwestern at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
(09/26/07 11:48pm)
The IU women’s soccer team is slotted to finish sixth in the Big Ten, according to the Big Ten coaches’ preseason poll, and out-performing that prediction may prove to be difficult. \nThe Hoosiers will have to face all five ranked Big Ten teams on the road. \nIn preparation for their tough schedule, IU coach Mick Lyon made sure to test his players before the conference season. For their lone preseason game, the Hoosiers traveled to Missouri, where they lost 5-0.\nLetting up so many goals against Missouri served as a wake-up call for a team comprised of players who last year set a school record for least amount of goals allowed in a single season. After the match, Lyon said defense would become his team’s focus for the season.\n“Games can be won on defense – certainly I know we have to score goals – but defending your own goal and stopping the other team from scoring is going to be our primary starting point,” he said. “I certainly expect us to be ever-dominant in the back as we have been. I don’t know that we will set a school record again, because it is difficult to set a record every year, but we will be extremely competitive in the defensive unit for sure.”\nSince that game, the Hoosiers have let in five goals in four games and have established a record of 6-1-1, including a 1-0 loss against then-No. 14 Florida and two overtime, come-from-behind wins against Jacksonville and then-No. 13 USC.\nAt Jacksonville, the Hoosiers were down twice after gaining an early lead. In overtime, sophomore midfielder Christie Kotynski scored the game-winning goal off of a pass from senior forward Suzie Teixeira.\nIU didn’t score until the 90th minute against USC when freshman forward Leigh Anne Cummings scored her first career goal and sent the game into overtime at a goal apiece. Sophomore forward Kristin Arnold then won the game 49 seconds into overtime with an opposite-foot shot.\nCummings said the win over the Trojans gives the team confidence heading into conference play. \n“It was definitely an important win for our program, because it got us pumped up and now we know we can beat ranked teams,” Cummings said. “We know that we are right up there with them, that we should be ranked up there, too, and that no matter what, even if we are down, we can pull together and get the win.”\nLyon said facing tough teams like Missouri, Florida and USC will help his team as they enter Big Ten play.\n“You’ve got to play a tough schedule if you want to get prepared for Big Ten games,” Lyon said. “All 10 of our Big Ten games are incredibly tough, whether we are playing Penn State, who ranks at the top, or Iowa, who is at the bottom.”\nLyon said there is a different style of play in the Big Ten, but it is not a style he likes to see his team play.\n“Everyone says that the Big Ten is physical and direct, which I don’t think that is the case with us,” Lyon said. “I think we are becoming physical in the sense that we match challenges. The way we have kind of changed is that we look for through balls and bumps and flicks that let us look for first and second chances.”
(09/26/07 11:45pm)
As a freshman starter last year, Jessica Boots didn’t have to be a leader. She just had to do her job. But now, she is being called upon to lead early in her career.\n“(Being a leader) is a big challenge and is definitely something I am having to step into and take day-by-day, game-by-game,” Jessica Boots said. “Last year, we had a senior in the back line so she did a lot of the talking. Now I am having to step over and take her position.”\nJessica Boots started at defense in all 20 games last year for the IU women’s soccer team and was instrumental in the defense that allowed a school record-low of 15 goals against.\n“(The leadership in last year) is night and day,” IU coach Mick Lyon said. “She came in last year as one of two freshmen starting, so she just did her job last year. (Boots) was very proficient in what she did, but she wasn’t vocal. This year she has just taken over.”\nThe transition to becoming a leader started for Jessica Boots over the summer when she invited IU forward Kristin Arnold and midfielders Nikki Bonacorsi, Christie Kostynski and Natalie O’Bryan to play on her club team in Carmel, Ind.\nBoots’ father, Ron Boots, was the manager of that team, so he worked closely with the coach in organizing practices and road trips. Ron Boots said each of the players grew over the summer from the rigorous practice and competition.\n“The six that are playing for the IU team now each got different things out of (playing on the club team),” Ron Boots said. “Natalie O’Bryan got playing time, for example, and practice against really good players. Nikki Bonacorsi is coming back from foot surgery, so it gave her an opportunity to really work hard over the summer and play against good teams. It allowed Boots, Kotynski and Arnold to play together more, and play off of each other and understand where they like to receive the ball and what to expect out of them.”