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(10/30/09 6:36pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU field hockey goes into Ann Arbor, Mich., for a tough last regular season game and a crucial Big Ten game.The No. 18 Hoosiers (11-5, 3-2) are fighting for a two seed in the Big Ten tournament and a spot in the 16-team NCAA tournament.If Indiana wins against Michigan and Ohio State loses against Northwestern or ties, then Indiana would get the two seed in the Big Ten tournament.Michigan (7-12, 2-3) has beaten the Hoosiers eight of the last 10 times they’ve played.Last year, IU won 2-1 in Bloomington.“We take every game seriously, and we want to make sure we perform our best,” junior defender Mutsa Mutembwa said.Indiana is heading to Michigan with a four-game win streak .“We’ve been playing well as a team by working together as a unit,” sophomore forward Corey Brautigam said.Both teams’ styles are comparable to each other.“Michigan plays a similar structure to us,” Mutembwa said.Michigan’s attack is strong because of their forwards and midfielders.“Michigan moves the ball well; they have good forwards that are scrappy up top,” IU field hockey coach Amy Robertson said.The Wolverines are led by junior midfielder Meredith Way, who heads up the team with 16 goals on the season.“It’s definitely one of our most important games because we are going into the Big Ten tournament,” Brautigam said.IU plays Michigan at 1 p.m. Saturday.“This game would give us momentum going into the Big Ten Tournament,” Robertson said.
(10/26/09 3:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The No. 20 Hoosiers (11-5, 3-2) came away with two wins this weekend in their final home games of the season.Their first matchup was an offensive performance by the Hoosiers as they took a 4-1 decision over Penn State.Penn State got off to an early lead with a goal by freshman forward Hannah Allison off of a penalty corner at the 10th minute.Three minutes later, the Hoosiers responded with a goal from freshman forward Shareyna Chang thanks to a fast break assist from sophomore forward Corey Brautigam.“We really connected and communicated with each other,” Chang said.At the 17th minute, senior midfielder Meg O’Connell scored, with the assist going to Chang.“I thought it was a total team effort,” IU field hockey coach Amy Robertson said.”There’s no lack of motivation when we play.” Before halftime began, IU scored again off of a penalty corner from freshman forward Morgan Fleetwood.“I think we played more as a team than any other game we have played yet,” Fleetwood said.Fleetwood scored her second goal of the game and 10th goal of the season with an assist by junior forward Katie Griswold.“This win gets us really hyped and gives us confidence for the rest of our games,” Chang said.Next up was Pacific for IU’s final home game and its senior day. Seven Hoosiers were honored prior to the start of the game, and the Hoosiers came away with a 3-0 victory.In the first half, neither team netted the ball, even though Indiana took seven shots.“We communicated better in the second half, which showed with the goals scored,” senior forward Haley Funk said.IU took the lead at the 48th minute, when O’Connell scored an unassisted goal off of a penalty corner.“We created better opportunities to score in the second half,” O’Connell said.Five minutes later, the Hoosiers took a 2-0 lead thanks to a goal from freshman forward Brooke Borneman via a pass by O’Connell. Borneman came into the game as a substitute.“People stepped off the bench and made significant contributions,” Robertson said.IU finished off the game with one more goal from Funk from a pass on the far left side from Fleetwood.Indiana goes to Michigan for their last game of the regular season at 1 p.m. Saturday.They head into Ann Arbor, Mich., with a four game win streak.“We’re going to keep moving forward and keep recognizing what we are doing well,” Robertson said.
(10/23/09 3:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On Sunday against Pacific, seven field hockey seniors will play their last game at the IU Field Hockey Field.The senior class includes Haley Funk, Brittany Hacken, Lucy Ireland, Mutsa Mutembwa (a senior academically), Meg O’Connell, Elizabeth Schmidt and Alina Valenti. This senior class is special because of the number of players that are included in it.“I think our senior day is meaningful ’cause we are a really large class,” Ireland said.Ireland and midfielder O’Connell made the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division-I Senior All-Star roster.On Nov. 21, they will play the senior game at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C.“Their achievements are really impressive,” IU coach Amy Robertson said. “They’ve lead by example on the field and in the classroom.”Ireland has made an important impact on the defensive end in the 44 games she’s started in her career.O’Connell has had 15 goals, 11 assists and 88 shots in 69 games.These seniors have seen a development in their field hockey skills and growth as people. “I think from being a part of this program, I have learned responsibility, how to be a team player and how to make decisions not just for myself, but for others as well,” Ireland said.Working together as teammates has forged relationships for all of them.“This group of seniors are so close because they are a lot alike,” Robertson said.Along with their similar personalities, time spent training in their sport has benefitted the senior group.“The last four years together, we have spent a lot of time training in the off-season and working together as a team,” Schmidt said. “Plus, it’s our last time wearing the cream and crimson jersey on our home field.”The seniors credited their coaches with crafting them into the players – and women – they are today.“The coaches have really pushed my fitness, and my attacking skills have grown,” Ireland said.These competitors have met many people and experienced many things that have changed their lives.“Over the past four years, I have met so many people that have come in and out of my life that have inspired me in a different ways,” Valenti said.The underclassmen are not just teammates, but friends.“I will miss having so many close friends that you spend so much time with every day,” Schmidt said.The seniors hope that the cycle of the upperclassmen helping the underclassmen continues once they leave. “I hope that we’ve taught the younger players a lot about leadership and filling in,” Ireland said.Robertson wants the seniors to use the skills they’ve learned in Bloomington in their futures.“I hope they learn how to self-lead and make choices that empower them to lead the life that they want,” Robertson said.The No. 20 Hoosiers play Penn State at 3 p.m. Friday and Pacific on Sunday for their last game on their home turf this season. More than the sport, the seniors will miss the team atmosphere they have experienced at IU.“I’ll miss having 22 sisters and a big family that supports you,” Valenti said.
