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(09/26/07 11:58pm)
IU freshman midfielder Kelsey Kiper remembers watching her older sister Katie play field hockey in high school. After Kelsey quit field hockey in sixth grade, Katie renewed her interest in the game.\n“In eighth grade, I would see her playing for our high school team, and I think that influenced my decision to play in high school,” Kelsey Kiper said.\nAfter four years of field hockey at Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville, Ky., Kelsey Kiper followed in her sister’s footsteps again, joining Katie Kiper at IU. \nEarly on in the season, the decision has paid off for the Kipers and the Hoosiers as the sisters have wasted no time blending with one another on the field. \nIn the season opener against Pacific, Katie Kiper assisted Kelsey Kiper on the first goal of the year for the Hoosiers.\n“It was a really cool feeling,” Katie Kiper said of the goal. “I just made a move and looked up and saw Kelsey open. Hopefully we’ll have some more of those.”\nEven though their early season success would indicate otherwise, this is the first time that the siblings have competed together on the field.\nKatie Kiper, a junior forward on the team, and Kelsey Kiper both played high school field hockey at Sacred Heart, but never together. Sacred Heart has a freshmen, junior varsity and varsity team, and by the time Kelsey Kiper made junior varsity her sophomore year, Katie Kiper was a senior playing varsity.\nKelsey Kiper said she talked with Katie Kiper during her college search, but her decision to play at IU was never set in stone. \n“In the beginning I sort of viewed the whole sister thing as a negative,” Kelsey Kiper said. “I sort of wanted something different for myself, and (I) didn’t really want to follow that same path.”\nBut Kelsey Kiper treated the search objectively and decided that IU was the right place for her. \nSince Kelsey Kiper arrived at IU, her older sister has made the transition to college easier for her both on and off the field. \n“I think it has been easier for her than it might have been otherwise,” Katie Kiper said. “She stayed with me this summer and got to know some of the teammates ahead of time.”\nKelsey Kiper said she can lean on Katie Kiper for help, whether it’s what to do in practice, how to find a building on campus or how to handle a load of laundry.\nThe early success of the sisters on the field has pleased IU coach Amy Robertson, who said she has enjoyed watching the girls compete in practice and in games.\n“I love that they are perfectionists,” she said. “They have a great drive to get better. They are so determined that sometimes their only weakness is not recognizing their strengths, but you can never say that they don’t work hard. They are strong, tough and gutsy competitors. They cheer hard for each other but they also compete hard with each other on the field.” \nThe experience is new for the Kipers, but they are enjoying sharing it together.\n“It’s not very often that sisters get to play together at the NCAA level,” Katie Kiper said. “It’s definitely new for us, but it has been fun.”
(09/24/07 3:59am)
After a 2-1 loss to Ohio State in Columbus on Friday, the IU field hockey team responded quickly with an 8-0 win over Missouri State on Saturday. \nThe Hoosiers had little time to dwell on the defeat and showed no ill-effect in their dominant victory less than 24 hours later.\n“I think we responded really well to the disappointment we felt after the loss to Ohio State,” IU coach Amy Robertson said. “We made the right changes and overall it was really positive. I was proud of how we approached the game.”\nIU came out firing against Missouri State, outshooting the Bears 16-3 in the first half and 27-8 for the game. \nSophomore forward Haley Funk led the offense for the Hoosiers, recording her first career hat trick. \n“It was a good feeling being able to score those goals,” she said. “It was just nice to see us pick up our play after Friday.”\nSenior midfielder Margie Stoll recorded her first career goal, and senior forward Kate O'Connell scored her sixth goal of the season. Sisters Katie and Kelsey Kiper also found the back of the net, and junior back Danitra Castro put in a penalty stroke to round out the scoring for the Hoosiers. \n“We were able to develop good opportunities that led to goals,” Robertson said. “I thought we came out focused, and our tempo and intensity was high for the full 70 minutes. We played almost everybody, and some different players made contributions.”\nOne of those players was junior goalkeeper Jobi Manson, who replaced starter Haley Exner in the second half. Manson made the most of her playing time, making two key second-half saves.\n“It felt great to get in the game and prove what I can do to the team,” Manson said. “As a backup, you work hard in practice and put in a lot of time on and off the field, so it was really refreshing to be able to play like that in a game.”\nIn their Big Ten opener against Ohio State, the Hoosiers came out a little flat, and the Buckeyes made them pay. \n“Ohio State capitalized on their opportunities,” Robertson said. “It was frustrating because we didn’t really click out there. I thought it was the first time we didn’t play and progress from the previous game.”\nIU outshot Ohio State 9-8 for the game but managed only one shot in the second half. Sophomore Meg O’Connell was the lone scorer for the Hoosiers, recording her third goal of \nthe season. \nDespite the slow start in Big Ten play, Robertson isn’t overly concerned.\n“In the Big Ten there isn’t one team who is going to dominate,” she said. “There is great competition and it brings out the best in each other. It isn’t one game that will make the difference. We just have to focus on making IU better. We’re not going to change our style of play because of our opponents.”
