135 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(10/29/01 5:39am)
Going into Friday's match against No. 9 Ohio State, the women's field hockey team knew they would get the best the Buckeyes had to offer because with a win the Buckeyes would clinch a tie for the regular season Big Ten championship.\nThe Buckeyes determination outlasted the Hoosiers in a valiant effort. After holding the Buckeyes scoreless through the first 25 minutes of play, Ohio State got on the board as sophomore Jenee Doto beat Hoosier keeper junior Molly Pulkrabek with an assist from Buckeye sophomore Vanessa Immordino. Ohio State added a second goal just over a minute later to take a 2-0 lead into the half.\nTwenty minutes into the second half Immordino added a third goal for the Buckeyes to complete the 3-0 victory for OSU. The win moved the Buckeyes to 12-4 overall and 5-1 in Big Ten play. Pulkrabek faced 19 shots on the day, tallying five saves. The Hoosiers offense was unable to mount a strong attack and didn't get a shot on the Buckeye goal all game.\nReturning home for their regular season finale against No. 15 Penn State the Hoosiers were hoping to send seniors Akila Jones and Brooke Magers out in style with their first Big Ten victory. But the Nittany Lions spoiled the Hoosiers senior day with a 3-0 victory Sunday afternoon.\nFifteen minutes into the match Penn State senior Kiley Kulina found fellow senior Meredith Shulzitski off a penalty corner to give the Nittany Lions a 1-0 lead. Less than a minute later sophomore Kelly Larson found Kulina in front of the net as she blasted a slap shot by Pulkrabek.\nPulkrabek kept the Hoosiers in contention with a personal best 13 saves in the game, but Kulina was able to add her second goal of the day just a minute into the second half, giving PSU a 3-0 lead. That lead stood for the rest of the game despite IU's more aggressive attack in the final 20 minutes of play. The win moved the Nittany Lions to 11-6 overall and 3-3 in Big Ten competition, while the Hoosiers fell to 1-15 and 0-6 in conference play.\nDespite the loss, head coach Amy Robertson said she was pleased with her team's play.\n"I was very proud of the way the team played today," she said. "Penn State is one of the best all-around teams in the Big Ten."\nMagers said playing her last home game was bittersweet, but she also thought the Hoosiers played one of their best games all season against the Nittany Lions.\n"I think it was one of the best games we have played because Penn State is a phenomenal team," she said. "I have mixed emotions (about playing last home game), I would like to see us have a Big Ten win, but I have been overwhelmed and thrilled to be a part of the starting of this program and to see how much better we have gotten this year."\nFellow senior Jones didn't think the effects of her last game at IU had really hit her yet.\n"It hasn't set in with me yet," Jones said. "I don't have time to worry about it now because we have to worry about Big Ten's."\nPulkrabek's outstanding play impressed Robertson and others on the day.\n"I thought (Pulkrabek) played outstanding today," Robertson said. "Her play is a difference in allowing a team like Penn State to score nine goals and three goals. She is not only making the saves she is expected to make, she is making some spectacular plays and clearing the ball. Even the official after the game commented that our goalies should get goalkeeper of the year, which is a huge compliment to Molly (Pulkrabek) and Katie (Kanara). We are probably tested more than other goalkeepers."\nIU will face the Buckeyes again next Friday in the first round of the Big Ten tournament in Evanston, Ill. Pulkrabek thinks the Hoosiers can have success if the team plays like they did this weekend.\n"Hopefully I can play the same way at Big Ten's and the rest of the team will pull through and play like we did today," Pulkrabek said. "I think if we play like we did (against Penn State) we can have success"
(10/26/01 5:54am)
Heading into its final weekend of regular season play, the field hockey team is concentrating on its own play and improving for the future. The Hoosiers are 1-13 overall and 0-4 in conference play going into the weekend, but Hoosiers said they have come a long way in their second year as a varsity sport.\n"It is awesome to know that we are a second year program, and we can play with some of the best teams in the country," head coach Amy Robertson said. "Who knows what the future holds? We can never be satisfied and we have to keep looking up."\nLast year, the Hoosiers were outscored 4-81 with all four goals coming against Division II opponent Bellarmine. In Big Ten play last year, the Hoosiers didn't even have an offensive shot. While the Hoosiers record does not show their turnaround, they have scored 14 goals and allowed just 48, only suffering two bad losses at the hands of Iowa and Michigan. IU put a scare into No. 6 Michigan State and defeated then No. 26 Ball State for the only Division I victory in school history. \nWhile the Hoosiers are pleased with their improvements this year, freshman forward Kim Nash said IU needs at least one more win to show how far they have come.