Distasteful headline: IU fights past Fresno State 11-1
(03/13/08 6:24am)
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Hoosiers open Pepsi/Johnny Quik Invite with loss
(03/11/08 12:34am)
The Hoosier baseball team had a strong performance today, but it wasn't quite enough as Gonzaga edged IU 7-4.
Hoosiers bobble two
(03/10/08 12:58am)
Hello baseball fans,
Baseball bats look to stay hot on West Coast
(03/07/08 5:18am)
The IU baseball team will play the Fresno State Bulldogs at 2:05 p.m. Friday in Fresno, Calif. Checking their bats on the plane could prove difficult as, lately, they’ve seemed to be bombs ready to explode.\nLast weekend, the Hoosiers (3-3) scored 31 runs in a three-game tournament where they earned two wins.\n“We are extremely happy with how we have been swinging our bats, and that has carried us to our three wins,” sophomore catcher Josh Phegley said.\nIn IU’s most recent game against Valparaiso, a 17-14 win, Phegely hit 5-for-5 and knocked in five runners as he hit for the cycle. He hits third in the batting order, which has seen the majority of its power come from the top-four spots.\nPhegley, junior center fielder Andrew Means, sophomore infielder Evan Crawford and freshman outfielder Kipp Schutz combined to hit 21-for-39 with 15 RBIs and 16 runs in the Hoosiers’ last two wins. \n“We are obviously pretty happy with our offense, just not our overall game,” Schutz said. “We still need to tighten up some areas.” \nIU coach Tracy Smith agreed with his outfielder, and said one of the areas his team needs to tighten is its poor pitching.\n“Offensively, we are right on pace, and hopefully it will continue,” Smith said, “but it’s still early and hopefully we will start see some more power. Now the pitching just has to catch up to where our offense is at.”\nSo far this season, the Hoosiers’ pitching staff has a combined 6.88 ERA, and in six games has seen 45 runners cross home.\nPhegley said the pitching staff’s problems are related to the team’s poor defense. So far, the Hoosier defense has had 12 errors.\n“(Some pitchers) are trying to do too much, maybe because our defense has been shaky, and that has reflected on our pitchers trying to be too perfect,” he said.\nWhile the Hoosiers wait for their defense to come around, Phegley said he has been telling whoever is pitching to “relax and do what you are supposed to do; know why we put you out there just get the job done.”\nThe pitcher whose task is to get the job done against the Bulldogs will be freshman Joey O’Gara, who is getting the first start of his Hoosier career. \nO’Gara has worked only one inning this season. In that inning, he faced four batters, striking out one while not letting up any hits.\nSmith talked about handing the ball off to such an inexperienced pitcher.\n“It’s time to take a look at other guys who have been practicing well,” Smith said. “I like how he has been moving the ball in and out and changing speeds. He’s not an overpowering guy, but I like how he has been working both sides of the plate.”\nPhegley is also confident about O’Gara getting the start.\n“He’s got good stuff,” he said of the 6-foot-5 right-hander. “He throws downhill because of his height. He keeps the ball down and away and has a lot of movement. All his pitches are deceiving at the plate. His only concern is leaving balls up in the zone and giving drivable pitches.”\nO’Gara and the Hoosiers will play the Bulldogs at 1:05 p.m tomorrow and Sunday afternoon. The games are in preparation for the Pepsi/JohnnyQuik Invitational, which the Bulldogs will host and IU will compete in March 10-15.
Catcher goes 5-5, hits for the cycle
(03/03/08 5:56am)
Behind an explosive offense, the Hoosier baseball team won two of its three games at the Austin Peay Invitational this weekend in Clarksville, Tenn. \nIU scored 31 runs over three games, more than half of which came yesterday against Valparaiso in a 17-14 win.\nHitting out of the cleanup spot, sophomore catcher Josh Phegley went 5-for-5 and hit for the cycle in the victory over the Crusaders. It was the first cycle by an IU player since 2005.\n“It was the first time I had ever done it, but I didn’t really think about it much,” Phegley said after the game. “I caught a couple of breaks, but I was picking the ball up really well out of the pitcher’s release.”\nIU crossed six runners in the third to take a 9-3 advantage, but Valparaiso responded with seven runs in the top of the fourth inning to take the lead.\nIn the fifth, Phegley knocked in his fourth and fifth RBIs of the day as IU notched five runs to take the lead to 14-10, a lead which they would hang on to for the rest of the contest.\nOn Friday, the Hoosiers were crushed by the Illinois State Redbirds 12-5.\nJunior center fielder Andrew Means had three hits, including a pair of triples, and sophomore infielder Michael Early had two RBIs. But the Hoosiers could not match the firepower of \nthe Redbirds.\nWith the score knotted at five runs apiece in the sixth inning, Illinois State gathered six consecutive base hits and a walk, taking the lead for the final time in a game which already saw the Hoosiers come back to even the score twice. \nIllinois State then notched the final two runs of the contest in the seventh.\nIU sophomore pitcher Matt Bashore watched as the Hoosiers used five pitchers in the contest, trying to cool down the Redbird bats.\n“They really swung the bat well,” he said. “You have to give it \nto them.”\nBehind Bashore, the Hoosiers rallied back on Saturday, beating tournament host Austin Peay State 9-1. \nThe southpaw pitched six innings of shutout baseball, allowing four hits and three walks, while striking out five.\n“It felt good (to get the win)” Bashore said. “But it was frustrating walking three guys and getting my pitch count up.”\nBashore’s season ERA now stands at .083, as IU let up the fewest amount of runs in a game this season.\nIU coach Tracy Smith said Bashore is talented because he can cover up his team’s mistakes, and that makes him “one of the best around.” \nSenior pitcher Chris McCombs and sophomore pitcher Chris Squires combined for three innings in relief with five strikeouts, allowing only one hit and one walk a piece. Squires struck out the side in the ninth to close out the game. \nOn the offensive side, Means added three more hits to his weekend total, as the Hoosiers’ top four hitters combined to go 10-for-18 at the plate with seven runs scored and seven RBIs.\nIU lived and died by its top four hitters this weekend. Phegley, Means, sophomore infielder Evan Crawford and freshman outfielder Kipp Schutz hit for a combined 5-for-18 with two RBIs and two runs scored in the Hoosiers’ loss to Illinois State. But the four hit 21-for-39 with 15 RBIs and 16 runs during the next two victories. \n“The top four hitters are obviously going to be the ones who carry us consistently, but we are looking for the rest of the lineup to hit well also so we can put teams away,” Phegley said.\nWith the two wins this weekend, the Hoosiers’ record stands at 3-3, and Smith has the apprehensions of a coach whose team has a record over .500.\n“I don’t think we have played particularly good baseball, even this weekend,” he said. “One positive is that we haven’t played well but have still managed to win. I guess that is our silver lining.”\nThe team’s next contest will be Wednesday against Indiana State at 3 p.m.