(09/21/07 4:43am)
The IU field hockey team has seen a lot of the new IU field hockey field lately. But this weekend, the Hoosiers are in for a change of scenery.\nLast weekend, IU completed a three-week, five-game home stand during which the team went 2-3 against some top-ranked competition. This weekend, IU (4-3) will hit the road and head to Columbus, Ohio, to face Big Ten foe Ohio State on Friday and Missouri State on Saturday. \nWhile a home crowd and friendly confines are always nice, IU coach Amy Robertson said sometimes, a road trip can be a blessing in disguise. \n“I think sometimes it can be an advantage being on the road,” she said. “It’s a little easier mentally without having to worry about classes or some of the other distractions. We can do an easy walk-through before the game and get comfortable. Playing at home is great, but the road can be your best friend too.”\nThe game against Ohio State will mark the beginning of the Big Ten season for the Hoosiers. \n“We’re really excited to start Big Ten play,” senior midfielder Amanda Oyler said. “I think we’ve been playing well and are well prepared.”\nRobertson also said the Hoosiers are looking forward to Big Ten play, but will focus on their own improvement and not on the play of their opponents.\n“We’re just going to take one game at a time and continue the process of learning,” she said. “I think each practice we’ve improved something, but we’ve also found out some of our difficulties. Sometimes improving on the little things can make a big difference.” \nOne of the things IU is hoping to improve is its ability to finish on offense. The Hoosiers have created scoring opportunities all season but have struggled turning those chances into goals lately. \nIn their last two games, the Hoosiers managed only one goal despite attempting 11 shots.\n“We’re focused on getting good shot opportunities,” Robertson said. “We have to be smart and relentless in our attack.”\nIU played well against good competition last weekend, losing close games to No. 11 Ohio and No. 5 Wake Forest. The Hoosiers believe the experience will help prepare them for the games this weekend.\n“I think we’ve really stepped up our play,” sophomore back Brittney Hacken said. “We need to improve on some of the little things, but I think we’ll still go in to these games with the same game plan.”\nAfter a long homestand, the Hoosiers are ready for two tough road tests.\n“We are playing with confidence,” Oyler said. “We just need to step up to the challenge and put it all together out on the field.”
(09/20/07 4:00am)
That's what she said ...
(09/17/07 3:13am)
The IU field hockey team had a tough weekend, dropping two hard-fought contests to No. 12 Ohio and No. 5 Wake Forest at the IU Field Hockey Field. \nThe Hoosiers raised their level of play to the competition, but fell just short in both games, losing to Ohio 1-0 and Wake Forest 2-1.\n“We didn’t get the results we wanted, but I think we had two good performances,” IU coach Amy Robertson said. “The job of the coaches is to always be working on the next thing and always trying to be taking steps forward. I think we took some big steps forward.”\nIU (4-3) lost a heartbreaker to Ohio on Friday. The Hoosiers and Bobcats played evenly throughout the game, with Ohio outshooting IU 10-8 and earning a 5-3 advantage in penalty corners. \nIn the end, it was a penalty corner that made the difference. With just more than one minute left, Ohio’s Marcy Dull tipped in a shot off a penalty corner to give the Bobcats the victory. \n“It was a really hard-fought game, and in the end, it just didn’t go our way,” senior goalkeeper Haley Exner said. “I was really feeling a win, but we had a five-second breakdown and they took advantage on the corner.”\nThe Hoosiers had several scoring opportunities throughout the game, but were unable to take advantage. \n“We had some good chances, but we were a little bit anxious in the attacking zone,” Robertson said. “I think we need to attack with a little more composure and patience.”\nAgainst Wake Forest, the game was scoreless at halftime again, with neither team finding any real scoring opportunities. The pace picked up in the second half, and Wake Forest outshot IU 10-3, while earning an 8-4 edge in penalty corners for the game.\nThe Demon Deacons took a 1-0 lead 10 minutes into the second half. Just two minutes later, IU junior back Danitra Castro tied the score at one with a goal off a penalty corner. Wake Forest took the lead for good less than two minutes later, with a goal of its own off a penalty corner. \n“I think we stepped up our game to a whole new level today,” junior forward Katie Kiper said after the Wake Forest game. “We came out and played well from the beginning.”\n Despite the loss, Robertson was happy with how the team competed throughout the game.\n“Wake Forest is a team we really respect,” she said. “I was pleased that we came out and felt we could win the whole time. We were never tentative and we really pressed and defended well. I was very proud of our effort.”\nWith their first Big Ten game of the season next weekend against Ohio State, the Hoosiers believe their level of play is just where they want it to be. \n“I think we are starting to peak at the right time,” Kiper said. “I don’t think anyone expected us to play this well. Once we start finishing on offense, there are endless possibilities to what we can do.”