(10/23/09 2:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU field hockey plays two different teams in its last weekend in Bloomington.IU has only beat Penn State once in its last 10 tries. The team also plays Pacific this weekend, a team they have won against all three times they played.The No. 20 Hoosiers (9-5, 2-2) face Penn State (5-10, 1-3) on Friday and Pacific (3-8, 2-3 in the NorPac conference) on Sunday for senior day.Seven seniors are graduating this year, which is the biggest class since 2005.“The younger players look up to them because of what they’ve done on the field and in the classroom,” IU coach Amy Robertson said.Midfielder Meg O’Connell and defender Lucy Ireland made the NFHCA Division I Senior All-Star roster, which awards their success on the field.“Penn State is a very attacking team on the field, when we play them,” Ireland said.Penn State won last year’s game against IU 0-1 University Park, Pa.“Penn State has a lot of talent, but have had some inconsistencies in executing their strategy,” Robertson said.Penn State forward Jessica Longstreth leads the Nittany Lions with five goals on the season.Longstreth’s scoring will pose a test for junior goalkeeper Alex Mann, last week’s Big Ten Defensive player of the Week.Last year, IU beat Pacific 4-3 in double overtime at a neutral site.Pacific senior forward Kiddy Leubane, senior midfielder Kim Keyawa and senior defender Lisa Muhl are all tied for the team’s lead in goals with four thus far this season.“I think we need to focus on our defense and compete for every ball on the field for both games,” Robertson said.
(10/20/09 4:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Two field hockey athletes had already chosen a different path by playing the sport for Indiana, a state that doesn’t have high school field hockey.In another unique twist, junior forward Lena Grote and senior back Lucy Ireland took their pursuit of academics into diverse cultures. Both traveled more than 4,000 miles to participate in overseas programs this past summer. Lena Grote studies Arabic in CairoGrote has played in all 13 games so far but went to Cairo for classes at the American University for two months.Grote’s area of study is International Studies, for which she is required to study abroad for a semester for credits or to get an internship.She chose her major because she went to an all-girls school called Saint Ursula Academy in Cincinnati.“I wanted to learn about other religions and different cultures that I wasn’t familiar with,” Grote said.She had to choose a focal point of her major and language that she would learn throughout her classes that would relate to the region she would want to travel to.“My focus is the Middle East, and I’m taking Arabic, so I went to a region that applied to my language,” Grote said.She took a language class and a cultural class at the American University that would add credits to her transcript.“On the weekends, I would travel to all parts of the country, which was kind of the touristy part of the trip,” Grote said.Grote was grateful and appreciative for what she had in America compared to Egypt’s dire economic straits.“It made me thankful for everything I had and there’s a lot of poverty that you saw,” Grote said.IU field hockey coach Amy Robertson thought their trips opened their eyes to less fortunate things to make them grateful for what they have.“They come back with a broader perspective on life,” Robertson said.Before the season started, the field hockey team participated in a preseason ritual that Grote devoted to the happiness of the Egyptians.“Especially being an athlete, we had a dedicational run, and the thing that motivated me was when Egypt’s national soccer team beat Italy,” Grote said. “It was the most exciting thing because everyone was in the streets celebrating.”She also stayed in shape for field hockey season by running, which was a culture shock for both Grote and the Egyptians.“It was difficult to do the running everyday, but it was more fun because a lot of the Egyptians would watch me work out,” Grote said. “They weren’t used to seeing a woman work out.”Lucy Ireland enjoys internship, London experienceIreland has made a major presence in the defensive side of the ball.Ireland is majoring in journalism to pursue opportunities in the magazine marketing field.She went to London to do an eight-week internship abroad at Ink Publishing and took classes at City University.“I did an internship for three days a week and took two different classes for credit,” Ireland said.Ink Publishing advertises for in-flight magazines across Europe, the Middle East and with some American companies.“I did this program so that I could get experience to write for a magazine,” Ireland said. “I learned a lot about style and Ink Publishing techniques.”Writing for Ink taught her about magazine writing style.“I wrote little stories for a few different in-flight magazines about travel and different places in Europe,” Ireland said.Ireland said that the internship was one of the best she’s had in college because of its preparation for a future career in the magazine writing field.“It pointed me in the direction for writing for magazines in the future,” she said.Robertson believes college and its programs, like studying abroad and internships, create tremendous opportunities in the future.“For their own growth and development as a person, I think it’s great,” Robertson said.