Hoosiers to lead off season against LSU
(02/22/08 8:34am)
The IU baseball team is looking to improve on a mediocre 2007 campaign which saw the Hoosiers struggle to a 19-35 overall record.\nIU opens their season tonight against the LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge. The Tigers come into the weekend series featuring 10 returning players with starting experience and supported by 20 freshmen who make up the nation’s top recruiting class, according to Collegiate Baseball Magazine. \n“We put this series on the schedule because our preparation is for the Big Ten and playing in the postseason,” IU coach Tracy Smith said. “And I think it’s very important that we expose our kids to this type of environment, which arguably is one of the best college baseball environments in the country.”\nIU junior outfielder Andrew Means discussed how a tough road matchup against LSU will help the Hoosiers.\n“It helps us gauge exactly where we are, going south to face a good baseball team, a team that has obviously been able to practice outside,” Means said.\nSouthern teams like LSU have been traditionally able to start practicing before teams living in colder climates could. But the NCAA implemented a Feb. 1 universal start date for college teams to begin practicing to level the playing field. \nThe later start doesn’t affect the Hoosiers, as their first series is usually played around Feb. 1. In 2007, the team opened their season Feb. 23, but this weekend will mark the latest start to an LSU baseball season since 1985.\nSince Feb. 1, the Tigers have been practicing outdoors under the Louisiana sun. This could provide an advantage for LSU, as the Hoosiers have been playing pop flies off of the ceiling in the John Mellencamp Pavilion and have yet to practice outside. \nSophomore infielder Evan Crawford said he was ready to get outside and play, and it will be that yearning the team believes will nullify any advantage LSU gets from practicing outdoors.\n“People say we are probably at a disadvantage because we haven’t been outside yet, but I feel that’s going to play for us even more because we are anxious just to get outside and play,” he said. “There might be a little bit of adjusting that people have to make, but really you just let your instincts take over.”\nThe biggest change for IU this season will not be on the field. The 2007 campaign saw the Hoosiers field one of the youngest teams in the NCAA with 19 freshmen and six sophomores. This season, the Hoosiers return six starting-position players and nine of its 12 pitchers.\nThe biggest change, Smith said, will be the new level of experience these younger players will have. He said the growing pains from a year ago will pay off for his team this season.\n“They are new guys and I can’t wait to see them out there now, a year older, a year stronger, a year more experienced and a year more confident,” \nhe said.\nThe series will begin at 7 p.m. tonight and continue on Saturday and Sunday. Right-handed junior Tyler Tufts will get the first start for the Hoosiers. All IU’s baseball games will broadcast live and are available free of charge on iuhoosiers.com.
Growing without pain
(01/17/08 5:00am)
Given the album title Growing Pains, Mary J. Blige is surprisingly natural on her latest disc, affirming her grown-woman status with positive lyrics that would make Oprah proud. Gone, however, are the days of more daring work with the likes of Jay-Z and Nas — which earned Mary her reputation as queen to Hova's king — replaced instead by tracks with Ludacris, the go-to guy for bland rap verses about curvature of the flesh, and Usher, who's always sure to make the over-35 and under-14 demographics go crazy.\nEven though she's lost contact with emcees over the years, her Rolodex is still full of top-notch producers, who give Growing Pains a modern feel, even if Mary herself refuses to adapt her style. The album starts off strong with three catchy tracks, spearheaded by the triumphant "Work That," where Mary uses the hook "work with what you got" as an anthem for being happy with your body. A reference to her ascent from the streets of Yonkers, N.Y., "Just Fine" is another guilty pleasure that could make even Toby Keith sing along while flossing in his pick-up.\nAfter a strong start, though, Growing Pains quickly loses steam. All the tracks are woven together by slick transitions, which makes the fairly homogeneous record sound even more like a polished chunk of nutrition-free pop sugar. Aside from a couple of standouts, like the Neptunes-produced funk fest "Till The Morning," the last 13 tracks are uneventful.\nLyrically, it doesn't appear Ms. Blige has matured much since middle school. If I had a dime for every time M.J.B. used "sunshine" and "rain" to refer to happiness and sadness on Growing Pains, I'd have enough money to buy the whole album on iTunes. Listen to her colorlessly describe love: "And it feels like joy, and it feels like pain / And it feels like sunshine, and it feels like rain." \nNo, it won't expand your mind, but Growing Pains, to borrow a phrase from Mary herself, is just fine.