(09/14/07 4:44am)
This weekend, the IU field hockey team will face its toughest challenge so far this season when it welcomes two top-15 teams to Bloomington. The Hoosiers will face No. 12 Ohio at 3 p.m. today and No. 5 Wake Forest at 1 p.m. Sunday at the IU field hockey field.\n“This will be a really exciting weekend for us,” IU coach Amy Robertson said. “We are facing two of the top teams in the country and we are at home. I think the timing is right.”\nThe Hoosiers are fresh off a 2-0 victory over Ball State on Saturday, in which senior goalkeeper Haley Exner earned her seventh career shutout. After making a season high seven saves against the Cardinals, Exner earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors. \nExner and the IU defense will be tested this weekend, beginning Friday with Ohio. \n“Ohio returns a lot of good players, and they are off to one of their best starts,” Robertson said. “They are really good on their attack corners, and they have girls who have been in the same role for a couple of years. Overall, they are just a smart and solid team throughout.”\nThe IU players are looking forward to facing a tough Bobcats squad.\n“I think we consider Ohio to be one of our rivals because of how close we are to them,” senior back Erin Isler said. “It’s friendly and fun, but I think we are going to be fired up.”\nWhen the Hoosiers take on Wake Forest on Sunday afternoon, they will try to get in the win column against a team they have never beaten. \n“Wake Forest has such a great tradition,” Robertson said. “They have great players and a great coaching staff. They play one of the toughest schedules in the country, and they are a team we really respect. We are (winless) against them, so it will definitely be tough.” \nSince 2003, the Hoosiers have lost to the Deamon Deacons four times, including a 5-0 loss in the second round of the NCAA tournament in 2005. \nDespite the tough competition, the Hoosiers remain focused on playing their own game. \n“We haven’t really seen any film on either team,” said senior midfielder Margie Stoll. “We know their key players, but we have been playing a lot and scrimmaging in practice, so we aren’t trying to do a whole lot different.”\nRobertson said attacking on offense will be a key for the Hoosiers over the weekend.\n“I think we want to hold good possession throughout,” she said. “We have to be relentless and persistent in the attacking end. We’ve been getting good opportunities in the circle, but we have to increase our finishing percentage.” \nRobertson also hopes the aggressive mentality will carry over to the defensive side of the field.\n“We want to be confident in the backfield,” she said. “We want to have our opponents with their backs turned towards our goal.”\nEven with a young team, Robertson says the Hoosiers won’t be intimidated by \ntheir opponents’ rankings.\n“We are looking forward to the challenge,” Robertson said. “I think we will really see what we are made of. I don’t think we’ll have to worry about the players being ready for these games.”
(09/10/07 4:09am)
The IU field hockey team knew it would be in for a tough battle against Ball State this weekend, but it didn’t know it would also have to battle Mother Nature. \nIn the end, the Hoosiers weathered both storms, overcoming a feisty Cardinal squad and a second-half downpour to earn a 2-0 victory Saturday afternoon at the IU Field Hockey Field. \nIU was holding a 1-0 lead with just more than ten minutes left in the second half when the skies opened and rain started to fall. \n“We’ve never faced anything like that at home,” IU coach Amy Robertson said of the heavy rain. “I think the girls enjoyed playing in the elements, though.”\nThe rain was something new for the Hoosiers, who played indoors at Mellencamp Pavilion for the last seven years before the construction of the new outdoor field. \nThe Hoosiers seemed unfazed by the weather, however, and scored their second goal of the game on the rain-soaked field. Senior forward Kate O’Connell took a pass from senior midfielder Amanda Oyler on a penalty corner and scored to put IU up for good. The rain continued for the rest of the game as IU kept Ball State off the scoreboard to earn the victory. The Hoosiers possessed the ball for most of the game, outshooting the Cardinals 22-9 and earning a 12-1 advantage in penalty corners. \nIn the first half, the Hoosiers had 13 shots and seven penalty corners but were unable to crack the scoreboard. The best opportunity of the half came when IU earned a penalty stroke, but senior midfielder Meredith Brown’s shot hit the left post and bounced away from the goal.\n“In the first half, I thought we made the simple, sound play, which was good,” Robertson said. “We had a lot of opportunities but couldn’t take advantage. I think we need to work on setting up good scoring opportunities with purpose.”\nAfter a scoreless first half, IU broke through for an early second-half goal. Sophomore midfielder Meg O’Connell worked her way down the left side of the field, dribbling past several Ball State defenders before feeding a wide-open Haley Funk for the goal. \n“It was great,” Funk said of the goal. “Meg carried the ball the whole way and made it so much easier for me. I think that goal really lifted the spirit of the team.”\nAfter taking the lead, the Hoosiers’ defense continued its solid play and kept Ball State in check. Senior goalkeeper Haley Exner recorded seven saves in the game.\n“We were pretty happy with our defense,” junior back Danitra Castro said. “I think our organization was good and we did a good job of staying behind the ball.”\nRobertson was also pleased with her team’s effort.\n“We’re happy to take this victory,” Robertson said. “We faced an opponent that was hungry to beat us and played a really good game and still found a way to get a result.”
(09/07/07 4:44am)
During the preseason, the IU field hockey team defeated Ball State 5-3 in its lone scrimmage before regular season play. Despite the outcome, IU coach Amy Robertson wasn’t overly impressed. \n“We won by score,” she said. “But if you ask Ball State, I bet you they feel like they won the scrimmage.”\nIU, now 3-1 on the season, will face Ball State again, as the Hoosiers welcome the Cardinals for a 2 p.m. home contest Saturday at the IU Field Hockey Field. This time, the Hoosiers have more game experience and are poised for a sharper performance. \n“We want to play a complete game for 70 minutes with intensity and focus,” Robertson said. “I’d like to see better decisions and finishing when we’re in good position. We have to be able to handle the pressure inside the circle.”\nThe Hoosiers will look to tighten up the defense this time around after giving up three goals to Ball State in the scrimmage. \n“I think defense is the starting point and that includes me,” senior goalkeeper Haley Exner said. “We have to have good marking and not let them receive the ball and get good shots. We need a little more organization and to continue to get tougher out there.”\nIn their last game, IU shutout Saint Louis 8-0, allowing only one shot and giving up no penalty corners. Senior forward Kate O’Connell would like to see a repeat performance against Ball State.\n“I think another shutout would be great for our defense,” she said. “I think if we play our game, we are capable of doing that.”\nAgainst Saint Louis, the offense put on a show, and four Hoosiers scored their first career goal. Freshman forward Katie Griswold scored two goals. Freshmen Lena Grote and Brenna Moeljadi also scored along with junior Danitra Castro.\nIU constantly attacked the circle, taking 19 shots and earning 16 penalty corners, something Robertson believes the Hoosiers can build upon for the game on Saturday. \n“I think we can take a lot from how well we moved the ball and penetrated the offensive side of the field,” she said. \nThe Saint Louis game showcased the depth of the team as the Hoosiers saw big time contributions from their bench. \n“Several girls came off the bench and had huge performances,” Robertson said. “It was important for me to see that if I stick someone else in they can go out there and play their personal best. I think we have more options than we originally thought.”