(10/19/09 4:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For the third time this season, the Hoosiers came out on top against ranked competition – this time on their home turf.On Saturday, IU surprised No. 16 Northwestern 2-1 in Bloomington. This win was the third upset on the season and their first since beating then-No. 13 Louisville in Louisville, Ky.“I think that we worked really hard from our practice and it really showed in the game,” freshman forward Morgan Fleetwood said.The Hoosiers (9-5, 2-2) had some close opportunities in the first 20 minutes but couldn’t put anything in the goal until the 28th minute.Fleetwood scored her eighth goal of the season off an assist from senior midfielder Meg O’Connell.The Wildcats responded with a goal from junior back Zoe Almquist on a rebound penalty corner shot just three minutes later.At halftime, the Hoosiers and Wildcats were tied 1-1.“Our forwards did a really good job reading off each other and making good decisions on our attacking side,” IU coach Amy Robertson said.IU scored its game-winning goal in the 51st minute, as senior forward Haley Funk netted the ball off of a rebound from junior forward Katie Griswold’s shot.“We worked on pressing all week, and it paid off today because we worked together as a unit,” Funk said.Junior goalkeeper Alex Mann and the Hoosier defense held off a tough offensive pursuit from the Wildcats in the last 18 minutes.Mann had four saves on the day that came mostly in the second half.“Northwestern has scored the most goals in the Big Ten,” Robertson said. “To limit them to one goal and seven shots shows a lot about our defense.”IU kept the Wildcats’ star sophomore midfielder Chelsea Armstrong scoreless, despite her status as the conference leader in shots, points, goals and assists. “Our defense changed the whole aspect of the game for us,” Fleetwood said.The Hoosiers had eight shots compared to the Wildcats’ seven. Next weekend, IU stays in Bloomington for its last two home games of the season against Penn State at 3 p.m. Friday and Pacific at 12 p.m. Sunday.“Hopefully, we will just keep building from this victory,” Funk said.
(10/16/09 3:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This Saturday, IU field hockey takes on the No. 16 Northwestern Wildcats at 1 p.m. in Bloomington.Last weekend the Hoosiers (8-5, 1-2) lost to Michigan State 6-2 on Friday and beat Central Michigan 3-1 on Saturday.Northwestern leads the series 6-4, with a 3-2 victory last year in Evanston, Ill.“Last year we had amazing opportunities, but couldn’t finish on the goal,” junior forward Lena Grote said.On the other side, the Wildcats have the second best overall record in the Big Ten at 12-4.First-year Northwestern field hockey coach Tracey Fuchs has changed their style of play from defense to attack on offense.“Their defense is vulnerable because they attack so much,” IU coach Amy Robertson said.The goals for the Hoosiers are very spread out with seven goals by freshman forward Morgan Fleetwood and four goals by senior forward Alina Valenti compared to Northwestern, who has one sophomore standout.“Whenever we play Northwestern its always a battle because they are a scrappy team,” senior back Lucy Ireland said.Northwestern’s star sophomore midfielder, Chelsea Armstrong, has 21 goals for the season, which accounts for a third of the goals for the Wildcats.The Aussie midfielder has also had 12 assists in the 16 games they’ve played.But, she will have to get past junior defender Mutsa Mutembwa, who tied the IU career record for defensive saves at seven last weekend.This game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network on Sunday at 12 p.m. because of a tape delay. “We are just working out some kinks on our press, but if we fix that we should be ready for Saturday,” Grote said.