New school’s location spurs controversy for local educators
(12/07/07 3:25am)
As applications for the new Bloomington New Technology High School begin to arrive, the debate about where the school should be located rages on.\nThe Monroe County Community School Corporation plans for New Tech to take over part of the first floor at Bloomington High School South. This option was selected over the school using part of Bloomington North or giving the school a separate stand-alone facility primarily for financial reasons.\nHowever, not everyone at South is pleased with the decision to move New Tech into the first floor of the school.\nSteve Smith, a U.S. history teacher at South, said he is opposed to New Tech moving into South. He said he thinks New Tech’s advantages could be provided by the district’s existing high schools if they changed certain aspects of their curriculum.\n“We will have displaced members,” said Smith, who could lose the room in which he has taught for the last 10 years.\nSo far, the new school will accept only students at 100, according to New Tech principal Alan Veach.\nThe new school will be licensed by the New Technology Foundation, which built its first New Tech school in Napa, Calif., in 1996. The foundation has established 35 schools nationwide, including three in Indiana already.\nNew Tech will be a public school without tuition. If it receives more than the maximum number of applicants, the school will have a lottery system for selecting its first class of 100 students.\nAs New Tech welcomes students in the fall, the social studies department at South will settle into different classrooms, possibly separated from one another throughout the school, Smith said.\n“Does that make a difference? Probably not, but it would be more convenient to be grouped together,” Smith said. “And it would be nice to keep the uniformity we currently have.”\nVeach, who is currently an assistant principal at South, said teachers might be moved around, but they will not have to travel throughout the day. He also said small class sizes are crucial to New Tech’s curriculum and could not be replicated in a large high school.\nVeach said the Monroe County Community School Corporation chose to put New Tech in South primarily for financial reasons, but he remains confident his school will get its own building.\n“I think it’s more of just a sense of fiscal responsibility,” he said. “And a couple of board members wanted to make sure we got a good facility, and they think that the one we proposed was not appropriate and that is why we have been instructed to keep looking.”\nSouth journalism teacher Kathleen Mills said if New Tech is unable to find a different home by 2009, it may have to take more space in South. Threatened spaces include the rooms for South’s two student publications, The Gothic, its yearbook, and The Optimist, its newspaper.\nMills said she thought New Tech could be valuable for students who are not currently engaged in school, but thinks New Tech needs its own building.\nBy relying more on students’ choices and not having bells or passing periods, South junior Rosalyn Stenberg said that New Tech’s idea of an adult environment would be disruptive in the disciplined environment at South.\nVeach said New Tech has been in the planning stages for two years, and while the building plans are difficult, the rest of New Tech is moving along fast.
Online only: V is for very hushed
(11/29/07 5:00am)
Tool front man Maynard James Keenan has referred to his second side-project Puscifer in many ways. He has called Puscifer a "playground for the various voices in my head", where "there are no clear or discernable goals." It serves as "an island of misfit ideas" where his "Id, Ego, and Anima all come together to exchange cookie recipes." Basically, Puscifer is Maynard's vehicle for making music without the expectations that come with being the front man of two successful metal bands, Tool and A Perfect Circle. On V is for Vagina, listeners find Maynard exploring some of his other musical ideas (while remaining perverse as ever). \nThe album opens with single "Queen B," an ode to the voluptuous, horned figure that adorns the album cover. The song roams over synthetic samples and vocal hums as Maynard raps, something that may surprise a few of his listeners.\n"Drunk With Power" finds an animated Maynard channeling his inner Tom Waits, with this dark carnival number of all things cacophony and of strange ambient sound. Animating his voice, Maynard sings about the role one in heat takes while waiting for his queen to come home.\n"Momma Sed" is the runaway highlight of the album. Written with Tim Cummerford and Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine, and featuring the acoustic and vocal stylings of Ainjel Emme, "Momma Sed" is driven by a catchy acoustic riff on top of a steady backbeat. A thundering Wurlitzer ushers in the chorus, with Emme's backing vocals complementing Maynard's low singing.\nConsidering the careful work and planning that has gone into Tool albums, this album may come as novelty to some listeners. V is for Vagina does offer different sonic textures than Tool and APC. It's a nice change, but the album doesn't come off as carefree as Maynard wants his listeners to believe. Maynard generally sounds hushed throughout, as he doesn't really let his voice loose like he has in his other bands. The music is generally good, but the range of dynamics doesn't stretch much. There are a couple songs that stagger, as the previous mixes of "Rev 22:20" and "The Undertaker" seemed to have more life on the "Underworld" soundtracks than they do here. Nonetheless, Maynard James Keenan has developed a loyal following, and his fans should enjoy this offering from his latest side project.