\nThe club’s defense, anchored by Jessica Boots, only allowed four goals in as many games on its way to winning the U-19 United States Youth Soccer Association National Championship.\n“I think (playing on the club team) gave us a chance to get to know each other better,” Jessica Boots said. “Obviously we’re here with 30 girls, but on that club team, there is a lot more one-on-one time, and I got to know the girls more than I ever did here.”\nJessica Boots’ leadership on the back line will be vital to the Hoosiers’ success during the tough Big Ten season.\n“Every game is going to be a challenge, and that’s why I’m excited for it,” Jessica Boots said of the Big Ten season. “It will really test our team to see how well we are and if we can come back day-after-day and prove to ourselves and everyone else around us that we can really do (well).”\nJessica Boots said the game she is looking forward to the most in the Big Ten season is IU’s rivalry game with Purdue, because a lot of her family went there, including her father.\n“Actually, I did (go to Purdue), my wife went to Purdue, both my brothers and my father-in-law played football at Purdue,” Ron Boots said. “In Jessica’s case, soccer was involved. She just felt like this was a good fit for her from a soccer point-of-view as well as from a school (point-of-view), and it has been a good fit, both academically and soccer.”\nRon Boots said he always pulls for the Hoosiers instead of the Boilermakers, at least when the women’s soccer teams and his daughter are on the field.\n“Of course, I know who butters my bread,” Ron Boots said. “I catch so much grief. If I go to West Lafayette, I catch grief. If I come to Bloomington, I catch grief.”\nThe first game of the Big Ten season is Sept. 28, when Northwestern comes to Bill Armstrong Stadium.
(09/24/07 4:06am)
With an offensive flurry in the second half of Sunday’s game against Evansville, the IU women’s soccer team extended its winning streak to seven games.\nGoing into the game, the Hoosiers had a goal to play intelligently and score off of set pieces, IU coach Mick Lyon said. A set piece refers to an opportunity in which a team has either a corner or a free kick toward its opponent’s goal, allowing to place players in certain spots they feel will give them the best chance to score. By the end of the match, IU had scored three goals off these plays.\n“It was one of our goals to get goals off of set pieces,” sophomore Christie Kotynski said. “And we were able to finish off of them, which was awesome. We reached one of our \ngoals today.” \nKotynski opened the scoring for the Hoosiers early in the second half with a goal off of a corner kick from forward Kristin Arnold. Kotynski would later add another goal off of a corner and an assist to advance the Hoosiers past the Aces 4-0.\nFreshman goalkeeper Lauren Hollandsworth picked up her second shutout of the year, the first coming in a draw against Loyola Marymount \non Sept. 7.\nHollandsworth said the shutout was a team effort.\n“(The back line) was definitely key,” Hollandsworth said. “There wasn’t too much for me to do in the game. I mean I was picking up balls here and there, but they were making the big tackles and shutting them down outside the 18 (yard box).”\nThe back line did come up big for the Hoosiers. Led by sophomore Jessica Boots and senior Katy Stewart, the line allowed only three shots the entire game, whereas the Hoosiers managed 21 shots – 11 of which were on goal.\n“Our confidence level goes up when we start scoring goals and we get stronger in the back,” Hollandsworth said. “We see that we are up and know that we have to keep the shutout. I think our confidence level was a lot higher this game.”\nLyon was pleased with how well his Hoosiers played. Scoring so many goals allowed him to play some of the less experienced members of the team and get a feel for how they would play in more strenuous game situations.\n“(Playing more players) is what you strive to do when you are two or three goals ahead and have complete control the game,” Lyon said. “It does two things: It rewards them for the effort they are putting in every day in training, but also gives me a little look that when the game is tight, are they going to be part of the squad playing.”\nThe Hoosiers’ winning streak is now up to seven games, all in September. Their overall record is 6-1-1, and the team hasn’t lost a game in the month of September since Sept. 25, 2005, a 2-1 overtime loss at Minnesota. Since that game, the Hoosiers are 13-0-4 in the month.\nIU will return to action 7 p.m. Friday as they host Northwestern in the conference opener for the Hoosiers.