(10/12/09 3:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU field hockey split its weekend, falling to No. 8 Michigan State 6-2 on Friday and defeating Central Michigan 3-1 on Saturday.The Hoosiers moved to 8-5 on the season with a 1-2 conference record.Senior midfielder Jeamie Deacon netted the first two goals for the Spartans in the first 18 minutes. At the 26th minute, junior forward Jantine Steinmetz scored on a fast break. The Spartans continued to pour it on with a score just three minutes later by freshman forward Manouk Vernij.“Even though we were down by four goals, we knew we had to keep fighting,” junior forward Katie Griswold said.The Hoosiers rebounded with a score from senior forward Haley Funk off a penalty stroke at the 45th minute.Just three minutes later, IU scored again, thanks to Griswold and an assist from senior midfielder Meg O’Connell.“I thought we stayed strong,” Funk said. “The goals didn’t show it, but the play did.” In the end, though, the Spartans were too much for the Hoosiers, as they put two more shots in-goal.“I don’t think the score is indicative of how we played today,” IU coach Amy Robertson said.In Saturday’s game, IU got off to an early lead with a goal from Funk at the ninth minute off an assist from freshman forward Morgan Fleetwood. The Hoosiers scored again before halftime with a goal from Griswold off of an assist by senior back Lucy Ireland and did not let up after halftime, allowing the Chippewas only one goal to their three total. “Our defense was very organized, and I think that we set up our mids and forwards for goal scoring opportunities,” junior goalkeeper Alex Mann said. The Hoosiers’ next game is against Northwestern at 1 p.m. Saturday in Bloomington.“We will look to find ways we can take advantage of the things we did well and work on the things we didn’t do well in these past two games for next week’s practice,” Robertson said.
(10/09/09 2:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU field hockey comes home for a five-game stand, starting their first weekend back with No. 8 Michigan State on Friday and Central Michigan on Saturday.The Hoosiers come off two wins over the weekend against Iowa 2-1 on Oct. 2 and California 1-0 on Oct. 3.Although IU won its last two games and improved its record to 7-4, they only received 91 votes in the NFHCA polls, not enough to put them in the top-25 rankings.“Michigan State is very powerful on their skill, and they will take smart attacks on goal,” IU coach Amy Robertson said. The Hoosiers have only beaten MSU once in the 13 times they’ve played the Spartans.In last year’s meeting, IU lost 9-1 in East Lansing, Mich.“Including Michigan State, we want to make sure we win the rest of our Big Ten games,” junior forward Katie Griswold said.Last year Michigan State went 17-6, with a conference record of 4-2.“In the Big Ten, they are the team to beat,” Robertson said.The two players the Hoosiers should watch are senior midfielder Floor Rijpma and freshman forward Manouk Vernij, who have scored 17 goals combined.Currently, the Spartans are 9-3 on their season, with losses to Duke, Syracuse and Virginia.“Both teams are very feisty and will shoot anything on goal,” senior midfielder Brittney Hacken said.Indiana leads the series 4-1 against Central Michigan.Last year, the Hoosiers beat the Chippewas 1-0 in Mount Pleasant, Mich. The Chippewas are 3-7 this year. “Last year’s game with Central Michigan was a tough game,” Griswold said.The Hoosiers hope for a lot of support in their first game in Bloomington since Sept. 19 against Ball State.“Both games are at home, so we hope to have a good crowd,” Robertson said.Griswold said she felt confident about the team’s chances against the competition from the north.“We just have to play IU field hockey to win, ” Griswold said.
(10/09/09 2:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Radio broadcasters don’t usually compete well with Division I athletes, but Alex Starr and Josh Dodds of B97 kept up with the field hockey team. Field hockey is the fourth sport B97 has competed in. It was probably their best showing. This year, IU’s marketing department started a program in which two athletes from IU get to be on the B97 radio station, and the two broadcasters get to challenge teams from Olympic sports.“I’m glad that we are building awareness for these IU sports,” Starr said.People had to predict before they would play the sport whether the radio personalities would make Varsity or Junior Varsity.“The videos of how Alex and Josh competed against those varsity sports will play during the timeouts and halftime of the football games,” said Jeremy Gray, director of broadcasting services.Gray and the IU marketing department came up with this idea because B97 promotes itself as “the home of IU Olympic sports.”Before playing against the field hockey team, the broadcasters faced both soccer teams, both cross-country teams and the rowing squad.