End of the road
(11/26/07 3:17am)
Unlucky loss number seven kept the IU women’s soccer team from advancing to the round of eight in the NCAA Tournament. The Hoosiers’ season ended with a 13-7-3 record on a rainy Sunday in Bloomington as they fell to the Duke Blue Devils 2-0. \nDuke’s (10-5-7) first score came in the 41st minute, right before the end of the first half, which IU coach Mick Lyon said is one of the worst times in a game to allow a goal.\n“Four minutes before halftime is never a good time to concede a goal,” Lyon said. “You always look to say that the five minutes before the end of the period and at the start of the period is the prime time to not give up a goal.”\nBlue Devil sophomore midfielder C.J. Ludemann got a free kick just outside the box after an IU penalty. She took the kick five yards from the 18-yard box and placed the ball right in front of Hoosier goalkeeper Lauren Hollandsworth.\nHollandsworth attempted to punch the ball out of the box only to see it immediately headed back in by Duke sophomore forward KayAnne Gummersall. The goal was Gummersall’s first of the season.\nHaving to make a comeback in a match was nothing new for the Hoosier team that made seven of them during the season.\n“We had a really good attitude this year,” sophomore forward Kristin Arnold said. “There were a lot of games that we came out down and games in overtime, but we always knew that we could win every game that we played.”\nWhile attempting to tie the contest to start the second half, IU had two stellar opportunities within a minute of each other. \nIn the 52nd minute, IU played a through-ball to streaking senior forward Lindsay McCarthy, but the pass was just out of reach as Duke senior goalkeeper Allison Lipsher punched out the ball before McCarthy could gather it.\nShortly after Lipsher’s save, the ball ended up at the feet of Arnold, the Hoosiers’ leading scorer.\nArnold’s shot barely missed the post to the right.\nTen minutes later in the 63rd minute, Duke’s Ludemann earned her second assist of the contest as she found teammate Elisabeth Redmond open on the right side of the box for the final score.\nRedmond blasted a shot that both Hoosier sophomore defender Kelly Lawrence and Hollandsworth touched, but it still had enough strength to punch the back of the net.\nThe Blue Devils will move on to face Notre Dame in the fourth round of the NCAA tournament. It will be the program’s third trip to the round of eight.\n“It’s the third, but first since 1994,” Duke coach Robbie Church said. “For us to be on the road for the third straight and to be able to fight through this weather and a very good IU team is great.”\nAfter the loss, Hoosier team members remained in high spirits as they remembered that they had accomplished what no other IU women’s soccer team had ever done: They got to the third round of the NCAA Tournament.\nThe Hoosiers’ regular season was highlighted by an upset win at home against then-No. 13 USC. The win was part of a 13-game unbeaten streak which included an undefeated record at home – 9-0-1 – before Sunday’s loss.\nAnd with 22 members of this year’s team returning next year, including top-scorer Arnold and All-Big Ten freshman team honoree Hollandsworth, the Hoosiers are looking for an even stronger run next year.\nBut some, such as senior midfielder Katy Stewart, were just happy to be on the team that started it all.\n“This team has come very far in four years, and I am really proud to be on the group that is making the history here,” she said. “I think (the seniors) have a lot of talent below us. Being a senior on this team has been really exciting for me because I have had a lot of support, and I know these girls are going to do well in the next three or four years. It’s just great to be a senior on the team that is starting the run.”
IU womens soccer defeats Boilermakers in 2nd round of NCAAs on penalty kicks
(11/19/07 4:58am)
WEST LAFAYETTE – The IU women’s soccer team will be heading to the round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament after advancing past rival and sectional host Purdue 4-3 on penalty kicks Nov. 18.\nThrough 110 minutes of play, neither IU nor Purdue could manage a goal in what became a physical and dramatic match with fans and coaches yelling at each other and crunching tackles on the pitch. The contest was so heated that IU gathered five yellow cards by game’s end.\n“It was an awesome atmosphere, very loud and entertaining,” IU coach Mick Lyon said. “But it’s disappointing when players are getting hurt and fans are yelling negative things at them. People should be applauding both teams for what they are doing; they are doing something amazing.”\nIU only managed four shots on goal, significantly less than Purdue’s eight, which were all turned away by freshman goalkeeper Lauren Hollandsworth.\nHollandsworth ended the day with those eight stops and a shutout while having to ignore a loud Boilermaker student section no more than 10 \nyards away.\n“I just realized that, even though their energy was negative, that I needed to use it and feed off it and turn it into something positive,” Hollandsworth said.\nThe Hoosiers’ best opportunity came in the 73rd minute, when sophomore forward Kristin Arnold blasted a shot to the upper right corner of the goal that Purdue sophomore keeper Jenny Bradfisch deflected away at the last second to keep the match scoreless. It would remain there until it had to be decided with penalty kicks. \nDown 1-0 after the first round of shots, Hollandsworth came up with a tremendous deflection off of Purdue senior midfielder Jordyn Schaffer’s blast to the right side of the goal.\nThen, with three consecutive conversions from sophomore midfielders Kelly Lawrence and Christie Kotynski, as well as freshman defender Susan Swepston, the Hoosiers found themselves tied at three with an opportunity to win the game, and their leading scorer, Arnold, at the stripe. \n“I looked at Kelly Lawrence before I took it and told her that I had no idea what side I was going to,” Arnold said. “Right away, I saw Jenny (Bradfisch) – who was my teammate over the summer on our club team – had guessed the right direction, but luckily I struck it high. If it wasn’t high, then she would have gotten it.”\nThe goal advanced IU to the round of sixteen for the first time in program history.\n“It’s amazing, especially after losing to them 7-0, and just to get to go to the (round of 16) for the first time ever is amazing,” Arnold said.\nMaking the advancement all the more sweet was that it was coach Mick \nLyon’s birthday.\n“I don’t know what’s better,” Lyon said.\nHe went on to say it has always been his goal as a coach and a player in the NCAA to have his season go beyond his birthday, because that would mean his team would do well in to the postseason.\n“It’s huge for the program,” Lyon said. “Everyone knows about the men’s team battling for championships, but I’ve had people tell me they didn’t know we had a women’s team. So it’s a huge statement.”\nIU will play Duke in the next round of the tournament, which will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 25 at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