\n"I think we need another win to end our season to show how far we have come compared to last year and the progress we made throughout the season," Nash said. \nRobertson said the Hoosiers' difficult schedule has given her team invaluable play against strong competition and has helped the team improve.\n"Our tough competition has only brought our level up higher," she said. "We aren't intimidated when we play teams in the top 20 or we play other Big Ten teams, because we are used to it."\nThe Hoosiers take on two more formidable opponents this weekend as they travel to Columbus, Ohio, to face Ohio State today and then return for their regular season home-finale against Penn State on Sunday at 12 p.m. at the Mellencamp Pavilion.\nComing into the weekend, the Buckeyes are ranked No. 9 with a 12-4 overall record and 4-1 conference record. No. 13 Penn State has an 11-6 overall mark and 2-3 conference mark. The Nittany Lions have won their last seven games, allowing only four goals in those seven matches.\nIn last year's match against the Buckeyes, IU was shutout 8-0, and in two matches against Penn State the Hoosiers were outscored 17-0. But senior co-captain Akila Jones believes that IU can turn the tables and play both the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions competitively.\n"Any team can beat anyone else on a given day...we just have to come out and try to play our best," she said.\nTo combat the offensive attacks of the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions, Robertson said the Hoosiers are trying to step up their intensity and focus on defense.\n"We are working on having more aggressive defense and stopping teams earlier that try and dribble on us," Robertson said. "We are trying to be patient, but tackle hard."\n She also believes that Penn State may underestimate the ability of IU.\n "We have an advantage because they beat us twice last year, and they won't look at us as a serious threat," Robertson said. "We can only look to play our best game and be a complete team when we play them; if we can limit them in shots and penalty corners it is completely possible that we could be successful in that game."\nIn Robertson's mind, success against the Buckeyes or Nittany Lions would give the Hoosiers just what they have been looking for throughout Big Ten play.\n"We would like to win one Big Ten game this year, and we have yet to achieve that goal."
(10/22/01 6:20am)
The women's swimming and diving team opened its season in victorious fashion for the third straight year Saturday. For the second consecutive year, the win came at the hands of in-state rival Evansville. The Hoosiers defeated the Purple Aces by a score of 188-103 and won all 14 events in the competition.\nCoach Dorsey Tierney was pleased with the way her team started off the year, but said the Hoosiers have room for improvement.\n"I thought we competed very well today," Tierney said. "We do have kinks to work out, but I think we demonstrated our depth in the 400 IM, 500 free and 200 fly today. We have technical things to work on, but overall we did a good job today."\nSophomore Brooke Taflinger from Kokomo, won both the 200-yard freestyle and the 400-yard \nindividual medley. Taflinger's time of 4:24.85 in the 400-yard IM placed her in sixth place all-time for IU swimmers in the event. Her 1:53.57 in the 200-yard free put her in seventh all-time for that event. Taflinger also placed second behind sophomore teammate Sarah Fiden in the 500-yard freestyle.\nTierney was happy with the Taflinger's times and hopes she can continue to improve as the season progresses.\n"Her times were not a real surprise to me," Tierney said. "She is a quick swimmer and is very versatile. She is a tough racer and we see it every day in practice. The training that she has gone through was reflected today and she will just get better each week for the rest of the season."\nIU senior co-captain Susan Woessner returned to the Hoosiers squad after competing in the World University Games and coming home with three medals. Woessner didn't disappoint for the Hoosiers as she placed first in three events. Woessner won the 100-yard free and 100-yard backstroke with times of 52.47 and 59.20 respectively. Woessner was also part of the Hoosiers 200-yard medley relay team which also placed first.\nWoessner was delighted at IU's performance and thought the Hoosier freshmen complemented a strong group of returning swimmers.\n"I thought we had a great performance today," Woessner said. "We are ahead of where we were last season and the freshmen have stepped up big time. They had a great meet and adjusted well to the competitive environment."\nIU's diving team was also impressive in the meet, taking the first through fourth positions in both the one meter and three meter events. \nSophomore Cassandra Cardinell posted a score of 291.15 to win the one meter event and placed third in the three meter. Junior Crystal Gregory scored 291.68 in the three meter to win that event and placed second in the one meter. Junior Lori Matthys placed third in the one meter and second in the three meter respectively while fellow junior Mamie Goodson finished fourth in each event.\nLike Tierney, diving coach Jeff Huber was content with the Hoosiers' opening performance, but looks for the team to continue to improve.\n"We did a good job today," Huber said. "Cassie (Cardinell) stepped up on the one-meter and Lori (Matthys) and Crystal (Gregory) did a great job. There is room for improvement, but overall we performed well today"