“This program is to show how hard these sports are,” Gray said. “They are pretty challenging for the average person to compete against a skilled athlete”.On Wednesday, Starr and Dodds faced off against some of the athletes and competed in drills like the “Rob the Cradle,” one-on-one defense, and another drill where the broadcaster played defense against senior midfielder Meg O’Connell and some other Hoosiers. “It means a lot to have this attention on Olympic sports,” IU field hockey coach Amy Robertson said.The broadcasters started off with the “Rob the Cradle,” in which they got to take shots against junior goalkeeper Alex Mann.The “Rob the Cradle” drill has two players passing the ball twice to each other and, when ready, they take a shot from the top of the half circle.Both broadcasters failed to score a goal, while the athletes made this drill look easy, scoring almost every time.After the first drill was over, Dodds put on the goalie outfit for the next two drills, while Starr warmed up on his defensive skills. “These athletes are so talented,” Dodds said. “They are some of the best field hockey athletes in the nation.”They would have to make a comeback if they wanted to receive varsity scores from Gray and some of the other media relations department people.“They were tougher competition then we expected, and their skills impressed us,” O’Connell said.While they were waiting for Dodds to put on his equipment, O’Connell and junior forward Lena Grote showed Starr some stick skills.In the next drill, Starr played one-on-one defense against some of the Hoosiers to prevent a goal and Dodds played goalkeeper, just in case Starr didn’t stop them.“We were sweating up a storm out there,” Dodds said. “Field hockey is a very difficult sport.”With that drill, the Hoosiers only got one goal from senior midfielder Elizabeth Schmidt as Starr prevented most of the athletes from even getting a scoring opportunity.“I can officially say I’m out of breath,” freshman defender Hannah Boyer said after she tried to get past Starr’s defense.The B97 guys won that drill and tied it up 1-1.“Josh played like an ice hockey goalie, which normally isn’t how a field hockey goalie plays, but it worked to their advantage,” O’Connell said.During the next drill, the Hoosiers got more opportunities on goal, but Dodds made some great saves, which helped them earn their varsity honors for field hockey.“The commitment that the marketing and media relations department makes seems to be coming around,” Robertson said.B97 will continue this challenge of playing Olympic sports until the end of the year.“These sports we’ve played so far have been fun, but field hockey was the best we’ve done so far,” Starr said.
(10/05/09 2:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU field hockey traveled more than 300 miles to pull off two victories in Iowa City, Iowa.The Hoosiers beat Iowa 2-1 on Friday and California 1-0 on Saturday.“We had a lot of determination and hard work going into this game,” sophomore back Brenna Moeljadi said.IU got off to an early 1-0 lead against Iowa with a goal by junior midfielder Kelsey Kiper, who retrieved a rebound to score at the 2:57 mark.The Hawkeyes responded with a goal from a penalty corner by senior midfielder Meghan Beamesderfer.Freshman forward Morgan Fleetwood scored the game-winning goal and her fifth of the season. She was assisted by freshman forward Shareyna Chang.Junior goalkeeper Alex Mann had four saves on the game and preserved IU’s one-point win.“This win is a turning point in our season,” Fleetwood said. Saturday’s game was more of a defensive battle for both teams.In the first half, neither team scored a goal, although California and IU missed chances and took three shots on goal.Fleetwood scored the only goal of the game 17 minutes into the second half on a pass from freshman forward Brooke Borneman.“We were sloppy in the beginning, then settled down by the second half,” IU field hockey coach Amy Robertson said.Fleetwood’s two goals this weekend put on top of the team’s scoring, as she now has six on the season.Mann had her first shutout of the season with three saves to keep California scoreless in the game. “These two wins are a confidence boost for the rest of the season,” Moeljadi said.
(10/02/09 4:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU goes to Iowa City, Iowa, to play the Hawkeyes for its second Big Ten game on Friday and will see the Golden Bears on Saturday.The Hoosiers dropped off the top-20 list this past weekend, with two losses in Ohio.On Sept. 25, IU lost to Miami (Ohio) by a score of 5-1 and lost its Big Ten opener to Ohio State 3-2 on Sept. 27.The Hoosiers are 5-4 and 0-1 in the Big Ten.Iowa has a 9-2 lead all-time against IU.“Iowa is a very well-coached team,” IU coach Amy Robertson said. “They play well in big space and then attack.”Last year, the Hawkeyes beat the Hoosiers twice, once at home in the season 1-6 and once in the Big Ten Championships, 2-5.The Hawkeyes are 3-5, with their first Big Ten win of the season against Michigan last Friday.“We have really good competition with Iowa when we play them,” junior midfielder Kelsey Kiper said.The Golden Bears are lead the series with the Hoosiers, 3-1.The last meeting between the teams was two years ago, when IU won 2-0 in Berkley, Calif.Cal is also 3-5 on this season. They earned their first Northern Pacific Conference win at home against Stanford last Sunday.Last year, Cal went 13-5 on this season with a 5-1 conference record, putting them at the top of their league.“Cal has really good players on their team,” senior midfielder Meg O’Connell said.This weekend’s matchups will show if the Hoosiers can recover from last weekend’s two losses to Miami and Ohio State.“We have to learn from the weekend before, and we have to come out at the very beginning with a lot more determination and tenacity,” Robertson said.