IU womens soccer team beats Toledo; will play Purdue in next round Sunday
(11/16/07 11:05pm)
WEST LAFAYETTE – The IU women’s soccer team will advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after a 3-2 double-overtime victory over Toledo on Friday.\nOn Sunday, the Hoosiers will play rival and No. 2 seed Purdue.\nThe Hoosiers’ first goal came in the 10th minute when sophomore defender Jessica Boots crossed a pass into senior midfielder Katy Stewart who headed it past Rocket goalkeeper sophomore Andrea Plewes for her first score of the season.\n“It’s fitting for me (scoring first goal of season in the tournament) because I have put in a lot of hard work all season,” Stewart said. “But I knew it wasn’t going to be enough today, so I am happy we had so many people step up.”\nIU struck again right before the end of the half when freshman forward Jocelyn Moses redirected a centering pass from sophomore forward Kristin Arnold in the 40th minute.\n“It was exciting, I wasn’t really expecting (scoring in the NCAA Tournament),” Moses said. “It was great to just help the team get to the second round.”\nMoses had just come into the game four minutes earlier, and the score was her second of the year.\nThe Rockets showed signs of life late in the match, as Toledo sophomore forward Ali Leak centered a pass to teammate forward Molly Cornwell, who blasted a strike into the upper left corner of the goal.\nThe Hoosiers had controlled the flow of the game until the goal, which seemed to deflate any momentum IU had.\n“It’s hard to stay mentally in it when you know you are up, and I think we got a little mentally complacent and thought we could hold them,” Stewart said. “This has been a long season, and I think that if we can keep our heads in the game for all 90 minutes on Sunday, we are going to be great.”\nToledo scored again to send the match into overtime with less than five minutes left in the game when defender Suzi Siwinksi blasted a shot past Hoosier goalkeeper freshman Lauren Hollandsworth.\nThe game remained scoreless through the first overtime and both teams had opportunities in the second, but it was Arnold who won the game with a header over Plewes with two minutes left before penalty kicks, which Toledo has won their last two games on.\n“There were only a few minutes left before PKs, so we were really pushing and it was big for us to get the goal and win,” Arnold said. “You never want to go into a game and finish on penalty kicks after playing 110 minutes of soccer. I’m confident in our shooters and goalie, but if you can avoid it, you want to.”\nThe Hoosiers will face Purdue on Sunday in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers defeated Oakland 4-0 on four second-half goals Friday.
Hoosiers face Rockets on Friday in NCAA Tournament
(11/16/07 3:59am)
With its season on the line, the IU women’s soccer team will battle the University of Toledo on Friday in the Hoosiers’ first NCAA Tournament game since 1998. \nThe Hoosiers travel to West Lafayette to take on the Rockets at 11 a.m. The winner of Friday’s match and the winner of the Purdue-Oakland contest will face each other Sunday. The winner of that game will travel to College Station, Texas, and continue in the tournament.\nIU has never faced Toledo before, but the Hoosiers said they know they will have to dictate the pace of the game against the pressing Rockets.\n“We are pretty sure that they are just going to come out hard and full of energy, with really high pressure,” said sophomore defender Jessica Boots. “So we are just going to have to figure out how to deal with that and control the flow of the game.”\nToledo is a member of the Mid-American Conference, and while the Hoosiers have never faced the Rockets, they are familiar with the MAC. The Hoosiers hold a 7-1-0 all-time record against MAC schools, including a 2-1 victory over Ball State in Bloomington this year.\n“(Coach) thinks they are going to play in a 4-3-3 formation similar to Ball State that we played earlier in the year,” sophomore forward Kristin Arnold said. “They will play with really high pressure, not giving us a lot of time to play, so we have to be ready to play quick with good touches and good passes to get through (the defense).”\nArnold leads IU in goals with nine this season. But the notoriety that comes with the goals and subsequent awards – two Big Ten player of the week honors and a second team All-Big Ten selection – has led to more attention from opposing teams. Battling double teams and shadowing defenders towards the end of the season, Arnold was held scoreless over the last six games. She said she is hoping to use the extra attention to her team’s advantage by setting up her teammates.\n“Playing up top with (senior midfielder/forward Lindsay) McCarthy, I just look to get short combinations with her or dump it off and look to get behind, because I don’t have a lot of time,” Arnold said.\nIU coach Mick Lyon said Arnold’s lack of scoring recently has not been because of any lack of effort on the pitch.\n“There’s a few games where she played too quickly and making decisions too quickly because of the double teams and how quickly she was getting pressured, but now I think she has settled down,” Lyon said. “I think she played tremendously in the Big Ten Tournament. We’ve told her to remain confident in herself because we are very confident in her.”\nArnold said Friday marks a new season for IU.\n“Every game from here on out is our biggest game of the season, regardless of what has happened before,” Arnold said. “This is basically a new season starting now. We have to come out and put everything we have out there, because it could be our last game.”