(09/03/07 4:54am)
After a disappointing 2-0 loss to SUNY-Albany on Friday, the IU field hockey team bounced back in commanding fashion with an 8-0 win over Saint Louis yesterday, moving their record to 3-1. \nThe day began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony officially dedicating the new outdoor field to the field hockey team. After remarks from IU coach Amy Robertson, Athletics Director Rick Greenspan and Director of the Varsity Club Scott Dolson, the Hoosiers quickly erased any lingering disappointment from Friday’s loss.\nIU wasted no time getting on the scoreboard Sunday, scoring two goals in the first 10 minutes of play against the Billikens. The Hoosiers continued their dominance throughout the game, outshooting Saint Louis 19-1 and earning a 16-0 advantage in penalty corners.\n“We looked a lot better than we did on Friday,” Robertson said. “Our intensity and focus remained high throughout the game, and that hasn’t always been the case after we’ve scored early goals. We didn’t let up for the rest of the game.”\nThree freshmen scored their first career goals, including forward Katie Griswold, who scored two goals off rebounds. Forward Katie Griswold scored off a loose ball in front of the goal, and back \nBrenna Moeljadi scored off a penalty corner.\n“It felt amazing,” Moeljadi said of her first goal for IU. “It was a huge rush. We practice penalty corners every practice, so I’m working on them about four times a week.”\nIU scored off of four penalty corners, including Moeljadi’s goal and goals from Amanda Oyler, Danitra Castro and Kate O’Connell. \n“I was unhappy about our lack of finishing on penalty corners against Albany,” Robertson said. “We took more reps in practice and worked on executing and staying focused. If you can draw corners and earn them, it’s an opportunity to put the ball in the goal.”\nSophomore midfielder Meg O’Connell rounded out the scoring for IU with her second goal of the season. \nWhile the Hoosiers erupted for eight goals against Saint Louis, the going was much tougher against Albany. Despite outshooting Albany 9-6, IU was unable to score a goal and suffered its first loss of the season.\n“We had a lot of opportunities but couldn’t really take advantage,” Meg O’Connell said after the loss. “We gave up too many corners, and our work ethic wasn’t like it usually is.”\nAfter a scoreless first half, Albany scored in the 43rd minute and put the game away with a 59th-minute goal. Trailing 2-0, IU turned up the pressure but couldn’t break through with a goal. \n“I liked our urgency at the end of the game, but we need to show that from the beginning,” Robertson said after the game. “I think we are a smart team, but I don’t think we showed it at times. And that just played right into their hands in the end.”\nThe Hoosiers play again Saturday with a home contest against Ball State.
(08/31/07 3:52am)
Ever since IU field hockey returned as a varsity sport in 2000, the Hoosiers have played their home games inside Mellencamp Pavilion. After seven seasons playing indoors and sharing the facility with other sports, the Hoosiers now have an outdoor field to call their own. \nFresh off two wins over Pacific and Cal-Berkeley in California last weekend, the Hoosiers return to Bloomington this weekend for their first two games on the new field. And while the weather might not rival that of California, the players are excited just to be playing outdoors. \n“It will be really nice to play outside,” senior midfielder Meredith Brown said. “I like to play in the heat, and it will be nice to have a regular field. I think we we’re one of the only Division I teams still playing indoors.”\nIU is 2-0 on the season, and will welcome SUNY-Albany on Friday and Saint Louis University on Sunday. The second game will be preceded at 12:45 p.m. by a ribbon-cutting ceremony to usher in a new era of IU field hockey facilities. \nIU coach Amy Robertson said she is excited to compete on the new field for the first time. After practicing all preseason on the new field, Robertson is also glad the Hoosiers will be playing on a field they are familiar with. \n“Playing in California, we had to kind of adjust to the different fields,” she said. “So it will be nice to get back out on a field we’re used to. The ball speed in California was really fast, but our touch was off because of the different field. This weekend, the ball speed will be slower, but our touch will be a lot better.”\nAfter a successful road trip to the West Coast, Robertson said she is pleased with the team’s progress. \n“I thought we took a huge step forward from the Pacific game to the Cal game,” she said. “We’ll have to continue to take steps forward and get better for these games.” \nIU outshot their opponents in both of their first two games, but Robertson is looking for the team to focus on finding quality shots. \n“We found ourselves getting into the circle a lot,” she said. “We’re working on maximizing our chances and creating better shot opportunities.”\nRobertson praised the depth the team has displayed so far, and said she has been impressed by the five freshmen added from the Hoosiers’ latest recruiting class. \n“The freshmen have adjusted well,” she said. “This is a whole new experience for them, and they are so happy and excited to be contributing to the team.”\nNot only will this weekend mark the first games on the new field for the freshmen, but it will also be the first time they play in front of a home crowd. \n“I can’t wait to play out in front of our own fans,” freshman forward Katie Griswold said. “We’re just trying to keep up the intensity and have fun playing.” \nGriswold, who is from California, said when she came to IU, she didn’t even know about the new outdoor field, but was pleasantly surprised. \n“It will be amazing to play outside,” she said.
