Outside of Gordon, who will step up?
It's a forgone conclusion that Eric Gordon will be a force to reckon with next season. Arguably the best freshman in the nation, Gordon is expected to be IU's go-to-guy next season.
400 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
It's a forgone conclusion that Eric Gordon will be a force to reckon with next season. Arguably the best freshman in the nation, Gordon is expected to be IU's go-to-guy next season.
After being named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, it appeared D.J. White was destined for the NBA Lottery. The only question was when.
With players graduating, jumping to the NBA, backing out of verbal commitments and a series of other reasons, it's hard to dissect what a basketball team will need 2-3 years down the line. Nevertheless, Kelvin Sampson and his staff are spending the summer recruiting for the not-so-immediate future.
There isn't a lot of focus on college basketball during the month of July, but if there is any news, it usually involves recruiting.
For the past four months while the Basketblog has been in hibernation, the Hoosier's basketball team has been quite the opposite. And just in case our humble sports blog is your only source for IU basketball news, here are my five most interesting storylines from this summer.
When E’Shaunte Jones committed to the Hoosiers last November, he knew his college-playing days would be at IU, but he wasn’t sure where he would play prep school after high school.\nJones said last Friday night he has decided to follow recent IU tradition and is planning to attend Hargrave Academy in Virginia. \n“Hargrave is my No. 1 choice right now,” Jones said. “If any changes come, they would be within a couple of weeks, but right now Hargrave is the choice.”\nWith the transfer of Joey Shaw to Southern Idaho, there was some speculation that Jones would skip prep school and play for the Hoosiers next season. But Jones confirmed Friday night he would be reclassifying to the class of 2008. \nJones, who is nicknamed “Bear,” averaged 27.7 points a game his senior season for Fort Wayne North Side and is second on Fort Wayne’s all-time scoring list behind IU wide receiver James Hardy. Jones came within 43 points this season of tying Hardy’s record.\nThe choice of Hargrave Academy was a logical one for Jones. The prep school has graduated Armon Bassett as well as incoming IU recruit Jordan Crawford. \n“I saw Armon was successful; that’s why I really choose Hargrave. They have a great coach over there and have a good reputation,” Jones said. “I just want to get it done there and then go to IU.” \nThe 6-foot-4 guard said the Hoosiers helped facilitate his choice of Hargrave, but ultimately he made the decision on his own.\n“I think they did (help), a little bit,” he said. “But it was also a great choice for me and it’s something I need. Hard work goes on there, and I’m satisfied with my decision.” \nLike many high school players, Jones is hoping his season of prep school will lead to improved results at the college level.\n“I really want to work on my strength,” he said. “I’m just trying to get stronger for the Big Ten – it’s a big-time conference.” \nJones played alongside Eric Gordon last Friday during the Hoosiers Reunion All-Star Classic. The North Side graduate finished the game with 11 points and impressed at least one Hoosier.\n“He’s great. He’s just another scorer and makes things easier for me,” Gordon said. “I was just trying to do the same and make things easier for him.” \nJones, a versatile player, said he is eager to play for the Hoosiers and isn’t worried about which position he ends up playing. \n“I just want to play,” he said. “They can put me anywhere on the floor.”
KNIGHTSTOWN, Ind. – In the gym where Jimmy Chitwood – the character based on Bobby Plump in the movie “Hoosiers” – became a legend, Eric Gordon showed the Hoosier Gym’s standing-room-only crowd why he is IU’s most heralded recruit since Damon Bailey. \nGordon had a game-high 32 points Friday night and led the Chitwood-less Hickory Huskers over the Terhune Tigers, 145-119 in the second annual Hoosiers Reunion All-Star Classic. \nWith 6:35 left, Indiana’s 2007 Mr. Basketball capped off his night with a one-handed tomahawk dunk that felt as if it shook the 660-seat gym, which was the setting for “Hoosiers.”\nGordon’s teammate and IU class of 2008 recruit E’Shaunte Jones said his first time playing with Gordon was a memorable one. \n“Sometimes he’s just so amazing you just have to sit back and watch what he’s doing,” Jones said.\nThe All-Star games’ rosters provided a preview of a future rivalry. While Gordon and Jones, both Indiana-bound, played for Hickory, Terhune featured four Purdue recruits in E’Twaun Moore, Scott Martin, JaJuan Johnson and Rob Hummel.\nGordon was able to have his way most of the night with the Terhune defense. In addition to playing above the rim, Gordon also displayed his shooting range. After hitting several distant threes in the game, Gordon was asked if half-court on the short floor was within his range. \nGordon smiled and modestly replied, “Seems like it.”\nAlthough his dunk in the fourth quarter was the highlight of the night, Gordon said the slam wasn’t premeditated and came in the flow of the game.\n“I’m not really looking forward to doing any dunks,” he said. “But it’s always good to get a spectacular one.” \nGordon will begin to practice his moves full-time in Bloomington on June 15, when he arrives on campus for the first day of IU’s second summer session classes. \nThe incoming freshman said he plans to take a speech class and will be rooming with fellow IU recruit and Chicago native Brandon McGee. Like most freshmen, Gordon said he is looking forward to living on campus. \n“It’s a true college atmosphere,” Gordon said. “It will definitely be different than living in Indianapolis.” \nThe recruit said he is looking forward to playing under IU coach Kelvin Sampson and is aware of the upcoming rigorous practice schedule.\n“I just have to listen to what Coach says, because he knows I can work hard and thinks I can bring a lot to IU,” he said. \nGordon said the team would have regular morning practices, as early as 6 a.m., and have basketball activities in the afternoon as well. In particular, Gordon said he is looking forward to playing in open gym.\n“We’ll have a lot of stuff going on,” he said. \nThis will be a stark contrast to the beginning of Gordon’s summer, when he caught up on some rest. When he wasn’t practicing or working out, Gordon said he was “relaxing and just not doing anything. That’s about it.” \nOver Labor Day weekend, Gordon will travel with the Hoosiers to the Bahamas for IU’s foreign tour, the program’s first in more than a decade.\nIn addition to being a likely candidate for the team’s leading scorer, the Hoosiers can count on Gordon to be a handy travel guide. Gordon’s mother is from the Bahamas, and his family visits the island about three times a year. \nGordon has also spent a lot of time with his younger brothers, Evan, 16, and Eron, 9, this summer. Both brothers were in attendance Friday night and shed some light on their older brother.\n“He’s a quiet person,” Evan said. “But once you get to know him he talks a lot. He talks a lot to us.”\nBefore arriving in Bloomington for classes, Gordon will make a trip to Edgewood High School on Wednesday night to play with the Indiana High School All-Stars against the state’s top juniors. The game serves as a warm-up before the Indiana team takes on the Kentucky All-Stars later this summer.