(10/19/01 5:54am)
After a pair of 3-2 heartbreaking losses, both of which came in double overtime, the field hockey team travels to Iowa City, Iowa, to take on the Hawkeyes and Southwest Missouri State over the weekend.\nIn last weekend's matches, the Hoosiers held a 2-0 lead over No. 6 Michigan State and a 2-1 lead at Saint Louis. But IU wasn't able to finish off the Spartans and Billikens, and lost each match on goals in the 76th and 91st minute, respectively. The pair of losses dropped the Hoosiers to 1-11 and 0-3 in the Big Ten on the year.\nJunior co-captain Erica Nilsson said it was hard for the team to have a lead, then lose late in the match.\n"It was great to be up on top," Nilsson said. "It was that feeling that we have been waiting to have, and I think that's what hurt the most, because we had that feeling and (then lost)."\nBut Nilsson said the Hoosiers could take their team effort and play from the weekend matches to help them build for the rest of the season.\n"We came together as a team, every person contributed in some way, whether they were on the sidelines or on the field," she said. "It was a 100 percent team effort. We are a complete team now and we are excited to keep going forward."\nCoach Amy Robertson said it was hard to lose two games the team competed in so hard, she was very proud of their play and looks for even more improvements this weekend.\n"We have witnessed that our performance has continued to improve," Robertson said. "So although we would have liked to have come away with a couple of wins in those close games, we have to focus on what we are doing well and know that we aren't finished."\nSophomore goalkeeper Katie Kanara had two stellar performances against Michigan State and Saint Louis, collecting 15 saves in the two matches. Kanara said the team seems to rise to the level of their competition and is looking to carry the momentum gained from last weekend's matches through the rest of the season.\n"I think in big games that we all seem to raise our level of play," Kanara said. "Our defense has made my job easier and has really stepped up. Whenever I can get a good save early, it really seems to carry on through the rest of the game. Hopefully, we can continue moving forward instead of going backwards to (our play earlier in the year)."\nRobertson said Kanara's play had impacted the team and helped the defense create an aggressive attitude.\n"It certainly helps to have a goalkeeper who makes the saves that she needs to make," she said. "It helps set the tone for our entire defense. (Katie) has had some incredible performances and if she hadn't we may not be as close as we have been. But both of our goalies are very good and it seems that whenever one gets an opportunity, they come out and play their best."\nBut the task ahead of the Hoosiers won't be any easier this weekend. Iowa is ranked No.16 in the nation and brings an 8-3 record into the weekend, including wins over Saint Louis, Stanford and Northwestern, all teams who have defeated the Hoosiers. SMS boasts an 8-6 record overall, but has won seven games in a row and only allowed one goal over that span.\nRobertson noted that the Hoosiers have to keep attacking if they get ahead this weekend, but that they have nothing to lose going to play Iowa and Southwest Missouri State.\n"We have to recognize that if we do get ahead of Iowa, we need to turn it up and fight even harder to continue to try and score more and stay poised," she said. "This is a win-win situation for us this week, because we aren't expected to win these games and we have nothing to lose. That seems to be the time that we play the best. The only way we can win is to play our best and if that falls short we will know that we still some things to work on"
(10/15/01 5:44am)