(10/01/09 3:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU senior midfielder Meg O’Connell and junior midfielder Kelsey Kiper have field hockey ties that extend beyond the team.The bond flows in their blood. Because their sisters, 2008 graduate Kate O’Connell and 2009 graduate Katie Kiper, respectively, played field hockey at IU, it influenced them in different ways. In the end, they both chose to play for the Hoosiers.Big sister, big influenceMany schools recruited Meg O’Connell because she won numerous awards, including one for being the nation’s high school career assist leader in her senior season.“I took official visits to a lot of Big Ten schools,” Meg O’Connell said. “Most of the schools played IU while I took visits, and my sister would ask if I saw that win.”IU field hockey coach Amy Robertson recruited Meg O’Connell in 2005 when Indiana went 17-5 on the year and placed second in the Big Ten conference.“I knew Meg the same time I knew Kate because they played a lot of field hockey together,” Robertson said.Her sister was a major reason why Meg O’Connell chose IU instead of the other Big Ten schools.“It was a really big factor because she would push my choice for IU,” Meg O’Connell said.The O’Connell sisters played field hockey with each other for 12 years before coming to IU. They played together for two more at IU once Meg O’Connell came to campus.“We both knew each other’s styles and would complement each other on the field,” Meg O’Connell said. A different pathIn high school, Kelsey Kiper led her team to a perfect 28-0 record and helped it win the 2006 state championship.Kelsey Kiper’s path was different than Meg O’Connell’s because she didn’t know if she wanted to play field hockey in the future. She had a resume chock-full of other sports she could possibly compete in at the collegiate level.“I obviously didn’t know if I wanted to play field hockey in college because of all the SEC schools don’t have field hockey,” said Kelsey Kiper, who lived in Louisville, Ky., and thus was closer to several Southeastern Conference schools. While in high school, Kelsey Kiper was a four-year letter winner in field hockey, with three letters in track and field and one in basketball.“I applied to three schools for field hockey and just liked the feel at Indiana better than any other place I visited,” Kelsey Kiper said.Even though the Kiper sisters would only play together for two years, their parents and Katie Kiper wanted Kelsey Kiper to come to IU because those years would be worthwhile.“My parents and sister would rather have me come here than anyplace else since it’s more convenient,” Kelsey Kiper said.Her close relationship with her sister made Kelsey Kiper want to compete side-by-side with her.“Plus, not many people can say they played with their sister,” Kelsey Kiper said.The ConnectionGetting younger sisters to play field hockey for IU wasn’t difficult for Robertson because of the connection already established from recruiting the older sister.“It wasn’t hard for me to recruit Meg and Kelsey because I knew their families and they knew my philosophy of our team,” Robertson said of in-family recruiting.There were more factors that pushed Meg O’Connell and Kelsey Kiper toward Bloomington than their sisters.“They were both comfortable with the team, school and the field hockey program here,” Robertson said.Robertson said she likes to recruit players with younger sisters because talent will usually run in a family. That showed in the O’Connell and Kiper families.“It is easier if you have the older sister coming here, then to get the younger one to come here in the future,” Robertson said.
(09/30/09 3:37pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Before IU field hockey became a varsity sport in 2000, it was a club sport for students to join.
Field hockey is the second-newest sport to IU’s varsity sports, behind rowing.
IU coach Amy Robertson took over the team in 2000. Her previous job was as assistant coach at Wake Forest from 1997 to 1999.
The team’s inaugural season got off to a rough start.
IU finished the season at 1-12 with a 0-6 Big Ten conference record.
The next season, the Hoosiers finished again with one win and failed to
gain a Big Ten victory.
IU improved its record to 6-13 with the help of former midfielder Kayla
Bashore, who received All-Big Ten honors in three out of her four years
with the Hoosiers.
In 2003, Robertson won Big Ten Coach of the Year for the major improvements she made in three short years.
The young program began to make good on its potential.
The next year IU improved even more with a 12-8 record on the season.
That peaked in 2005, as the Hoosiers finished 17-5 with their best
record to date and finished second in the Big Ten.
In Bashore’s senior year, she won Big Ten Player of the Year, which proved to be her highest achievement as a Hoosier.
Since senior midfielder Meg O’Connell’s freshman year, the program has gone in a positive direction.
“Since 2005, our team has become more disciplined, and the competitiveness has increased since then,” O’Connell said.
The Hoosiers went 14-5 in 2006, after losing some quality seniors, which included Bashore.
IU went downhill during the next two seasons, and its record showed it.
IU only managed to go 15-21 in the past two years.
Some positives came for IU in 2007. The Hoosiers moved out of
Mellencamp Pavillion and into the new IU Field Hockey Field that opened
in the summer of that year. The Hoosiers also posted a 3.51 team GPA,
which was tied for second-best in college field hockey.
Since 2001, at least eight players have made the Academic All-Big Ten every year.
Senior midfielder Elizabeth Schmidt said the program has personality.
“This program is built upon a foundation of beginners,” Schmidt said, “and we are noted for our hard work and determination.”
The No. 17 Hoosiers are 5-2 this season with upset wins against then-No. 14 American, and No. 13 Louisville.