The sidelines were a “who’s who” of IU basketball. Senior forward D.J. White, sophomore guard Armon Bassett and junior-college recruit DeAndre Thomas sat at the scorer’s table enjoying themselves and working the clock. \nJunior center Ben Allen roamed around in flip-flops. Senior forward Lance Stemler, off crutches from his summer ankle injury, joined Allen and took the game in from the nearby bleachers, while IU recruit Jamarcus Ellis took in the action as well.\nIU recruit Eric Gordon and his two younger brothers were even dribbling courtside. Gordon was on his official visit to IU’s campus in order to catch the game and meet another potential IU recruit.\nThe recruit they all were watching was the player atop the Hoosiers’ 2008 wishlist: Devin Ebanks.\nEbanks, a native of Queens, N.Y., was in town May 12 for the Adidas May Classic, playing for his AAU squad, Team Takeover. The 6-foot-8, 200-pound small forward is a top-10 recruit in the class of 2008 and could become the newest Hoosier by the end of the summer.\nRecruiting Ebanks has become a two-horse race between IU and University of Miami - Florida. \n“I would probably have to say it is neck-and-neck now \nbecause before I had seen Miami but had not seen it here, and I like what I see here,” Ebanks said. \nAnd the Hoosiers courtside liked what they saw in Ebanks. During the first of the two games in Assembly Hall on May 12, Ebanks scored 31 points and led his team to a double-digit victory.\nExamining the box score after the game, obviously impressed, Gordon smiled and said, “That was a quiet 31 points, wasn’t it?”\nThe night before, Gordon joined IU’s coaching staff, athletic director Rick Greenspan and several other Hoosier players in hosting Ebanks and his family at Yogi’s Grill & Bar.\nGordon said the group didn’t get to the restaurant until late Friday night, but that the evening went well. Between his games Saturday, Ebanks sounded impressed by the Hoosiers’ inner circle. \n“Here it is really family-oriented,” Ebanks said. “Coach (Sampson) talked about family a lot when we talked to him. He is a hardworking coach, and if I come here he will really help me with my defense. He says he is a defensive coach, and I really need to work on my defense. That will be a main key there.”\nIU’s coaching staff arranged to give Ebanks a sneak peek of the Hoosier family over the weekend. Ebanks and Team Takeover were boosted by a cameo appearance in the second game by IU recruit Eshaunte “Bear” Jones. The New York-based squad lost the game, but the two players played well and showed their potential as future teammates, posting a combined score of 31 points. \nJones and Bud Mackey have already committed to the Hoosier class of 2008, and IU’s staff is hoping to add Ebanks to the group. Ebanks said the Hoosiers began recruiting him at the start of his junior year and have been in touch since then.\nKelvin Sampson has regularly exchanged text messages with Ebanks, and IU assistant coach and fellow New Yorker Rob Senderoff has had many phone conversations with the prized recruit.\n“He is a really good guy,” Ebanks said of Senderoff. “I really like him.” \nThe Hoosiers may not be able to offer Ebanks Miami’s beautiful climate, but after taking his unofficial visit last weekend, he said he really enjoyed Bloomington’s campus.\n“I watched the movie ‘Hoosiers,’ so I am thinking I am going to a basketball state,” said Ebanks. “Then I met the people and went out with some of the students and it definitely met up with my expectations.” \nAdding that the whole recruiting process is giving him and his family “headaches,” Ebanks said he plans to make a college decision by the end of the summer at the latest.