Women's soccer team is NCAA bound
(11/13/07 6:01am)
IU women’s soccer coach Mick Lyon said his goal every season is to be playing on his birthday – Nov. 18 – because then his team would be playing in the NCAA Tournament. For the first time in his tenure at IU, one of his teams might meet that goal.\nThe Hoosiers found out last night they would be playing in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998. \n“I can’t even describe how excited I am,” senior midfielder Beverly Markwort said. “It’s just something that I have worked at for the last three years, so it’s great before I graduate to finally get to experience this.”\nThe Hoosiers’ season record currently stands at 12-6-2, with a 5-5-1 conference record. But after losing their last five Big Ten games, some players were unsure as to whether they would make the tournament.\nBut sure enough, IU was named to the West Lafayette section of the bracket, where they drew Toledo.\n“It’s definitely a relief sitting through that and seeing our name kind of early,” senior midfielder Katy Stewart said. “They didn’t even put any suspense on us. They put us out there in the first few rounds. To know that we finally achieved something we have been waiting for since 1998 is great.”\nWhat likely swayed NCAA committee’s decision on the Hoosiers’ fate was the team’s Rating Percentage Index – which judges teams based on winning percentage, strength of schedule and opponents’ strength of schedule.\nIn the final RPI rankings released by the NCAA, IU ranked No. 18, third best in the Big Ten behind No. 1 Penn State and No. 13 Purdue, which won the Big Ten Tournament. \nAnother important part of the Hoosiers’ tournament resume was that all of IU’s losses this season came to opponents ranking in the Top 36 in the RPI, and all were on the road save the second loss to Ohio State, which came at a neutral site in the Big Ten Tournament.\nLyon said he thought all along that his team would make the tournament, but wasn’t sure where it would have to play. He said that he was happy to be playing in West Lafayette. \n“I think there couldn’t be a better place for us to go,” Lyon said. “We know the field and know what to expect.”\nIf IU beats Toledo on Friday, the team will face the winner of the match between Purdue and Oakland. That game would be Sunday – Lyon’s birthday.\nLyon also said he was anxious for a possible rematch with Purdue, who crushed IU 7-0 in the the last meeting, as IU was battling injuries.\n“We are going to work on getting past Toledo and getting past them first,” he said. “But that potential match-up with Purdue, that’s just motivation oozing out of every pore.”\nThe time for Friday’s game against the Rockets has yet to be announced. The meeting will be the first between the two programs.\n“It feels great to finally make it,” senior midfielder Lindsay McCarthy said. “It’s been our goal since we came in as freshmen, and it is great to be able to continue playing this season, because we don’t want it to end.”
Women's soccer team is NCAA bound
(11/13/07 3:19am)
Women’s soccer coach Mick Lyon said his goal every season is to be playing on his birthday – Nov. 18 – because then his team would be playing in the NCAA Tournament. For the first time in his tenure at IU, one of his team’s might meet that goal.\nThe Hoosiers found out last night they would be playing in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998. \n“I can’t even describe how excited I am,” senior midfielder Beverly Markwort said. “It’s just something that I have worked for the last three years, so it’s great before I graduate to finally get to experience this.”\nThe Hoosiers’ season record currently stands at 12-6-2, with a 5-5-1 conference record. But after losing their last five Big Ten games, some players were unsure as to whether they would make the tournament.\nBut sure enough, IU was named to the West Lafayette section of the bracket, where they drew Toledo.\n“It’s definitely a relief sitting through that and seeing our name kind of early,” senior midfielder Katy Stewart said. “They didn’t even put any suspense on us. They put us out there in the first few rounds. To know that we finally achieved something we have been waiting for since 1998 is great.”\nWhat likely swayed NCAA committee’s decision on the Hoosiers’ fate was the team’s Rating Percentage Index – which judges teams based on winning percentage, strength of schedule and opponents’ strength of schedule.\nIn the final RPI rankings released by the NCAA, IU ranked No. 18, third best in the Big Ten behind No. 1 Penn State and No. 13 Purdue, which won the Big Ten Tournament. \nAnother important part of the Hoosiers’ tournament resume was that all of IU’s losses this season came to opponents ranking in the Top 36 in the RPI, and all were on the road save the second loss to Ohio State, which came at a neutral site in the Big Ten Tournament.\nLyon said he thought all along that his team would make the tournament, but wasn’t sure where they would have to play. He said that he was happy to be playing in West Lafayette. \n“I think there couldn’t be a better place for us to go,” Lyon said. “We know the field and know what to expect.”\nIf IU beats Toledo on Friday, they will face the winner of the match between Purdue and Oakland. That game would be Sunday – Lyon’s birthday.\nLyon also said he was anxious for a possible rematch with Purdue, who crushed IU 7-0 in the their last meeting, as IU was battling injuries.\n“We are going to work on getting past Toledo and getting past them first,” he said. “But that potential match-up with Purdue, that’s just motivation oozing out of every pore.”\nThe time for Friday’s game against the Rockets has yet to be announced. The meeting will be the first between the two programs.\n“It feels great to finally make it,” senior midfielder Lindsay McCarthy said. “It’s been our goal since we came in as freshmen, and it is great to be able to continue playing this season, because we don’t want it to end.”
Women's soccer loses heartbreaker in Big Ten tourney
(11/11/07 11:43pm)
The IU women’s soccer team lost their first-round game in the Big Ten Tournament to Ohio State 2-1 on Thursday.\n“The team played outstanding and gave a great performance,” IU coach Mick Lyon said. “Obviously, I’m disappointed that, with the several chances we had, that we didn’t put in the back of the net.”\nIU had 18 shots on goal in the match as opposed to the Buckeyes’ 13.\nEight minutes into overtime, Buckeye senior midfielder Lara Dickenmann sent a cross into the six-yard box that was punched toward the near post by Hoosier freshman goalkeeper Lauren Hollandsworth.\nWith the ball on the way to the post, Ohio State sophomore midfielder Ashley Bowyer slid in and redirected the ball into the back of the net, giving OSU the win.\nIU struck first in the contest in the 54th minute, when sophomore forward Kristin Arnold sent a corner kick into senior midfielder Lindsay McCarthy, who gathered the ball and struck it into the corner of the goal. The score was McCarthy’s fifth of the season.\nIU didn’t have the lead long, however, as Buckeye freshman midfielder Courtney Jenkins bent a ball past Hollandsworth less than three minutes later.\n“(The Hoosiers) just played outstanding,” Lyon said. “Which is just tremendous since we were absolutely blown apart last weekend by Purdue. But then again, this was a different team, the same team showed up at Penn State and Ohio State a couple of weeks ago, and that is just a great, great team.”