Last Friday's match against Michigan State nearly provided the lift the women's field hockey needed to propel the Hoosiers to future success. Searching for the program's first victory in Big Ten play, IU took the No. 6 ranked Spartans to the limit.\nAfter a scoreless first half, the Hoosiers came out more aggressive in the second half. With 27:24 left, Hoosier sophomore Lauren Micka found freshman Kim Nash off of a penalty corner to give the Hoosiers a 1-0 lead. The goal was Nash's fourth on the year and marked the first time the Hoosiers have held a lead in Big Ten play. Keeping the momentum going, junior Erica Nilsson rattled the back of the cage, ripping a shot past Spartan goalie Lauren Hess with 18:31 left in regulation to give the Hoosiers a 2-0 advantage.\nNilsson was ecstatic after the goal and thought it gave the team confidence to be up two goals.\n"I was psyched," she said. "It was great to be up on top 2-0 with a lead."\nBut the highly-ranked Spartans weren't ready to give in to the young and hungry Hoosier squad. Two minutes after Nilsson notched her goal, Michigan State got on the board off a controversial penalty corner. Direct shots off of penalty corners must hit the 18-inch board in the goal and the Spartans' goal was well over the board. But officials declared the goal legal, saying that IU's freshman goalie Katie Kanara lifted her pad above the 18-inch board, deflecting the ball up. Hoosier head coach Amy Robertson and Kanara disputed the goal heavily, but to no avail.\nAfter the game, Kanara described in her mind what happened on the play.\n"When I lie down, my leg pads are at 18 inches," Kanara said. "It wasn't a legal goal. The shot went outside and off of a player's leg and into the goal. But the officials thought it went off my pads."\nThe Spartans tied up the game at 2-2 off of another penalty corner with 2:31 remaining in the second half. Neither team was able to create a scoring threat in the final minutes, sending the game into overtime.\nThe first 15-minute overtime session offered scoring chances for both teams, but Kanara and Michigan State's Hess were up to the challenges. Kanara made two especially great players, turning away Big Ten goals leader senior Bridget Cooper in two one-on-one situations. Cooper got behind the IU defense with three minutes left, and again with 40 seconds left, but Kanara charged Cooper to take away her shooting angles and was able to knock away the ball in both opportunities. Despite the chances, neither team was able to score and the game went to a second 15-minute overtime session.\nThe Spartans took possession of the ball right away in the second overtime and freshman forward Annebet Beerman got a shot off on Kanara. Kanara made the initial save, but the rebound went back to Beerman who made one move around Kanara and shot the ball into the open goal. The goal came just 30 seconds into the second overtime and gave the Spartans a 3-2 victory.\nFollowing the game, the Hoosier players were emotionally devastated.\n"I feel robbed," Nilsson said. "We had it, being up 2-0, and to lose 3-2 is heartbreaking."\nBut Nilsson thought IU played excellent as a team and knew the team had to move on.\n"We came together as a team, it was 100 percent team effort," she said. "The fact that we went up against a No. 6 team and played composed like we were a 10-year program, I think we went out and played awesome and we just need to keep it up. We are a complete team right now, we are united and we are going to take it forward. We are going to win and are excited to keep it going."\nMichigan State head coach Michele Madison said she was not surprised by the Hoosiers play and was especially impressed with Kanara.\n"Our team may have been surprised (by the way IU played), but I wasn't," Madison said. "My hat's off to them, they played a great game. I thought their goalkeeper was superior; she stopped all kinds of shots and even knocked away cross balls where we try to deflect the ball in. That's the sign of a talented goalie."\nRobertson said she was pleased with the way her team competed, but was disappointed with the result.\n"We played our best game," Robertson said. "We frustrated Michigan State, but they are a good team and weren't going to give up. I didn't want to sit back and try to protect our lead, so we continued to attack. It's a let down for us though, because we know that we worked so hard today."\nHoping to keep up their play, but with a different outcome, the Hoosiers traveled to face St. Louis Sunday. IU jumped in front five minutes into the game as sophomore Jaime O'Pray scored with an assist from Nash. St. Louis responded, tying the game off a penalty corner at the 14:52 mark of the first half. Nilsson notched her second goal of the weekend to put the Hoosiers back on top 2-1 with 10 minutes remaining in the first half.\nIn the second half, Nilsson had a chance to score again, this time off a penalty shot. But the St. Louis goalie made a sprawling save to keep the Billikens in the game. With 15 minutes left, St. Louis tied the game at 2-2. Neither team was able to score again in regulation.\nThe first overtime session was similar to the Michigan State game, as both teams had ample opportunities to score. But Kanara and the St. Louis keeper turned away all scoring chances. In the second overtime period, IU had several more chances, but St. Louis got a breakaway with nine minutes left. Kanara once again made the initial save, but St. Louis recovered the rebound and scored to take the 3-2 victory. With the loss the Hoosiers drop to 1-11 on the year.