IU coach Amy Robertson already knew her team's fate.\nAs the majority of her Hoosiers gathered together to watch the NCAA Tournament selection show Tuesday on CSTV, Robertson knew her squad had just missed the postseason cut. After all, she served on the committee that selected the teams.\n"She would have had us practicing if we had a chance," junior midfielder Meredith Brown said. "But the end of the year meeting was already scheduled. We all had hope when we watched the show, but we kind of knew what was going to happen."\nBrown said she felt the IU women's field hockey team was most likely the last team not to make it into the Division I NCAA Tournament. Despite being ranked as the No. 16 team in the nation, the Hoosiers (14-5, Big Ten 4-2) failed to make the postseason tournament that fields 16 teams.\n"All year we were in the top 15; we beat Ohio State and Penn State, and we were better than a lot of the teams that did get in," junior goalie Haley Exner said. "It hurts. We could do so well in that tournament if we just got the chance."\nThe Hoosiers had a strong campaign for an NCAA Tournament bid.\nAfter losing in their season opener to the University of Virginia, the Hoosiers rattled off 11 straight victories. The Hoosiers also beat an undefeated No. 5 Ohio State squad and had impressive victories over No. 6 Penn State and No. 14 Iowa. All three of those Big Ten teams made the NCAA Tournament despite losing to the Hoosiers.\n"Our win against Penn State was probably the highlight of the season," Brown said. "After the game, it was such a great feeling. I think I hugged every single girl on the team, including the coaches."\nAlthough the Hoosiers have significant depth, they will be hard-pressed to replace some of their departing players.\nGraduating from this year's team are All-American forward Lydia Schrott, backs Morgan Miller and April Levins and midfielder Rachel Telian. Starting freshman back Fenna Geuskens will be returning to her native country of Holland to continue her studies, Brown said.\n"Lydia is an op scorer and hard to replace, and Morgan is, in my opinion, the best back in the Big Ten," Brown said. "Losing everyone is so hard, and they are irreplaceable. But I think the right people will step up in their place."\nLooking back on the year, Exner said she has learned some valuable lessons that she will take with her into next season.\n"We can't take any team for granted. Next year, we need to be the team that plays strong every game... We have to go in and remember how it felt against Michigan State," she said.\nThe Spartans were the kryptonite to the Hoosiers' success. Despite a sub-par record, Michigan State defeated the Hoosiers twice in two weeks, including a first-round loss in the Big Ten Tournament that turned out to be the Hoosiers' final game.\nDespite ending the season on a sour note, the Hoosiers hope to take their losses as a learning experience and view the season as an achievement.\n"It was a successful season," Brown said. "We had the same record as we did last year; we just didn't make the tournament this season. We don't have accolades, and we don't have any tournament bids, but I think this year is going to be very unforgettable because of the chemistry we had. It's indescribable. Sometimes there are more important things to remember than a tournament bid"
The No. 7-seed Michigan State Spartans defeated the No. 2-seed Hoosiers in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on Friday, 3-1. \nThis is the second time in two weeks the Spartans (8-11, 2-5 Big Ten) have upset the No. 12 Hoosiers (14-5, 4-2 Big Ten). The first loss came Oct. 21 in East Lansing, Mich., in a 1-0 contest.\nFriday's game at the Michigan's Phyllis Ocker Field wasn't what the Hoosiers were expecting coming into the Big Ten Tournament. Fresh off a 1-0 upset of the then-No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions, the Hoosiers were expecting a deep tournament run.\nBut the Spartans soon erased any tournament dreams the Hoosiers had. Michigan State scored its first goal in the 26th minute and scored again in the beginning of the second half to give themselves a 2-0 advantage.\nSophomore forward Katie Kiper scored in the 66th minute to bring the Hoosiers within a goal at 2-1. But Michigan State sealed the deal in the 69th minute when Spartan substitute Gwen Riley scored her second goal of the game.\nThe Hoosiers managed just one shot in the first half and were outshot 12-5 in the match. After failing to draw a single penalty corner in the first period, IU improved its attack in the second half, drawing five.\nBut it wasn't enough for the Hoosiers, who have now lost three of their last four games. IU will now have to wait until Tuesday night to find out if its season will extend past Friday's loss.\nWith the loss to the Spartans, the Hoosiers find themselves on the brink of being left out of the 2006 NCAA Tournament. Only 16 teams compete in the tournament, and the seedings and teams are largely based on regions. IU made it to the tournament for the first time in program history last season.\nThe NCAA Division I Field Hockey Committee will announce its field for the tournament Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m., nationally televised on CSTV.