(09/21/07 4:30am)
The story line for the women’s soccer team in September has been to go out and find ways not to lose. With a record of 5-0-1 in September to date, they’re on a familiar track.\nLast September had the same story line, as the Hoosiers notched a record of 6-0-3 for the month. Unfortunately, October brought a plot twist worthy of a Stephen King novel that crippled their season. The Hoosiers started October last year 3-0-1 before a 1-0 loss to Northwestern. IU then lost four more one-goal games to finish their season, including a 2-1 lose to Michigan in the Big Ten tournament.\nWith Evansville coming to town Sunday, the Hoosiers have a chance to improve their record in September to 6-0-1 (6-1-1 on the season) with a win. After Evansville, IU will begin the Big Ten season and try to avoid the same outcome as last year.\n“Looking from last season when we lost our first game, it definitely sent us down the wrong path,” sophomore defender Kelly Lawrence said. “If we can get a good result against Evansville and get a bit of confidence for the team, we’ll be in good shape for the Big Ten.”\nEvansville will be the third straight in-state foe for the Hoosiers. IU topped Ball State at home Sunday and Butler on the road Wednesday. Senior defender Katy Stewart said that beating another Indiana team means more than other non-conference teams of the same caliber.\n“We are looking to come and just put them all away,” Stewart said. “We have had a little bit of a difficult time the last two games, so we are looking to come out right away and put them on their heels and show them what it means to play at Indiana.”\nThis weekend’s game does have a little more incentive for the squad. IU coach Mick Lyon played for Evansville and coached the Aces before coming to IU.\n“There is no doubt (an added incentive to beating Evansville),” Lyon said. “I’m not going to get beat by my alma mater, that’s for sure.”\nWith their strong month, the Hoosiers have climbed to eighth in the Great Lakes Region poll by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. They have also received votes for the national top 25 in the last two polls.\n“It is nice to get on a run, but unfortunately, you can break at the end of it,” Lyon said. “And last year, we had a brilliant run in the month of September, which is great when you can get in that kind of situation, no doubt about it. But we need to make sure we don’t get preoccupied by it like we did last year.”\nAfter the Aces, IU will open their Big Ten season next Friday at home against Northwestern, the same team who started last year’s misery. Lawrence said that conference play is when the real season for the Hoosiers starts.\n“Definitely, every game counts, (because) it helps toward the NCAA tournament,” Lawrence said. “But when it comes to Big Ten games, it really is the next level, and every game is more important than the last.”\nThe Hoosiers take on Evansville at 2 p.m. Sunday at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
(09/20/07 4:00am)
"Hi, my name is Rachel, and I hate sex because it's smelly and drippy."\nOK, not quite, but that is how I introduced myself at my Pure Romance party. Our consultant had us write down our most-despised chore and the reason we hate it, then replace the chore with "sex" (Mine? Taking out the garbage). The icebreaker was necessary to dispel the frigidness suffocating my guests, thanks to the intimidating spread of lubricants, dildos and vibrators splayed on the hot-pink tablecloth in my living room. Whether "smelly and drippy" is a legitimate reason for disliking sex, Pure Romance probably has a remedy.\nPure Romance parties are women-only get-togethers (sorry, guys) with a consultant who brings an array of products for women to purchase and discuss in a supportive environment. There's something for everyone, from pheromone-based perfume to anal beads. The parties often serve as an educational tool about sexuality, with consultants answering age-old questions about achieving orgasm, masturbation and general sex inquiries. The parties are far from pornographic, with pink labeling on the items and cutesy names (vibrators named "Lilylicious" and "B.O.B.," a.k.a. "Battery-operated Boyfriend").\nThe presentation began innocently enough, as our consultant, Tricia Miracle (yes, it's her real last name), came around and demonstrated products on our arms. We started with perfumes and lotions and gradually moved to the main attractions. By the end of the evening, we had been dusted with sparkly pink powder, tasted edible lubes and shaken hands with a vibrator. The hands-on demonstrations -- with explanations using clever rhymes (ahem, "what's good for your lips is good for your nips!") -- made for a fun, easygoing atmosphere.\nAfter browsing through the user-friendly pink booklet of products, we were invited to privately place orders with Miracle in another room, where bins of toys, lotions and accessories were stacked.\nMiracle said that women often are apprehensive to come because they have misconceptions about the manner of the parties.