Heartbreaking loss sees IU womens soccer team out of Big Ten tourney
(11/09/07 5:25am)
The IU women’s soccer team lost its first-round game in the Big Ten Tournament to Ohio State 2-1 on Thursday.\n“The team played outstanding and gave a great performance,” IU coach Mick Lyon said. “Obviously, I’m disappointed that, with the several chances we had, that we didn’t put in the back of the net.”\nIU had 18 shots on goal in the match as opposed to the Buckeyes’ 13.\nEight minutes into overtime, Buckeye senior midfielder Lara Dickenmann sent a cross into the six-yard box that was punched toward the near post by Hoosier freshman goalkeeper Lauren Hollandsworth.\nWith the ball on the way to the post, Ohio State sophomore midfielder Ashley Bowyer slid in and redirected the ball into the back of the net, giving OSU the win.\nIU struck first in the contest in the 54th minute, when sophomore forward Kristin Arnold sent a corner kick into senior midfielder Lindsay McCarthy, who gathered the ball and struck it into the corner of the goal. The score was McCarthy’s fifth of the season.\nIU didn’t have the lead long, however, as Buckeye freshman midfielder Courtney Jenkins bent a ball past Hollandsworth less than three minutes later.\n“(The Hoosiers) just played outstanding,” Lyon said. “Which is just tremendous since we were absolutely blown apart last weekend by Purdue. But then again, this was a different team, the same team showed up at Penn State and Ohio State a couple of weeks ago, and that is just a great, great team.”\nThe loss to the Buckeyes parallels last season’s storyline for the Hoosiers, as the last two years have seen the squad gather long winning streaks, only to stumble down the stretch. IU hopes the comparison with last year ends now, as they wait to see if they get into the NCAA Tournament. \nAfter last year’s loss in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, the squad didn’t get an at-large bid for the NCAAs.\nLyon feels, however, that this year’s team has done enough to get their bid. \n“We don’t have a bad loss, and we have great wins,” Lyon said. “There is no doubt about it.”\nThe Hoosiers have a strong overall record at 12-6-2, but will be relying on their high Ratings Percentage Index as the time comes for the NCAA committee to decide what teams get at-large bids for the NCAA tournament.\nIn the latest RPI rankings, the Hoosiers were No. 18, third highest in the Big Ten behind Penn State and Purdue, who rank nationally at No. 1 and No. 13, respectively.\nIn the Hoosiers’ favor is their win over No. 4 USC, one of the Spartans’ two losses on the season. All six of IU’s losses have come to teams with RPI rankings in the Top 36 nationally.\nThe selection show for the NCAA Tournament will be televised at 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 12, on ESPNEWS. Until then, IU waits.\nLyon remains confident that his team can compete well against top teams in the country.\n“I stand by my words,” Lyon said. “I’ll take anybody in the NCAA Tournament. I think we’ll do well.”
Hoosiers seek win to secure NCAA bid
(11/08/07 3:33am)
After four consecutive conference losses, today could potentially mark the end of the IU women’s soccer season as the team plays its first-round game of the Big Ten Tournament against Ohio State in Minneapolis.\n“We haven’t finished these last couple of games off well, so it’s important in getting a bid for the NCAA tournament,” sophomore forward Kristin Arnold said. “We don’t want to finish our season after this Ohio State game, so we have to come out and play really well.” \nA win against Ohio State could fortify a spot in the NCAA tournament whereas a loss would leave the Hoosiers’ fate in question.\nIU goes into the Big Ten Tournament seeded fourth in the conference with a 5-4-1 record in Big Ten play and an overall record of 12-5-2.\nThe Hoosiers find themselves in a similar situation to last year where they had a strong season that ended with four conference losses and went into the conference tournament seeded fourth. Last year’s campaign finished with a loss in the first round of the tournament, narrowly missing an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament.\nThe most important factor for the Hoosiers heading into postseason play will be their Ratings Percentage Index, or RPI.\nThe Hoosiers’ RPI is third highest in the Big Ten, ranking 18th nationally. A team’s RPI is determined by its winning percentage, strength of schedule and its opponent’s strength of schedule. \nThe NCAA committee, which determines who makes the NCAA tournament, factors a team’s RPI into its decision to offer at-large bids.\nThe Hoosiers’ only losses have come to teams with RPI rankings in the Top 36, including Penn State and Purdue who rank first and 13th, respectively. Helping the Hoosiers’ RPI is the team’s win over No. 9 USC, which accounted for one of the Trojans’ two losses on the season.\n“Finishing with a couple of ‘W’s’ could seal the deal for us,” IU coach Mick Lyon said. “Our RPI and our record over the last 10 games are good. I think most of that is sealed.”\nIn IU’s last few games, a “W” has been hard to come by.\nAfter dropping their first game of the season to then-No. 13 Florida on the road, the Hoosiers rattled off a 13-game unbeaten streak, including going undefeated during the month of September, capping off an unbeaten season at home.\nSince then, however, IU has lost its last four Big Ten games – all on the road against the conference’s top foes – including the final game of the regular season, a 7-0 loss in West Lafayette. IU has also struggled with injuries among its top contributors heading into the Big Ten Tournament.\n“We had a tough day last Friday, and we need to come back and show who we are,” senior midfielder Katy Stewart said. “We have a lot of character on this team. We’ve shown that by coming back from behind and winning games.”\nThe Hoosiers’ match with Ohio State begins at 2 p.m. If IU wins, it will then take on the winner of No. 6 Penn State and Iowa. The Hoosiers have not won a Big Ten Tournament game since 1998.\n“We have been close with games going into overtime, and all kinds of things,” Lyon said. “But we need to get a win in the Big Ten Tournament, not just for the team but for the whole program.”