Three second-place finishes in a row leave the Hoosiers hungry for a first.\nThe No. 12 Hoosiers (14-4, Big Ten 4-2) finished second in the regular season and the Big Ten Tournament last season. After upsetting the No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions on the road last weekend, the Hoosiers finished second in the Big Ten regular season standings again.\nIU will try to take its momentum from its victory against the Nittany Lions and turn it into revenge Friday against Michigan State, two weeks after losing to the Spartans 1-0.\n"They played a great game," IU coach Amy Robertson said of the Spartans. "But we probably had one of our poorest performances and really lacked a sense of urgency. It's hard to look at the tape and see we're the same team."\nThe timely victory against the Nittany Lions has given the Hoosiers a new air of confidence.\n"We didn't play our best game before, but now that we've beaten Penn State, we know we can beat anybody," junior goalie Haley Exner said. Earlier this week Exner was named Big Ten Player of the Week for the fifth time this season.\n"I'm glad we're playing them," Exner said of the Spartans. "I know we lost to them the first time, but this is our chance to get back at them."\nIf the No. 2-seed Hoosiers defeat the Spartans Friday, they will play the winner of the No. 3-seed Penn State versus No. 6-seed Northwestern game in the semifinal at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. The championship game will be played at 1 p.m. Sunday.\nWith the chance that the Hoosiers will be forced to play three games in three days, this week Robertson gave her players plenty of rest before the weekend's tournament. Robertson said she has been keeping her players "sharp" so they will be prepared for the weekend.\n"Our goal is definitely to win the tournament," senior back Morgan Miller said. "But if we play as well as we can and someone else comes out and is just better, then I think we can still be successful."\nTo be successful, the Hoosiers will have to play like they did in their last game and not like some of their poorer performances recently, Robertson said.\n"There was a time when we weren't fully confident in some things, and now (the confidence is) there," she said. "If you don't trust each other and have the courage to step up and take some risks, you aren't going to be successful."\nThe Hoosiers say they now have team unity due to playing with each other the entire season.\n"Everyone knows each other's strengths and weaknesses, so at the end of the season we know each other a lot better and work well together," junior midfielder Meredith Brown said.\nThe end of the season also marks a different atmosphere for field hockey games. When the Hoosiers make the trip to Ann Arbor, Mich., this weekend for the Big Ten Tournament, they'll be playing a different kind of game than the ones they played in the regular season.\n"There are five times as many fans watching you, the other team is watching you and it's elimination round," junior forward Kate O'Connell said.\nDespite the added pressure that comes with the big tournament and atmosphere, Robertson said she's confident in her squad.\n"We have played every team in the Big Ten, and the ones we didn't have a favorable result against we can play a lot differently," Robertson said. "It's really the first time this season we really know anything can happen against any team"
October has been a long month for the IU field hockey team.\nRewind to the first of the month to a Hoosier team that was on an 11-game winning streak and coming off a victory against the previously unbeaten Ohio State Buckeyes.\nNow fast-forward to the present to where lies a Hoosier team that has lost three of its last five games, including its last two.\n"A season has its ups and downs, and the last two weeks have definitely been our down cycle," IU coach Amy Robertson said.\nAfter a great deal of success earlier in the season, the Hoosiers have fallen on hard times, but that hasn't lowered team morale, Robertson said.\n"Right now, we can go two ways. We can swim through it and get back on the ship, or we can drown," she said. "And I've been sent the message from this team that they've decided to put (the last two games) behind them, focus and prepare for the upcoming game with a lot of confidence."\nThe upcoming game may be IU's biggest challenge of the season. The Hoosiers will conclude their Big Ten regular season this Sunday, when they travel to University Park, Pa., to take on the No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions (12-3, 3-1 Big Ten).\nThe Hoosiers hope history doesn't repeat itself this weekend. In its seven-year existence, the IU field hockey team has never beaten the Nittany Lions. Sunday's game marks the eighth time these two teams have played each other.\n"I have no doubt that we're going to play hard," senior back Morgan Miller said. "It's our last game, so especially for us seniors, it's our last go around, and we'll be ready."\nMiller, a Pennsylvania native, described the last two games as a "mental lapse." The team, she said, didn't play up to its full potential.\n"I think the last couple of games we've been sitting back and waiting for the other team to mess up," Miller said. "We haven't taken the initiative on the field and put pressure on the other team."\nRobertson also said the team has lacked a sense of urgency lately.\n"I think it's a matter of putting better pressure on our opponent and then getting better scoring opportunities on the attacking end," she said.\nThe Hoosiers have failed to score in their last two games, but that hasn't affected the team's offensive psyche.\n"If you think, 'We've got to score since we haven't scored in a couple of games,' then you're not going to score," junior forward Kate O'Connell said. "You have to go in and play, and the scores will come."\nIU might no longer be on a winning streak, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing, Robertson said.\n"I think now we have nothing to lose," she said. "You don't have to motivate this team to play against Penn State. It's the one team we've never beaten, so there is nothing to lose. It's not like there is some streak for us on the line."\nRobertson's mentality has rubbed off on her players, who are eager to play in their regular-season finale and wrap up the month of October on a positive note.\n"I think we're going to come out in the first five minutes and bring it to them," O'Connell said.
For the first time this season, the No. 13 Hoosiers lost consecutive games.\nComing off a similar 1-0 loss to the No. 18 Michigan Wolverines at home, the IU women's field hockey team traveled to the Great Lake state this weekend and was defeated 1-0 again by its Big Ten rival, the Michigan State Spartans.\nThe Spartans (6-11, 1-4 Big Ten), who came into the game without a Big Ten win, were able to beat the Hoosiers thanks to the Spartans' Ashley Pernicano, who scored on a tip-in in the 24th minute of play.\n"As a goalie, you blame yourself for 1-0 losses, and it's hard to swallow," junior IU goalie Haley Exner said, "but it was a very legitimate goal."\nHeading into Saturday's loss, the Hoosiers (13-4, 3-2 Big Ten) had been focusing in practice on improving their offensive attack, particularly involving the center of the field. But the Spartans were able to limit the Hoosiers to just five shots the entire game.\n"I just feel like we didn't get going; we didn't really play like how we should play," Exner said. "We are a better team than what we showed."\nAfter the tough loss to the Spartans, the Hoosiers made the six-hour bus drive from East Lansing, Mich., back to Bloomington.\n"It was very quiet and reflective, not a lot was said," Exner said. "There were a lot of low heads, but now we're fine. Toward the end it was better, but the first couple of hours weren't very happy."\nExner described the game as a "reality check" but said she thinks the team will ultimately benefit from the untimely loss.\n"We're going to come out like a raging bull. There are a lot of emotions built up after this game," she said.\nThe Hoosiers will attempt to rebound from their two-game losing streak when they play their Big Ten season finale Saturday versus the No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions in University Park, Pa.