(10/12/01 5:38am)
Coming off two disappointing losses last weekend to Northwestern and Louisville, the IU field hockey team will conclude its three game home stand today against Michigan State at 3 p.m. at the Mellencamp Pavilion.\nFollowing the Louisville match, where the Hoosiers fell 3-0 to the No. 9 ranked Cardinals, freshman back Clara Loots was pleased with the team\'s play. But Loots expressed disappointment with IU\'s inability to score goals.\n"I'm proud of the way we are playing and progressing, we are getting so much better," she said. "We are doing things together, not as individuals. But it's frustrating, it sucks that we aren't scoring. I don't know what else we can do to score. Hopefully if we continue to play well, it will come."\nBut the Spartans pose another difficult opponent for this young Hoosier squad which has posted a 1-9 record. Michigan State is ranked No. 6 nationally with a 10-4 record on the season and a 2-1 record in Big Ten conference play.\nThe Spartans and Hoosiers have played four common opponents this year in Stanford, Northwestern, Central Michigan and Michigan. IU is winless in those four games while Michigan State is 2-2 with shutouts against Northwestern and Central Michigan and both losses coming from 2-1 scores against Stanford and Michigan.\nIU head coach Amy Robertson said she believes her team can compete with Michigan State if they attack the Spartans and open up the field to utilize their quickness against the physically bigger Michigan State team.\n"Michigan State is not killing teams," Robertson said. "If we play really strong defensively, that will help us generate attacks. But we have to be patient in the circle, because if we give up a lot of corners they will capitalize. We need to pass around them and pass early. We can't take them on one on one and have to really open up big spaces."\nThe Hoosiers have already played two top ten teams -- No. 2 Michigan and No. 9 Louisville. Freshman midfielder Kayla Bashore believes those games will help IU know the competition they face in Michigan State.\n "I think playing those tough teams definitely has helped us prepare for Michigan State," Bashore said. "Those teams are so much tougher and faster and it helps our level rise to theirs and I think that helps us prepare for the game after we play a top ten team."\nAfter hosting the Spartans, the Hoosiers will travel to St. Louis, Mo., Sunday to square off at 4 p.m. The Billikens will bring a 4-8 record into the contest. This match was supposed to be played Sept. 16, but was re-scheduled following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11.\nFreshman forward Ryan Woolsey thinks the Hoosiers have come a long way since the time they would have originally faced Saint Louis.\n"I think between September and now we have improved a ton," Woolsey said. "I don't know how much our stick skills have improved, but our mentality and intelligence on the field has definitely improved."\nRobertson said he is optimistic about her team's match-up with the Billikens, especially if the Hoosiers perform well against the Spartans.\n"If we play up to the level of Michigan State, we want to sustain that for our game on Sunday," she said. "If we play the way we are capable of, we will have a lot of opportunities on Sunday"
(10/08/01 6:11am)
Northwestern spoiled IU's Big Ten home opener as the Wildcats defeated the Hoosier field hockey team 4-1 Friday. Despite equaling Northwestern in shots at seven and getting four more penalty corners than the Wildcats, the Hoosiers couldn't find the back of the net more than once.\nThe Wildcats netted two goals on just three shots in the first 16 minutes of the game, sending the Hoosiers to a 2-0 halftime deficit. Each of the goals came off penalty corners for Northwestern. The Wildcats added a third goal three minutes into the second half, as IU was looking to gain momentum. \nSophomore forward Lauren Micka put the Hoosiers on the scoreboard five minutes later as freshman Kayla Bashore got an assist. Micka's goal was her first of the season and the second of her career. But the Hoosiers wouldn't get any closer and Northwestern slammed the door on IU's hopes with a fourth goal two minutes after Micka's goal. The win gave the Wildcats their second of the season and first in Big Ten play.\nMicka admitted her goal came off a broken penalty corner. She also said the score didn't reflect the way the Hoosiers played.\n"It wasn't the play we were supposed to be running," Micka said. "It kind of messed up and I saw the open corner and went for it. The effort was there on everybody's part and I don't think the score reflected that effort. I think we definitely outplayed Northwestern, but it just didn't show in the score."\nHead coach Amy Robertson said she was impressed by the way the Hoosiers fought as a team.