(08/27/07 4:10am)
When freshman field hockey midfielder Kelsey Kiper came to IU this year, she joined her sister Katie, a junior forward on the team. As IU opened the season in California this weekend, the siblings made their presence felt on the field. \nIn the second half of Saturday’s opener against University of the Pacific, Kelsey took a pass from her sister Katie and beat the goalkeeper for the first goal of the Hoosiers’ season. \n“Our first goal of the year was by a freshman, which is awesome,” IU coach Amy Robertson said. “It was a nice sister connection on that one.”\nThe Hoosiers took the match against Pacific 2-1 and carried their momentum into Sunday, notching a 2-0 win over University of California, Berkeley.\nAgainst Pacific, the Hoosiers scored two unanswered goals in the second half on the way to their first victory of the season. Senior forward Kate O’Connell added the second goal of the game for IU. \n“We put ourselves under pressure a lot in the first half,” Robertson said. “But I think we figured out how to relieve that pressure and handle possessions much better in the second half.”\nAfter falling behind 2-0, Pacific put more pressure on the Hoosier defense and broke through for a late goal.\n“They started firing shots into our end after we got up 2-0,” Robertson said. “They were trying to catch us out of position and took really quick free hits. They didn’t really have a lot of possession, but they kept us under pressure.” \nWhen the Hoosiers topped Cal 2-0 on Sunday, it was two other sisters – senior Kate O’Connell and her sister, sophomore midfielder Meg O’Connell – who provided the offense for IU. \nMeg scored the first goal in the fourth minute of the game, and her sister Kate scored her second goal of the year just before the final buzzer. Kate’s goal was assisted by senior midfielder Meredith Brown and freshman back Brenna Moeljadi.\nSenior goalie Haley Exner recorded a shutout, and IU outshot Cal 9-7 on the game. \n“The team just stepped up their game to a whole new level today,” Robertson said. “I’m really impressed how well we adjusted to things that we learned from the game before.” \nAfter a successful road trip in California, the Hoosiers will return to Bloomington to face SUNY-Albany and Saint Louis University in their first home matches of the season.\n“I’m really proud of where we are,” Robertson said. “That’s the best I have seen out of our team since we started practicing. I’m glad we were able to play at this level so early in the season.”
(08/24/07 4:36am)
The IU field hockey team opens a promising season this weekend with a trip to Berkeley, Calif., to face the University of the Pacific on Saturday and the University of California-Berkeley on Sunday. \nLast season, the Hoosiers, led by senior All-Americans Lydia Schrott and Morgan Miller, fell just short of an NCAA tournament bid. This year, with Schrott and Miller having graduated, IU will look to a new group of seniors to lead it into the postseason. \nThe Hoosiers have six seniors returning and three in particular – forward Kate O’Connell, midfielder Meredith Brown and goalkeeper Haley Exner – have taken an early leadership role with the team during the preseason. \n“I think Meredith, Haley and Kate will all be leaders with this team,” IU coach Amy Robertson said. “It’s nice because they all play on different lines on the field and can share their leadership and experience with each line.”\nThese three women are coming off a strong junior season and are ready to become more vocal with teammates. \n“Haley and I live together and talk a lot about how to make the team better,” O’Connell said. “We each are working hard with our lines. We’re really working on holding everyone accountable and not being scared to speak up.”\nExner, who was an All-Big Ten performer last year, said she is comfortable with her new leadership role. \n“I’ve really tried to work on being there for the players and being someone they can look up to,” she said. “So far I’ve enjoyed it.”\nThis year’s team has a strong freshman class, including forwards Katie Griswold and Lena Grote, midfielder Kelsey Kiper and backs Brenna Moeljadi and Mutsa Mutembwa. As the freshmen adjust to playing at the college level, the seniors have taken it upon themselves to bring them up to speed and help them mesh with their teammates.\n“I’ve been so impressed with how we’ve gelled as a team,” Exner said. “The freshmen have come in and fit in really nicely. I think we’re a true team right now.”\nRobertson is also impressed with what the freshmen have \nto offer. \n“The freshmen came in really fit,” Robertson said. “They are an exciting group and are very exciting to watch.”\nAfter a long summer of conditioning and practices, the Hoosiers are ready to take the field. \n“I’ve been really impressed with how we’ve looked in practice,” O’Connell said. “The intensity has been high, and I’m really excited for games to start.”\nThe games will also be the first for Pacific and U.C.-Berkeley, so IU will not have any kind of scouting report on either team.\n“We aren’t going to know a lot about them and they aren’t going to know a lot about us,” Robertson said. “We are just focusing on ourselves and accomplishing our goals.”\nThe seniors hope this weekend is the first step on the way to a special year.\n“I’m really excited to open in California,” Exner said. “My freshman year we lost to Cal (Berkeley). But now we’re back, and we have high hopes for this season. We are only going to get better as the season goes along.”