With last weekend's loss to the No. 18 Michigan Wolverines in the Hoosiers' rearview mirror, IU will travel to East Lansing, Mich., to take on the Michigan State Spartans (5-10, 0-4 Big Ten) on Saturday. \n"A loss is never easy to deal with as a team," said junior midfielder Meredith Brown. "Our main focus is to go out this week and practice on what we did wrong so we can come out against Michigan State and get a win." \nThe No. 13 Hoosiers (13-3, 3-1 Big Ten) fell to the Wolverines last Sunday in a one-goal loss. But in their first practice after the loss on Tuesday, the Hoosiers weren't dwelling on the defeat.\n"The girls were on a pretty even keel and were putting the past behind them and looking ahead," IU assistant coach Gina Lucido said. "I was pleased to see they weren't carrying last weekend into what lies ahead of us." \nWhat lies ahead of the Hoosiers is a shadow of last year's Spartan team. When the Hoosiers defeated the Spartans 3-2 in double overtime last season, Michigan State was No. 6 in the nation. After losing several players from last year's squad, the Spartans find themselves without a Big Ten victory this season.\n"They are always our nemesis," Lucido said of the Spartans. "There is always a ton of passion, heart and drama in the games."\nThe Spartans hold an 8-1 all-time advantage in the series, but the lone victory did come last season.\nRemembering last year's victory, Brown said the Spartans were "always our biggest rivals because they always beat us and were really cocky."\nBut the Hoosiers were the ones who prevailed in the double-over thriller. Now the Hoosiers find themselves in the Goliath position to the Spartan's David but are still expecting a tough match.\n"Even though they don't have as good of a record, I'm expecting them to come out and be gunning for us," junior goalkeeper Haley Exner said.\nIn practice this week, the Hoosiers made minor adjustments in their game plan for the weekend's game.\n"We really don't have a lot to fix," Brown said. "We want to switch our game around a little so they don't know what to expect."\nWith the tough loss behind them and two Big Ten regular season games left in the season, the Hoosiers find themselves tied for first place in their conference.\n"It was a loss, but we're not out of this. This is not the end of our season," Exner said. "I am still very confident in our team and our abilities to win"
When her roommate was reading children's books, junior Meredith Brown was writing nationally published poems.\n"I was reading Dr. Seuss (back) then, and she was writing poems," said junior forward Kate O' Connell.\nBrown, a tri-captain on the IU field hockey team, had her poem "All-Around the World" published on the first page of the 2005 edition of "Chicken Soup for the Girl's Soul: Real Stories by Real Girls about Real Stuff." She wrote the poem when she was 13.\nBrown was featured on NCAA On Campus, a television show that features student athletes, on ESPN Classic on Oct. 18. The segment will continue to be re-aired through the rest of the week.\n"I'm so proud of my roommate," junior Kate O'Connell said. \nAlthough it's been seven years since Brown wrote the poem, she still believes the poem sends the same strong message to its readers.\n"It's about no matter who you are, no matter the color of your hair, no matter your size, we're all girls," Brown said, "We're all in this world, and we're all the same."\nThe segment on ESPN features video footage of Brown performing on the field for the IU field hockey team and off the field, showing her on the Bloomington campus.\nBrown wrote the poem while attending Cherry Hills Middle School in her hometown of Elkton, Md. But she wasn't aware at the time that her poem would receive so much attention.\n"My freshman year in college they contacted me and asked me if they could publish it," Brown said.\nBrown continues to practice her writing at IU as a student in the School of Journalism. After college she hopes to become a magazine writer or work in public relations. For now, she is content with using writing as a relaxation tool.\n"In my spare time, I'll just write down whatever I'm thinking. It's usually just thoughts or poetry, nothing really organized," she said.\nWhen the On Campus episode aired, Brown gathered with her roommates and friends to watch the episode live together. O'Connell roommate had a split-reaction to the show's quality.\n"Even though I didn't make it in there," O'Connell said. "I thought it looked very good"
Sunday's game began and ended with tears for IU.\nPlayers, coaches and family members appeared misty-eyed before the Hoosiers' highly anticipated showdown versus the No. 20 Michigan Wolverines. The No. 11 Hoosiers held a Senior Day ceremony on the Mellencamp Pavilion turf minutes before the game to honor their senior class.\nAn hour and a half later on the same turf, the Hoosiers were even more emotional after losing to the Wolverines 1-0. The game marked the Hoosiers' (13-3, Big Ten 3-1) last home game of the season and, with construction progressing on their new outdoor field, their last game ever in Mellencamp Pavilion.\n"We've been playing here for four years, and it's hard because we know we'll never play here again," senior back Morgan Miller said. "It's tough to lose because it is our last game here."\nThe lone goal of the game came from Michigan's Kristen Tiner in the 26th minute off a penalty corner. In the second half, junior forward Kate O'Connell buried a ball into the back of the goal in what the Hoosiers thought was the tying goal.\nAs the Hoosiers celebrated, referee Rodney Fisher waived the goal off and instead gave the Hoosiers the consolation prize of a penalty corner, on which the Hoosiers failed to convert.\n"He called it a corner right when the ball was going in. You can't do anything about it," O'Connell said.\nThe two teams played a tight game, with only one important detail distancing the two teams.