\n"(They think) it's all about sex toys," Miracle said. "They're afraid that we're just selling sex."\nAnd that's true, to an extent. But as Miracle states during her hour-long presentation: "We're here to help you." \nMiracle, who has been in the business for three years, has already changed countless lives at her parties. Women who have never orgasmed have come to her later and thanked her for helping them discover their bodies more intimately. \n"In-home sex toy parties definitely offer a unique outlet for women to talk about sex in a space that feels comfortable to them," said resident sexpert Debby Herbenick, an IU sexual researcher and educator. "They might learn from each other."\nHerbenick and the IU Department of Applied Health Science work closely with Pure Romance to learn more about the women who attend the parties and what kind of information they pick up at them. Typical questions include how to locate the G-spot, fluctuating desire and problems with partners. One of the most beneficial factors of sex toy parties is that they openly explore female masturbation, Herbenick said. Witnessing close friends purchase sex toys makes women feel more comfortable about their own sexuality. Masturbation tends to be kept hush-hush, and Herbenick still finds women who are fearful of sexual myths.\n"If they're worried that masturbation is going to cause them any physical ailments, we certainly have enough data to suggest that nobody's going blind or growing hair on their palms," Herbenick said. "And some people still believe that, and it's not that they're stupid or uneducated but they were raised -- like everyone else -- in a culture that doesn't talk about sex."\nIronically enough, sex toys have been around for quite a while. The Kinsey Institute has Japanese dildos made from animal horns dating back to the 19th century. Catherine Johnson-Roehr, curator of art, artifacts and photographs at the Kinsey Institute, said the dildos used to be filled with warm water to make them "feel more real." In the late 19th century, doctors used electric vibrators to treat "hysteria" (usually stress and anxiety problems only found in women). Until a few decades ago, these "stress-relieving massagers" were sold in Sears catalogs across the country but were never acknowledged as a masturbation tool, because sex was only considered to be a penis penetrating a vagina, \nHerbenick said.\nGone are the days of ordering from a Sears catalog or visiting the doctor for treatments. Sex toys are more accessible than ever and can be purchased in the comfort of your own home. Pure Romance has about 20,000 consultants across the nation ready to put on free parties at your convenience. So gather up the girls, make some cupcakes and visit www.pureromance.com for more information on how to have a fabulous girls' night in.
(09/20/07 3:54am)
INDIANAPOLIS – The IU women’s soccer team had to come from behind for the fourth time this season to overcome the Butler Bulldogs 2-1.\nButler scored first as midfielder Courtney Lord soared a shot from 30 yards out that went over a mis-timed jump of Hoosier freshman goalkeeper Lauren Hollandsworth in the 19th minute. That goal would be Butler’s only score.\nIndiana’s first goal came on the board in the 63rd minute as sophomore midfielder Christie Kotynski headed in a shot to the back post, off of a cross from sophomore defender Kelly Lawrence.\n“We were ready to play again,” Kotynski said. “At halftime we came out ready to play, and (we) stepped up and won the game.”\nThe Hoosiers took the lead for good when freshman Leigh Anne Cummings scored off of a rebounded shot taken by freshman Chloe McKay in the 78th minute. Both goals for the Hoosiers were their respective scorers’ third of the year.\n“I was just worried about defending after the goal, and making sure we didn’t give up another goal,” Cummings said.\nThis is the fourth time this year that the Hoosiers have come from behind to win a contest. The first three were against Jacksonville on Sept. 2, USC on Sept. 9 and Samford Sept. 14.\n“Any win is a good win, there is never a bad one,” IU coach Mick Lyon said. “But it is a little disheartening that we don’t come out and establish ourselves immediately.”\nLyon went on to say that he is pleased with how well the team responds to his orders and the orders of his assistant coaches at halftimes of games.\nThe team did listen at halftime, and in the second half, IU poured the pressure on Butler’s goalkeeper Annalise Larkin. Larkin ended up having to deal with nine shots on goal, seven of which she saved. \n“When you play a team that you should beat you have to establish that from the start,” Lyon said. “I don’t think we did that. But in the second half we absolutely dominated and made the game completely ours.”\nThe Hoosiers will return to action Sunday as they host another in-state foe, Evansville, at 2 p.m. at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
(09/19/07 3:44am)