“We’ve got so much depth, its not like it drops off after your starters,” Robertson said. “It’s competitive for every spot.”
A new field hockey building opened on Sept. 19, which holds the
Hoosiers locker room, equipment storage room and team meeting room.
There are 10 games left in the season until IU plays the Big Ten
championships. Six of IU’s last 10 games are against Big Ten opponents.
IU opens up Big Ten Conference play Sunday with Ohio State at 1 p.m. in Columbus, Ohio.
“I’m excited for the Big Ten games ‘cause every game is a battle,” O’Connell said.
(09/30/09 3:18pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers are gearing up for their 10th season as a varsity team.After an injury-filled 7-11 season last year, IU spent the summer working to ensure a better 2009 mark. “We made a huge commitment in the off-season to get more fit, more disciplined, and to gain more experience on the field,” IU field hockey coach Amy Robertson said. The Hoosiers return six seniors and a pool of talented underclassmen back from injury.Leading the Hoosiers are senior forward Alina Valenti and senior midfielder Meg O’Connell, who scored seven and six goals last season, respectively. IU has won its first two preseason scrimmages, with a total of seven goals to only one goal for the opposition. Sophomore back Brenna Moeljadi and freshman forward Morgan Fleetwood look to help the Hoosiers win the season.With a team full of underclassmen, IU scored 33 goals to its opponents’ 47 last season.Coming into this year, the Hoosiers only lost two players and are returning with 16 letter winners.
(09/28/09 3:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s going to be a long trip back to Bloomington for the No. 17 Hoosiers, who lost both games in Ohio this weekend.IU field hockey’s record drops to 5-4 with a 5-1 loss against Miami (Ohio) and a 3-2 loss against Ohio State.The Miami RedHawks jumped to an early 3-0 lead by halftime with two scores from senior midfielder Maggie Marcum and one from junior midfielder Christine Brightwell.At the 42:34 mark, IU got on board with a goal by sophomore back Brenna Moeljadi, bringing the score to 4-1.Miami finished the scoring with one more goal from freshman midfielder Olivia Miller.“Our execution was off with our corners,” IU field hockey coach Amy Robertson said.IU also played Ohio State to a loss on a Buckeye goal with less than 10 seconds left.Ohio State started on top with a 2-0 lead in the first half with goals from sophomore forward Maria Briones and junior forward Jena Cacciatore.“We made a nice comeback from a 2-0 deficit,” junior forward Katie Griswold said.The Hoosiers made a late comeback with goals at the 60th-and 65th-minute marks from freshman forward Morgan Fleetwood and junior defender Mutsa Mutembwa.“We were a lot more assertive and smarter in the second half,” Robertson said. With just seven seconds left, the Buckeyes scored on a goal from freshman forward Berta Queralt.“We need to execute better and capitalize on our opportunities,” Fleetwood said.
(09/25/09 4:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The No. 17 Hoosiers (5-2) go to Ohio to face Miami (Ohio) (4-4) on Friday and Ohio State (6-3) on Sunday.The Hoosiers have a 6-3 all-time lead against the Miami RedHawks.“They will take any opportunities they can get against us in the game,” senior midfielder Elizabeth Schmidt said.Last year, Miami won 3-2 against IU.“Miami is very aggressive with their style of play, they go for every shot,” senior midfielder Meg O’Connell said.The RedHawks have been coached for the past five years by Jill Reeve, a former Olympian and 12-time member of the U.S. National team.Last year, the RedHawks went 14-7 with a 7-3 record in the Mid-American Conference.“They like to play us because – every Big Ten opponent – they play like it’s their championship game,” IU field hockey coach Amy Robertson said.Currently, Miami is on a three-game winning streak, and two RedHawks won offensive and defensive player of the week last week in the MAC.Senior back Katie Brightwell won MAC Offensive Player of the week with three goals and five assists during their last three wins.Sophomore goalkeeper Abbey Huck won MAC Defensive Player of the Week for her 15 saves in those wins.The Hoosiers face the RedHawks at 5 p.m. Friday in the Miami Field Hockey Complex in Oxford, Ohio.