(04/11/07 4:00am)
IU senior swimmer Leila Vaziri sits with her gold medal close by and reflects on her world-record-breaking performance at the World Championships in Melbourne, Australia.\nHer eyes look heavy, but she can hardly contain her smile. \nShe has been back in Bloomington for almost a week, but she’s still adjusting to the time change and getting to know the gold medal she keeps by her side. \n“I don’t know if this will ever sink in,” Vaziri said. “I’m still trying to collect myself. I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel.”\nVaziri entered her first World Championship appearance as a 100-meter backstroke specialist. However, she finished in 10th place, narrowly missing a swim in the finals. \n“I was really upset,” Vaziri said. “I was at the pool the next day sitting and watching when I knew I should be out there swimming.” \nVaziri would get another chance in the 50-meter backstroke and quickly erased her disappointment. \nIn her preliminary swim, she set an American record time of 28.25. Then she set a world record time of 28.16 in the semifinals and matched the time in the finals on her way to a gold medal. \nHer feat shocked the swimming world, and it shocked Vaziri as well. \n“I never would have imagined this,” she said. “They only have 50-meter competitions at world championships, so this was my first time in the event.”\nVaziri wrapped up a stellar career at IU with a third place showing in the 100-yard backstroke at the NCAA championships in March. She finished her career with a school record 15 All-America certificates. While she said balancing classes and practice was often hard, she will always remember being a college athlete. \n“This has been a great experience for me,” she said. “I was talking to some of the girls on the U.S. national team and they said swimming in college was one of the best times of their lives, and it has been for me, too.”\nWhile Vaziri enjoyed great success in college, she will gladly make the transition from swimming yards in college to swimming meters in international competitions. \nShe said she prefers meters because it is more straight swimming without as many turns. \nSwimming has always been the easy part for Vaziri, who started swimming when she was 8 years old. However, it wasn’t until she was 13 that she started training competitively. She said now, at age 21, that she has finally become a good trainer and a good racer, not just a good swimmer. \nVaziri will have to continue her good training as she plans to prepare for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The 50-meter backstroke is not an Olympic event, but Vaziri believes her success can translate to the 100-meter back.\n“This gives me great confidence and it relates to where I should be with my 100 back,” she said. \nAfter graduation, Vaziri plans on joining her club team in Florida, where she will be close to her family and can focus on her Olympic training. She knows the training will be tough, but she is ready for the challenge. \n“There could be some real nightmares ahead,” Vaziri said. “It’s scary, but so exciting.”\nBut for now, Vaziri will catch up on sleep and enjoy sweet dreams of gold medals and world records.
(04/02/07 4:00am)
IU post-graduate swimmer Kevin Swander traveled to East Meadow, N.Y., for the USA Swimming Spring Championships with hopes of winning a national championship in the 100-meter breaststroke. \nHowever, swimming with a sprained ankle, Swander added seconds to his time and finished in a disappointing second place with a time of 1:03.30. \n“It was really disappointing, because he should have won a national title,” swimming coach Ray Looze said after the meet. “He just couldn’t get his ankle loosened up. He did all he could, but his time was pretty far off what it had been.”\nSwander, who is also in his first year as student coach, was slated to compete in the 200-meter breaststroke and the 200-meter individual medley as well, but was forced to withdraw. \nSophomore Justin Peterfish, junior Alec Haley and freshman Brittany Barwegen joined Swander for the five-day event. \nThe Spring Championships are not sanctioned by the NCAA and there is no team scoring. \nHaley and Peterfish both had strong showings in the 200-meter breaststroke competition. Haley finished in 13th place in the preliminary heats to earn a spot in the B-group final and Peterfish finished in 21st place to earn a swim in the C-group final. \nIn the finals, Haley’s time of 2:22.34 earned him a fourth place in the B-final and Peterfish’s time of 2:22.88 was good for third in the C-final. \nPeterfish also finished 25th in the prelims of the 100-meter breaststroke. His time of 1:06.34 left him one spot away from qualifying for the C-finals. Haley added a 28th place performance in the 400-meter individual medley. \nBarwegen qualified for 17th place in the 200-meter butterfly and finished in eighth place of the B-final with a time of 2:20.09. She also added a 39th-place finish in the prelims of the 100-meter butterfly. \n“Overall, the swimmers did a great job and represented IU very well,” Looze said. “They gained great experience and set personal best times.”\nWith the spring season concluded and a full slate of summer competition ahead, Looze believes these swimmers are well prepared. \n“This meet will give the swimmers a lot of momentum for a full summer season of swimming,” he said.