If the IU women’s soccer team is going to extend its five game unbeaten streak, it will have to do it on the road tonight in Indianapolis against in-state foe Butler.\nThe Hoosiers go into the game with an overall record of 4-1-1, with a loss to then-No. 13 Florida and an upset win over No. 19 USC. The Bulldogs of Butler are 2-3-1.\nSophomore forward Liz Holby said contests against in-state opponents are always important.\n“Of course we strive to win every game, but I think (matches against in-state rivals) do matter,” Holby said. “We are their big game, so they are always going to come and give us a strong a challenge.”\nHolby scored the game-winning 86th minute goal against Ball State on Sunday as the Hoosiers won 2-1. Freshman midfielder Chloe McKay had the first goal of the match when she put a shot in from more than 20 yards out. It was McKay’s second goal of the season.\nHolby and McKay haven’t been the only underclassmen making noise this season. The top four point leaders on the team are all underclassmen, including two freshmen: McKay and forward Leigh Anne Cummings.\nMcKay said she is actually surprised at how well she is handling the transition between playing in high school and college.\n“(Being one of the team’s leader in points) feels good – surprising, but good,” McKay said. “Some people say that college is the next step above high school, but I think it’s the next two steps. I am still adjusting to it.”\nPoints are assigned by the statistics players gather during games. A goal is worth two points, and an assist is worth one.\nSophomore midfielder Christie Kotynski leads the team with seven points off of two goals and three assists. Next is McKay with five points from two goals and one assist, and Cummings with four points off of two goals. Sophomore forward Kristin Arnold has three points and rounds out the top four point leaders.\nAfter Butler, the Hoosiers will host Evansville at 2 p.m. Sunday. After Evansville, the Hoosiers will start their Big Ten season, hosting Northwestern Friday, Sept. 28.\nThe team knows every game becomes more important when the Big Ten season kicks off.\n“Every game is going to be a challenge, and that’s what I’m excited for,” sophomore defender Jessica Boots said of the Big Ten season. “To really test our team, to see how good we are and if we can come back day after day and prove to ourselves and everyone else around us that we can really do it.”\nThe Hoosiers square off against Butler tonight at 7 p.m. at Kuntz Stadium in downtown Indianapolis.
(09/17/07 3:11am)
With two hard-fought victories this weekend, the IU women’s soccer team extended its winning streak to five games. The Hoosiers defeated an aggressive Ball State squad 2-1 on Sunday and the Samford Bulldogs Friday by the same score. \nIU coach Mick Lyon said the Cardinals’ style was borderline reckless.\n“They play an extremely high-pressure game that tries to create goals off of your own mistakes, not off of what they create,” Lyon said. “That’s not how I want us to play. There is a difference between playing a physical game in that you are being competitive and making challenges and just playing reckless.”\nCardinal defender Lindsay Martin and forward Kristina Anderson both picked up yellow cards as their team repeatedly pounded into the Hoosiers.\nThe style of play seemed to work for Ball State, however. Even as the Cardinals were down after Hoosier midfielder Chloe McKay scored in the second minute, they seemed to control the match, tallying 20 shots compared to IU’s 10.\n“They play a very high-pressure, all-over-the-field style of play that doesn’t give you a chance to breathe,” McKay said. “It was a very good win – sloppy, but good.”\nBall State tied the game at 1-1 in the 48th minute of the game as midfielder Katelyn Alexander punched a free kick into the goal from just outside of the 18-yard box.\nSophomore forward Liz Holby scored the go-ahead goal for the Hoosiers in the 86th minute after teammate Kristin Arnold placed a perfect through pass that she sent into the back of the net.\nEven though every game is important, beating an in-state team means a lot, Holby said.\n“We are their big game, so they are always going to come and give us a strong challenge,” she said.\nOn Friday, the Hoosiers came from behind for the third time this season to beat Samford. \nIn the 19th minute, Samford’s Cassie Applegate scored off of a perfectly placed cross from teammate Lauren Cook. The goal came on a counterattack after the Hoosiers had multiple corner kicks on which they failed to capitalize.\nIU quickly responded with a tally of its own in the 22nd minute when sophomore Christie Kotynski headed a shot in off a corner kick from senior Suzie Teixeira. The goal was Kotynski’s second of the year.\nThe Hoosiers went ahead for good when freshman Leigh Anne Cummings scored her second goal of the season in the 55th minute of the contest. IU had 14 corner kicks against Samford’s two, while the team forced Samford goalkeeper Cayley Winters to make nine saves.\nThe Hoosiers will look to extend their winning streak to six games this week when they travel to Butler on Wednesday and host Evansville on Sunday to finish the non-conference portion of their schedule.