IU womens soccer thrashed by Purdue; Big Ten tournament next
(11/05/07 4:20am)
Incapacitated by injuries, the IU women’s soccer team was “shell-shocked” by rival No. 8 Purdue 7-0 in West Lafayette on Friday afternoon. \nWith the loss, the Hoosiers finish their regular season fourth in the Big Ten for the second season in a row at 5-4-1 in conference, 12-5-2 overall. \nThree of IU’s top contributors were injured heading into the game. Sophomore midfielder Christie Kotynski suffered a broken nose a week earlier against Ohio State, senior midfielder Beverly Markwort missed five games this season after knee surgery and is currently plagued by a rib injury and senior midfielder Katy Stewart was unable to train all week, IU coach Mick Lyon said. \nPurdue’s first two goals came in the sixth minute. Purdue senior midfielder Shauna Stapleton struck first as she curved the ball off the crossbar and into the net for her ninth goal of \nthe season. \nFifty-five seconds later, senior midfielder/forward Parrissa Eyorokon added another goal, putting the Boilermakers \nup 2-0.\nThe Boilermakers scored on all four of their first attempts.\n“It was just one of those days,” Lyon said. “And certainly not to take anything away from Purdue, they’re a great team. But when you get shell-shocked like that with the first four shots going in and three of your top players on the sideline, that’s tough”\nBy halftime, Purdue was \nup 5-0. \n“It was 5-0 at the half, so we only let up two goals in the second with half of our first team playing,” Lyon said. “So, that’s the good part. We are not too worried about the result, more about what we can learn from the adversity the \ngame brought.” \nAfter the game, Lyon said that his main concerns weren’t with the result of the game.\n“My concern is not necessarily with the game, but the health of my top players and the psyche of the youngsters,” he said. “Because what happened was when those first three shots went in, all of the sudden the youngsters made like ostriches and buried their heads in the sand and hoped that everything would \ngo away.”\nSomething else the Hoosiers would like to go away is the similarity between last year’s implosion and what has happened in the last four Big Ten games for IU. Fresh off of a long win streak last season, IU lost its last four Big Ten games, and then lost in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.\nLike last year, the Hoosiers dropped their last four Big Ten games to finish the regular season. They will try and shake the comparisons to last year on Thursday, as they take on Ohio State in the first round of the \nconference tournament.
IU womens soccer looking to defeat Purdue in last regular season game
(11/02/07 4:23am)
After losing a 2-1 game at Purdue last year on a rain-soaked pitch, the IU women’s soccer team has to travel to Purdue again this year to try and exact revenge in the final game of the season.\n“Last year was tough, going to their field and playing in a rainstorm with water everywhere and losing,” said sophomore forward Kristin Arnold.\nBeating Purdue would mean topping the No. 8 team in the nation. It would also be the program’s first victory over the Boilermakers since 1999, even though their last 10 meetings have been decided by one goal. \n“It’s been a long time since we beat them,” IU coach Mick Lyon said. “We haven’t beaten them since I’ve been here. I’ve felt we have been very close, but getting that ‘W’ is very important and needs to get done.”\nThe Hoosiers’ season this year has many parallels with last year’s. For two straight years, IU has gone undefeated in the month of September.\nLast season’s team posted a 14-game unbeaten streak, while this year’s squad notched a 13-game unbeaten streak.\nThe similarities don’t end there. Last season, the Hoosiers dropped their last four Big Ten matches and lost in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.\nThis year, the team is heading down the same path. The Hoosiers have dropped their last three matches during a streak of having to finish their Big Ten season on the road against the top four teams in conference.\n“I’m not worried about the team lacking confidence,” Lyon said. “Yes, it’s a little bit of deja vu from last year, but this year, we are playing extremely well. Last year, I felt like we were just playing OK. Anybody who watched the Penn State game saw we played tremendous against a top Big Ten team.”\nOther than possibly playing against each other in high school, some of the Purdue and Indiana players have gotten to know each other. Over the summer, both teams were represented on the national champion Carmel Cyclones under-19 club team.\nFive sophomores from IU played on the squad – Arnold, midfielders Nikki Bonacorsi, Christie Kotynski, Natalie O’Bryan and defender Jessica Boots. \nPurdue’s goalkeeper, redshirt sophomore Jenny Bradfisch, tended net for the club. She leads the Big Ten in fewest goals against, allowing an average of 0.54 goals per game.\nArnold said she also knows Boilermakers senior midfielders Shauna Stapleton and Jordyn Shaffer from playing for her Dayton club team in high school, and that she is looking forward to playing her old teammates.\n“I always looked up to them. They are excellent players,” Arnold said. “So to be on the same field with them and to have a team I know we can beat them with is great.”\nO’Bryan said it wasn’t that big of a deal to her to be playing her club teammates.\n“It’s always fun playing against your friends,” O’Bryan said. “But when you step on the field, they are no longer friends.”\nThe Hoosiers know this game is more important than an in-state rivalry or a reunion with old teammates. They have played well in their last two losses, losing by only one goal in each match, but need a win in their final game to gather what momentum they can heading into the Big Ten Tournament.\n“It’s always huge having momentum going into the postseason,” Arnold said. “We were really unlucky last weekend not to get two wins. We can no longer play well and just not get the win.”
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