(03/29/07 4:00am)
"Blood Diamond" is the kind of film that leaves me with mixed emotions. Upon initial theatrical viewing last December, I was mostly unimpressed, save for some masterfully done action sequences. After rewatching it on DVD, I'm still impressed with all the action, but at times the subject matter comes off as exploitative of Africa's current conditions, while the heavy message that we should avoid buying diamonds from conflict zones is likely to fall on deaf ears.\n"Diamond" brings together Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou in the anarchic Sierra Leone of 1999. Hounsou, as Solomon Vandy, watches in horror as rebels invade his village and separate him from his family shortly after the films opens; DiCaprio, as Danny Archer, is an ex-mercenary turned diamond smuggler who's merely out to make a buck and escape a continent he has deemed "godforsaken." These men are brought together while in prison and Archer, seeing the opportunity to use Vandy to locate a rare diamond, makes the bold promise he can reunite Vandy with his lost family. The greatest question Vandy must ask himself is: Can this man really be trusted?\nDid DiCaprio and Hounsou really deserve their Oscar nominations for this film? Honestly, no. DiCaprio was leaps and bounds better in "The Departed" -- a film where he actually maintained his accent; Hounsou, who is indeed a very talented actor, screams practically 75 percent of his lines and it gets annoying fast. I also finally realized that director Edward Zwick has a thing for making films where white men are placed within various ethnic groups only to become either their savior, voice of reason or both. Look at "Glory," "The Last Samurai" and now "Blood Diamond," and tell me you don't notice a trend. \nSingle and double-disc editions exist of "Diamond." The single comes with Zwick's insightful commentary as the only extra. The good thing about his commentary tracks is he tries to cram in as much information as possible. The double-disc includes the commentary along with two disposable interviews with DiCaprio and Connelly, an interesting segment on the film's epic "Siege of Freetown" sequence and the music video for Nas' "Shine on 'Em." \nThe big supplement though is the 50-minute documentary, "Blood on the Stone." What follows is the lengthy journey of a diamond from the African mines all the way to its European buyer and into the shop window. The entire process is fascinating, although one viewing is sufficient.\nUltimately, "Blood Diamond" is a passable drama with strong action scenes that could've been trimmed down at least a half-hour. The end message is make sure the next diamond you purchase comes from a conflict-free zone. Yet, when the movie focuses largely on how diamonds from these zones are smuggled across borders only to be mixed in with untainted ones, is the message really all that successful?
(03/29/07 4:00am)
IU senior swimmer Leila Vaziri set a world-record time in the 50-meter backstroke Wednesday at the FINA World Championships in Melbourne, Australia. \nVaziri began the morning by swimming to an American record and top qualifying time of 28.25 in the preliminary heats. She then lowered her time to 28.16 in the semifinals to set the new world mark and finish the semifinals as the top qualifier. \nHer time beat the previous world record held by Germany’s Janine Pietsch by 0.03 seconds. \nVaziri is competing in her first world championships and is swimming the 50-meter backstroke for the first time at an international competition. \nThe senior leaves the IU program as one of its most decorated swimmers. As a freshman, she earned honorable mention All-America honors. She has earned 15 All-American honors in her career – the most in IU history – and took the bronze medal in the 100-yard backstroke March 10 at the NCAA championships in Minneapolis. \nShe will try for her first ever gold medal in the finals of the event scheduled for tonight.
(03/28/07 4:00am)
Fresh off outstanding NCAA campaigns, IU swimming and diving standouts Leila Vaziri and Christina Loukas represented the United States at the FINA World Championships in Melbourne, Australia. \nTwo weeks removed from her third-place showing at the NCAA championships, Vaziri finished in 10th place in the semifinal of the 100-meter backstroke. \n“I know Leila is feeling fantastic about her performance,” swimming coach Ray Looze said. “She wanted to make the final, but to finish 10th in the world in your first time competing is excellent. She made us very proud back here.” \nVaziri earned a swim in the semifinals of the event by placing sixth in the preliminary heats. Her time of 1:01.36 in the prelims broke her own school record in the event. \nVaziri’s semifinal time of 1:01.39 was slightly slower than her preliminary time and left her two spots short of advancing to the finals. \nAlthough Vaziri’s career at IU is over, Looze believes she has more to accomplish as a swimmer. \n“I think she’ll probably train for the 2008 Olympic games,” he said. “She has the second fastest American time and I think the Olympics are a real possibility for her.”\nAfter finishing second on the 1-meter at the NCAA championships, Loukas placed 14th out of 37 divers in the preliminary round of the 1-meter competition. She dove to a score of 245.55 and missed qualifying for the semifinals by only two spots. \n“I was happy with how I competed,” Loukas said after the meet. “I was hoping to make it to the semifinals and I just missed, so that was a little disappointing.”\nDespite the disappointment, Loukas believes the experience will help her diving in the future. \n“Going to this type of meet and being around the best divers in the world will help,” she said. “It makes me want to come home and train harder because I know I can compete with the best divers.”
(03/27/07 4:00am)
The NCAA season is complete for the IU swimming and diving teams, but you wouldn’t know it based on Saturday morning’s practice. \nThe sound of frantic swimming filled Councilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center as swimming coach Ray Looze paced the pool, urging his swimmers to push harder. As the swimmers touched the wall, they eagerly looked to their coach for their time.\nThe practice was for this week’s spring championships, an individual swimming competition not sanctioned by the NCAA that helps prep swimmers for future competitions. \nFour IU swimmers – sophomore Justin Peterfish, junior Alec Haley, freshman Brittany Barwegen and post-graduate Kevin Swander – will travel to East Meadow, N.Y., for the five-day event. \n“The selection of swimmers for this meet was voluntary,” Looze said at a weekend practice. “We want to take swimmers who are seeking Olympic-style qualifying and can also handle the load academically.”\nThe competition will feature preliminary and finals swims for each event, and the pool will be a 50-meter short course. Unlike the NCAA meets, the spring championships is an individual competition, and there is no team scoring. \nSwander, an IU graduate and first-year student coach, has been training for the 2008 Olympics and is looking forward to this meet. \n“I just like to go out and have fun each time I swim,” he said. “Hopefully, I can get a personal best time and improve my world ranking.”\nSwander will be swimming in the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke and the 200-meter individual medley. While he would like to place highly in each event, he is concentrating on his times.\n“I think it is easier to focus on getting a good time,” he said, “and then the good placing will follow.”\nPeterfish will join Swander in the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke competitions. Haley will swim in the 200-meter breaststroke and the 200- and 400-meter individual medleys. Barwegen will swim the 100- and 200-meter butterfly and the 200- and 400-meter individual medleys. \nLooze hopes the trip to New York will be beneficial for the IU swimmers.\n“This will be good experience for us on the short course,” he said. “Hopefully we can improve some of the swimmers’ national or Olympic standards.”