\n"They had one really good shot," Miller said. "Other than that the game was pretty even and could have gone either way."\nMiller played Sunday despite spraining her ankle during practice earlier this week. She sat out Saturday's 2-1 overtime victory against Northeastern University but played against Michigan with a protective cast on.\nAfter Northeastern scored with under five seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 1-1, it looked as if the Hoosiers had let the game slip out of their grasp.\nIn the third minute of overtime, sophomore back Dani Castro fired a ball into the box, and O'Connell, with her back to the goal, tapped the ball in to give the Hoosiers a victory.\n"That was pure determination," IU coach Amy Robertson said. "When you feel it, you just have to take it. (Dani) hit the ball towards the opposite post, and Kate came in and tipped it into the goal. It was beautiful."\nSunday's loss was particularly hard for the Hoosiers. When the team discussed the outcome of the loss after the game, IU was able to take some positives from the defeat.\n"I'd rather lose with our team than be on any other Big Ten team," All-American senior forward Lydia Schrott said. "They're like family. Just to know you have 19 other girls on the team that are like sisters ... I know we can come together and get through a loss like this."\nSunday afternoon came as the conclusion of what has been a difficult week for the Hoosiers.\n"We've had it pretty smooth all year, but this week we had some injuries and some changes in staff. I think you can't help but be emotional," Robertson said.\nThe staffing change Robertson referred to is the loss of assistant coach Pietie Coetzee. Coetzee was hired Sept. 7, but left the team earlier in the week to return to her native country South Africa.\nRobertson said her team's loss in the last home game does not mark the end of the year.\n"The season is nowhere near over," Robertson said. "If we play Michigan again in the Big Ten Tournament we'll be on the other end of this result. Our team is going to come together and be even closer after this loss."\nDuring her post-game speech Robertson told her team to use this loss in a productive way.\n"She told us to bottle up all the emotions you have now from this game and use them when we play our next game versus Michigan State," Miller said.
No matter the outcome of this weekend's doubleheader, it will be an emotional one for the Hoosiers.\nSunday's game against Michigan will be the last home game the IU field hockey senior class will play at Mellencamp Pavilion.\n"It's sad," All-American senior forward Lydia Schrott said. "It will be exciting to play at Mellencamp for the last time, but it's sad to look back on all of it and see how fast it's gone."\nBesides Schrott, it will be the last home game for seniors April Levins, Morgan Miller and Rachel Telian. The first year the four played for the Hoosiers, the team finished 1-5 in the Big Ten. Fast-forward to 2006, and this senior class, along with the rest of the squad, finds itself ranked eleventh in the nation.\n"They came in and really helped turn things around," IU coach Amy Robertson said of the seniors. "Not because they are just talented, but because they are really hard workers and have a competitive fire in them."\nBesides Sunday's game being her last at Mellencamp Pavilion, Telian has another reason the game against the Wolverines is special to her -- she is from Ann Arbor.\n"I always have a little extra energy for Michigan," Telian said. "I just want to enjoy the game and take everything in."\nBefore the No. 11 Hoosiers (12-2, Big Ten 3-0) take on the No. 20 Wolverines (8-7, 2-1) Sunday, they will square off against Northeastern University (7-6) Saturday at 1 p.m. The back-to-back games present a challenge for the Hoosiers, but it's one for which they believe they are prepared.\n"It'll be tough, but it's the end of the season so we're pretty fit," Schrott said. \nIn order to prepare for this weekend's games, the Hoosiers worked on conditioning Tuesday, running around and up and down the stairs at Memorial Stadium.\n"We're trying to get ready for this weekend's games and the Big Ten tournament, so we have to stay on top of our fitness," Robertson said.\nAfter falling to the No. 13 Louisville Cardinals Friday 2-0, the Hoosiers were able to rebound two days later in a landslide victory over the Lindenwood Lions, 9-0. The Hoosiers hope for more scoring like the Lindenwood contest, so they've been working on that element in practice.\n"We sometimes get the ball but don't capitalize or get anything positive in the circle," Schrott said. "We're finally at where we can get the ball in the circle, but we need to get a result in either a corner or a goal."\nRobertson said the Hoosiers were able to penetrate the Cardinals' defense Friday but weren't able to get good shots or goal opportunities.\n"We're working on that and just doing some game situations and different drills. Time goes on, and you just need to revisit some old concepts," she said.\nOne thing the Hoosiers haven't had to work on all season is their team chemistry. Robertson and her players said since the beginning of the season the team genuinely gets along.\n"Our chemistry is really unique, especially in the Big Ten," Schrott said. "You hear stories about other teams that don't get along, but we don't do that."\nTelian said the closeness of the team translates to success on the field, noting that the players know each other so well that they have trust and confidence in one another.\n"It's hard for a team not to get along when they are made up of good people," Robertson said.\nRobertson and her squad face two tough opponents that have had success this season. That is exactly where the Hoosiers' attention remains instead of on other distractions.\n"We're more focused for the games rather than the fact that it's our last weekend here," Schrott said.