(09/22/09 2:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU’s field hockey team relies on two players from more than 4,000 miles away for its defensive duties.The international recruiting of IU coach Amy Robertson brought junior defender Mutsa Mutembwa and freshman midfielder Julia Raymakers to the team.The Hoosiers currently have no players from Indiana, eight athletes from Pennsylvania, three from California and two from outside the U.S.Mutsa Mutembwa During the past three seasons, Mutembwa, a native of Harare, Zimbabwe, has made an immediate impact for the Hoosiers on the defensive side.Mutembwa explained how she was recruited to play for IU.Gina Lucido, a former IU assistant field hockey coach, now a coach at Richmond, talked to Mutembwa about IU looking for international talent. “One of the coaches at the new school said she just came from coaching at Indiana University, and she said that Indiana was looking for some international players,” Mutembwa said. Her resume for field hockey is impressive – Mutembwa is a member of the Zimbabwe Under-21 National team that competed in the 2005 World Cup. Playing against America made her want to come to the U.S. for her collegiate career.“I played against America in the World Cup, where I liked their style of play and chose to come here because I want to be a coach in the future,” Mutembwa said.Also, in summer 2007, she competed with the Zimbabwe national team at the All-Africa Games.Lucido told Robertson about Mutembwa when she spoke about coming to play for the Hoosiers.“She passed on my e-mail address to Coach Robertson, and then Amy got a hold of me and then, a month later, I came to Indiana,” Mutembwa said.Robertson analyzed Mutembwa’s game and decided to bring her to IU.“I saw video, heard great things about her, and she didn’t disappoint at all,” Robertson said. After some discussion, Mutembwa decided to come to Bloomington to continue her field hockey career.Mutembwa arrived for official practice on Aug. 9, 2007, after traveling more than 8,000 miles and a 20-hour plane ride from Zimbabwe to Indiana.Julia RaymakersRaymakers just began her first year at IU but has also made a major impact on the defensive side.Raymakers’ process was different because more teams were interested in her field hockey skills, and it showed in the attention she received from the collegiate coaches.“I was e-mailing with a couple of coaches, and then I chose three universities to visit,” Raymakers said.She also boasts a national accomplished resume for field hockey that includes being a member of the Amsterdam Field Hockey Under-18 Club.“I watched video where I was very impressed by her skill, defense and composure, which I thought the team could really use,” Robertson said.Between 2006 and 2008, she competed in the Under-18 championships, finishing third, second and fourth, respectively.“I came to America because I love to play hockey and didn’t know what to study, which is different in America than Holland,” Raymakers said. She chose IU because she liked the program and the Bloomington area more than the other two American schools she visited.“I liked Indiana the best because of the campus, and just everything together attracted me the most,” Raymakers said.
(09/21/09 4:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The No. 17 Hoosiers won their home opener against Ball State 2-1.IU field hockey scored its game winner with less than three minutes to go.The Hoosiers improve to 5-2 and have beaten the Cardinals six times in a row.At the 4:42 mark, freshman forward Brooke Borneman scored IU’s first goal with an assist from junior midfielder Kelsey Kiper.IU took 11 shots against Ball State in the first half, but senior goalkeeper Tiffany Shifflett stood her ground.“Their goalie, Tiffany Shifflett, always has her best games against us,” IU field hockey coach Amy Robertson said.At halftime, IU had the lead at 1-0.“We started off a little hesitant but took more shots in the second half,” sophomore forward Corey Brautigam said.About 40 minutes after the first goal, the Cardinals tied up the game with a goal from senior forward Brooke Macgillivary.The Hoosiers responded with less than three minutes left in the game with a goal from Brautigam off of an assist from senior midfielder Meg O’Connell.IU took 25 shots in the game but only scored two goals. Shifflett had 11 saves.On Friday, the Hoosiers face Miami (Ohio) at 5 p.m. in Oxford, Ohio.“I think we are going to work on goal-scoring in the practices for next week,” senior back Lucy Ireland said.
(09/18/09 4:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This Saturday, the No. 17 Hoosiers face the Ball State Cardinals at 1 p.m. in Bloomington.Currently, IU field hockey has a 4-2 record with two upsets against then-No. 14 American on Aug. 28 and then-No.13 Louisville on Sept. 6.This past weekend, the Hoosiers split their games in North Carolina, beating the Davidson Wildcats 6-1 and losing to then-No. 3 Wake Forest, 5-2.The all-time record between the Hoosiers and Cardinals is 6-2 in regular-season games, with IU winning the last five games.“We want to put together a more complete game, since last weekend we fell a little flat,” IU coach Amy Robertson said.On Aug. 19, IU field hockey beat Ball State 3-0 in a pre-season scrimmage in Muncie.“They are very hard workers, they go for 50-50 goals, and they challenge everything,” junior defender Mutsa Mutembwa said.Last year, the Cardinals went 2-17 with a 1-9 Mid-American conference record. This year, Ball State is 2-4 with wins against Davidson and Appalachian State.“They are a more experienced team and they have some young players that have contributed right away,” Robertson said.The Cardinals’ junior forward Hannah Jones has scored five of the team’s 12 goals on the season and senior forward Brooke MacGillivary has scored three of those 12.Freshman midfielder Julia Raymakers is ready to play in her inaugural IU home game.“I’m really excited because it’s my first home game and I hope a lot of people come to watch us play,” Raymakers said.