(03/19/07 4:00am)
As the IU women’s swimming and diving team traveled to Minneapolis for the NCAA championships, its sights were set on a top-10 finish. Although an 11th-place finish was just short of the goal, it was still plenty of cause for excitement. \n“I’m really proud of the girls,” swimming coach Ray Looze said. “They fought hard throughout the whole meet. We ended up falling a little bit short of our goal, but you can never be disappointed with an 11th-place finish at the NCAAs.”\nIU finished the meet with 109.5 points and earned its fourth consecutive top-15 performance. \nSenior Leila Vaziri was the top finisher on the swimming side. Vaziri took third place in the 100-yard backstroke. \nFreshman Presley Bard and sophomore Allison Kay swam to new school records in their respective events. Bard finished ninth in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:55.12 and Kay tied for 10th place in the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 4:12.30. \nOn the diving side, IU just missed national titles in two events. Senior Lindsay Weigle finished second on the platform, just 1.30 points out of first, and junior Christina Loukas took second on the 1-meter, just 1.20 points behind the winner. On the 3-meter, Weigle placed fifth, and Loukas placed ninth. \nThe NCAA meet marked the end of a memorable NCAA season for the Hoosiers. An undefeated dual-meet season and a Big Ten title left Looze with lasting memories. \n“The best memory for me was the look on the girls’ faces when they won the Big Tens,” he said. “It was priceless.”\nThe men’s swimming and diving team also finished its NCAA season this weekend at the NCAA championships in Minneapolis. \nThe Hoosiers swam to a 15th-place finish with 72 points, making it the fourth consecutive top-20 performance. \nJunior Ben Hesen became the first IU swimmer in 28 years to swim in the final of two individual events. Hesen took second place in the 100-yard backstroke and finished eighth in the 200-yard backstroke. \n“Ben had an excellent meet,” Looze said. “He has gotten used to swimming in pressure situations. He was physically and mentally prepared for this meet, and he really set himself up to win a national championship next year.”\nJunior Pat Penoyar added a 12th-place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke. Steven Murry finished 13th in the 400-yard individual medley. \nThe 200-yard medley team finished in ninth place, and the 400-yard medley team took 11th. \nThe Hoosiers earned 13 All-American citations for their efforts. Hesen led the way with four. Penoyar added three. \n“We are very pleased with our finish,” Looze said. “We had seven guys swimming in the meet, and six were named all-Americans. With the personnel we had, we couldn’t be happier. All of the guys are returning next year, so we’ll take forward a lot of experience as well.”
(03/08/07 5:00am)
The IU women’s swimming and diving team has bested every challenge placed before it this year, completing an undefeated dual-meet season and claiming its first Big Ten championship since 2003.\nStarting today at the NCAA championships in Minneapolis, IU will face its biggest test yet as it goes up against the best college swimmers and divers in the country. \nBut with nine swimmers and four divers qualified, there is reason to believe the Hoosiers can improve on their program-best ninth-place NCAA finish in 2005. \n“It’s so exciting to have such a big team here this weekend,” diving coach Jeff Huber said. “This is the biggest group I can remember. Hopefully we can feed off each other and get each other excited to perform well.”\nThe nine Hoosier swimmers will compete in 11 different individual events and four relays. The top-seeded IU swimmer is senior Leila Vaziri, who is seeded second in the 100-yard backstroke. Freshman Presley Bard is seeded fifth in the 200-yard backstroke, while Vaziri is 11th. Sophomore Allison Kay is the 12th seed in the 200-yard butterfly and freshman Amilee Smith is the 15th seed in the 200-yard breaststroke. The 400-yard medley relay team is seeded eighth.\nSwimming coach Ray Looze said he doesn’t place too much emphasis on the preliminary seeds. \n“The seeds are not a great predictor of how the swimmers will finish,” he said. “We just want to go out and try to win each heat in the prelims and swim the best that we can.”\nThe Hoosiers will have a mix of youth and experience at the meet. Of the nine IU swimmers, six are freshmen and sophomores and three are seniors.\n“I think the veteran leadership always helps,” Looze said. “But our young swimmers are talented enough. At some point, you just go out there and swim well, no matter what your age.”\nThe Hoosier divers are coming off the NCAA Zone C diving meet last weekend where they won all three events and qualified four divers. \nJunior Christina Loukas won the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards. Senior Lindsay Weigle won the platform. Senior Heather Chapman qualified with a second-place finish on the platform and freshman Brittney Feldman’s fourth-place finish on the 1-meter was good enough to qualify. \nHuber wants his team to focus less on individual accomplishments and more on fundamental diving. \n“We’re not as focused on outcome as we are on doing the things we want to do,” Huber said. “We want to compete with composure and toughness. Our goal is to have our season-best performance.”\nThe IU women have never won an NCAA championship, and they finished 14th in last year’s meet. The Hoosiers finished this season ranked No. 8 in the country. \nFor both teams, though, the focus isn’t on the past.\n“Our goal is to finish in the top 10,” Looze said. “I think the girls are real determined and ready to perform well.”