The No. 11 Hoosiers lost for the first time since Aug. 26 to the University of Louisville 2-0 Friday, snapping their 11-game win streak.\nThe No. 13 Cardinals scored their first goal in the second minute to take a 1-0 lead against the Hoosiers (12-2, Big Ten 3-0). Just 22 seconds later, the Cardinals scored again, which was all they needed to put the Hoosiers away.\n"It was shock," senior back Morgan Miller said. "I think our ranking and being undefeated in the Big Ten got to us a little bit and made us think we would be fine."\nThe Cardinals caught the Hoosiers on their heels after scoring two goals in the first three minutes. On top of that, the Hoosiers usually competent attack was stalling, failing to register a shot attempt for nearly the first 32 minutes.\n"It was a nightmare," IU coach Amy Robertson said after her team found themselves down 2-0. "I was in a nightmare, and I couldn't get out."\nRobertson's nightmare starred a desperate Cardinal team that was much in need of a big victory.\n"Louisville is a very good team that kind of had their backs against the wall," Robertson said. "They've had a couple of losses, they were on a losing skid, and in order to have a chance to get into the NCAA tournament, they knew they had to beat us. We didn't take the game lightly, but they took us by surprise in the first few minutes."\nThe Hoosiers didn't get many opportunities to score in their losing effort, being out shot 15-5. They also failed to draw a penalty corner in the first half, though they managed to get three in the second.\n"If we could take back the first five minutes, we would," freshman forward Alina Valenti said. "After that, it was a well-played game and pretty equal."\nUnlike the second half of Friday's contest, there wasn't much equality in the Hoosiers 9-0 romp of the Lindenwood Lions.\n"After a loss, this is what we needed," Valenti said. "We came out slow on Friday, and our goal was to come out and be aggressive today."\nThe Hoosiers came out strong Sunday, scoring five first-half goals. Valenti, who started her first game of her IU career, scored three of them in a 20-minute span, giving her a hat trick.\n"Alina is the fastest player on our team," Robertson said of the freshman. "She felt confident, she moved and when she had space she went for it, and you can see what happens. That speed is very dangerous against any team."\nValenti scored her first and third goal on tap-ins close to the cage. On Valenti's second goal, the freshman forward gained possession near field, maneuvered her way through the traffic and used her speed to breakaway from a pack of Lindenwood players to score.\nSeven different Hoosiers scored during Sunday's contest. Miller (sixth minute), junior midfielder Meredith Brown (16th), junior Amanda Oyler (29th), sophomore forward Katie Kiper (46th), freshman back Fenna Geuskens (49th) and junior forward Kate O'Connell (60th) all scored against the Lions.\nAfter receiving several awards for her strong play last week, junior goalie Haley Exner sat out Sunday's game, giving sophomore Jobi Manson the starting opportunity in the cage. Manson played perfectly in Exner's absence, although the Lions only managed three shots in the game.\nAlong with Manson, several younger players saw significant playing time in a game that let Robertson briefly showcase the future of IU field hockey.\nMiller, a captain for the Hoosiers, said she and the rest of the captains told the younger players to just do what they do in practice.\n"There are a lot of things people don't see, but some of these people that don't get to play work their butts off in practice, so we have a lot of confidence in them," she said.\nThe Hoosiers entered the game with a few bruises and left with a couple more. After getting the opportunity to start, freshmen Haley Funk and Lucy Ireland were both forced to leave the game in the first half with hand injuries.\n"Some players get in there and play aggressively, and these things happen in field hockey," Robertson said. "Sometimes they happen in numbers; sometimes they don't happen for weeks."\nFunk, Ireland and the rest of the Hoosiers will get an opportunity to rest before they play back-to-back games this weekend at Mellencamp Pavilion. Saturday, the Hoosiers will host Northeastern University at 1 p.m. The next day the Hoosiers resume their Big Ten schedule when they play the University of Michigan.
When you beat No. 5 Ohio State and win 11 straight games, people start to notice.\n"Not a lot of people know about field hockey because Indiana (high schools don't) have it," senior back Meredith Brown said. "But it's cool to walk around campus and be recognized and have people congratulate you about the game."\nBrown and the No. 11 Hoosiers (11-1, 3-0 Big Ten) defeated the previously unbeaten Buckeyes 2-1 last Sunday and look to continue their recent dominance at 7 p.m. Friday against the University of Louisville at Trager Stadium. The Hoosiers will take on the No. 13 Cardinals in what is IU's only night game all season, which adds an extra element of excitement to an already important game, IU coach Amy Robertson said.\n"I've always found in my own career, when you play at night under the lights, you have so much energy," Robertson said.\nThe game marks the second trip the Hoosiers have made to Louisville (6-4) this season. On Aug. 22, in IU's final preseason scrimmage, the Hoosiers fell to the Cardinals 3-2.\nBut the Hoosiers aren't worried about past results. Right now they're focused on battling minor injuries and sickness that have nagged them during a tough week of practice.\n"A lot of us are beat up," junior goalie Haley Exner said. "Midseason is always the time when you have people getting sick and injured since we've been playing almost every day for two months. It starts to take a toll, but we keep going."\nBrown described practice this week as being "really tough and physically demanding." But don't expect that to change as long as the Hoosiers continue to win, Robertson said.\n"You can't get complacent," Robertson said. "Losing will give you extra motivation to work hard. But because we've had this great start to the season, we want to continue have more than that and work hard.\n"No matter who we are playing, whether it's one of the top teams in the country or someone small, we want to continue to improve ourselves," she said.\nThe Hoosiers' improvement last weekend was rewarded this week. After totaling 18 saves in two games last weekend and allowing only two goals, Exner was named Womensfieldhockey.com's Division I Player of the Week.\n"It's just a huge honor," Exner said. "I had the feeling I hadn't played my best yet, but this past weekend I really felt like I played the game I'm capable of playing. I'm excited for my team, my defense and everyone. This just shows how great we've been playing."\nBut those aren't the only awards the Hoosiers received; they also swept the Big Ten awards. Exner received Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors, and junior forward Kate O'Connell won the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week award after scoring three goals in her last two games.\n"Until this past weekend, it was the first time Haley had really felt like she had played her 'A' game," Robertson said. "There was no way teams were going to score on her. She was unstoppable."\nThe Hoosiers' game Friday isn't their only game of the weekend. On Sunday, the Hoosiers return to Mellencamp Pavilion, where they will take on the Lindenwood Lions (1-3). The Lions have struggled of late, being outscored 1-13 in their last three games.\nBut for now, the Hoosiers' focus is Friday's game against the Cardinals. After losing in the preseason to them, IU will be out to avenge their August loss.\n"When we lost to them in preseason, I remember thinking after the game that I wasn't worried," Brown said. "I knew we would come back just as strong and they would give us competition"
IU coach Amy Robertson found just the right motivation for her team this weekend.\nShe told her players that if they beat the Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday, she would have to do a five-minute catwalk up and down Mellencamp Pavilion field. And if her team was able to upset the unbeaten No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes on Sunday, she'd add an extra twist.\n"Like on America's Top Model," junior forward Kate O'Connell said. "In a dress and heels, then a cartwheel, too."\nAfter this weekend's victories against Iowa and Ohio State, it looks like Tyra Banks will have some competition. \nThe Hoosiers racked came up big in what Robertson described as the "toughest weekend of our schedule," defeating the Hawkeyes on Friday and the Buckeyes on Sunday.\nComing off their two wins this weekend, the No. 12 Hoosiers (11-1, Big Ten 3-0) extended their winning streak to 11 games, an IU field hockey record. The Hoosiers also remain perfect through Big Ten play so far.\nThe climax of the weekend came Sunday afternoon when the Hoosiers stormed the field as time expired to celebrate their 2-1 victory against the Buckeyes.\n"We won a lot last year, but nothing feels like this," senior back Morgan Miller said after Sunday's victory. "This is unbelievable. We really have a great team, not just individuals that play well."\nBut the Hoosiers did have many individuals who stepped up their play this weekend, including Miller, who scored her sixth goal of the season Sunday in the 40th minute. Miller's score, which came off a penalty corner, was fired into the top left quadrant of the box to put the Hoosiers up 2-0.\nA penalty corner, which results from a variety of infractions inside the goal circle, is similar to a soccer corner kick. One player from the offensive team sends the ball in to four of her teammates, who try to score.\n"When you get up 2-0, you get the momentum, and it's really tough for an opponent to come back," Robertson said.\nBut the Buckeyes weren't giving up. After the Buckeyes scored in the 66th minute to bring the score within one goal, the Hoosiers found themselves in one of the most pressure-packed situations possible.\nWith time expired, the Buckeyes had one last chance to score after drawing a penalty corner in the closing seconds. After Ohio State star player Yesenia Luces sent the ball in, the Buckeyes penetrated the circle, but their desperation shot missed gently to the left.\n"I couldn't even speak," junior goalie Haley Exner said of the final play of Sunday's game. "But I thought since we had saved all of those other corners before, there was no way in hell they were going to score. It was our circle."\nExner was referring to the 13 penalty corners the Buckeyes drew, none of which resulted in a goal. Exner had her most impressive performance of the season, tallying 11 saves while allowing only one goal.\n"I had a dream the night before that I was going to make all of these saves," she said. "I was ready to make some plays. I stayed on my toes, and I have a great defense behind me."\nThe Hoosiers also had a relatively lively crowd behind them Sunday. Unlike its usual polite atmosphere, Mellencamp Pavilion was loud with cheers, IU chants and constant support from fellow players.\nThough it was a regular Big Ten season game according to the schedule, Robertson said it "felt like an NCAA tournament game today."\n"I'm really awestruck with our team," she said. "We have so much grit. This is the toughest team I've ever coached. Ohio State is one of the most threatening teams in the country, and to come up with tackles, deny them shots and hold strong is great."\nNot to be lost in the weekend's accolades was the Hoosiers 2-1 victory against the Hawkeyes on Friday.\nLed by junior Kate O'Connell's two goals in the game, the Hoosiers defeated an aggressive Hawkeyes squad.\n"It was the most physical game we've had this year," junior midfielder Meredith Brown said. "But we didn't sit back; we gave it to them as much as they brought it to us."\nThe Hoosiers drew first blood in the 20th minute thanks to O'Connell's goal, which came off of a long assist from senior midfielder Rachel Telian.\n"I just looked up and saw Rachel and she had a great hit and I knew where it was going, so when she hit it, I stepped in front of my defender and tipped it right in," O'Connell said.\nAfter working earlier in the season on improving their passing and receiving, the Hoosiers' improvements were visible during Friday's contest.\n"We were definitely all playing well and passing right to each other's sticks and hustling," freshman back Brittney Hacken said.\nAfter a weekend with two victories at home, the Hoosiers will have to retool quickly to prepare for their next big battle. The Hoosiers will try to extend their winning steak 7 p.m. Friday when they go on the road to face the No. 13 Louisville Cardinals.