\n"Northwestern really executed well on their corners, so I have to give them some credit there," Robertson said. "I thought my team did a good job of working together to defend, but we turned the ball over in some situations when there really wasn't a lot of pressure on us and I had hoped that we could have kept a little better possession."\nComing off the disappointing loss to Northwestern, the Hoosiers were hoping for a better result against Louisville Sunday. But the Cardinals weren't prepared to cooperate, upending the Hoosiers 3-0. \nLouisville fended off IU's early attacks and went ahead 1-0 when Louisville capitalized on a penalty corner 19 minutes into the match. Robertson was satisfied with her team's first half performance and thought IU did many things well in the first 35 minutes.\n"I was really proud of the team in the first half," she said. "A lot of things came together for us today. We played as a team when we got the ball on the attack, we stepped up defensively and overall we were real poised we combined very well today."\nBut the Cardinals came out more aggressive in the second stanza, making the score 2-0 with a goal less than five minutes into the half. Louisville added its third and final goal with 20:53 left in the match. The game was played in front of an IU record crowd of 156 as the Hoosiers moved to 1-9 on the year.\nIn spite of the loss, Robertson said she was pleased with her team's intensity and aggressiveness towards an established program in Louisville.\n"We had a good balance today, we used our intensity at the right level," she said. "We were able to turn it up a notch and still recognize what to do and what space was available on the field. We were not intimidated at all by a top 10 team and the score doesn't show it, but the game was a lot closer."\nLouisville head coach Pam Bustin played with Robertson at Massachusetts during their college careers. Bustin was impressed with Robertson's improvements to the IU program and was not surprised at all with the Hoosiers emotional play.\n"She's doing a great job," Bustin said. "In my mind she's doing it the right way, by being patient and keeping things in reality for a young team. You have to prepare for the future. I was anticipating that IU would come out with a lot of energy and I thought our extra two years of experience helped to combat that energy. I was very impressed with the way they played, they are a good team."\nBut senior co-captain Akila Jones said she is getting annoyed with the Hoosiers' inability to get wins.\n"I was proud of the way we played, but it is getting frustrating because we bust our butts so hard and we just can't figure out what we aren't doing," Jones said. "Coach keeps telling us that it's a learning process every time we lose, but right now I am sick of learning and I want to capitalize on what we have learned and use it to our advantage"
(10/05/01 6:50am)
In search of their first Big Ten victory, the field hockey team goes into weekend play with a 1-7 overall record and a 0-1 record in conference play. Northwestern comes to Bloomington to play the Hoosiers today at 3 p.m. at the Mellencamp Pavilion. Northwestern enters the weekend with a similar 1-7 overall record and an 0-2 conference record. \nBut the Wildcats defeated the Hoosiers 7-0 in last year's game. The Wildcats have played two common opponents of the Hoosiers this year. Northwestern lost to Central Michigan 2-1, as did IU. But the Hoosiers beat Ball State 2-1 while Northwestern lost to the Cardinals 1-0.\nCoach Amy Robertson said she is looking forward to the Northwestern game and realizes both teams are eager to get in the win column in conference play.\n"Our two styles of play are very different, so I think that will be an interesting match-up," she said. "I think Northwestern will be an excellent match for us. We are both really hungry for wins."\nRobertson said she believes the Wildcats possess a more methodical style of play, while the Hoosiers like to play a more up-tempo game.\n"Northwestern plays at a more controlled tempo, whereas we are a little bit more frenzied on the attacking end," Robertson said. "They are strong players and can hit the ball well. So we would like to match Northwestern with a really high intensity level and be scrappy, get to every ball and get shots on goal.\nWhile the Hoosiers want to win, Robertson said it is also important for them to concentrate on the way they play as a team.\n"We are focusing on our game and our performance," Robertson said. "We try to come out and work with intensity, with effort and with bringing our level of play up during each of these games."\nFreshman forward Ryan Woolsey likes the Hoosiers chances if they utilize their time with the ball and approach the game with an energized mind-set.\n"We need to go into the game mentally excited for it and we need to keep possession of the ball and use space," Woolsey said.\nFreshman midfielder Kayla Bashore believed IU couldn't take the Wildcats lightly, knowing that the Hoosiers have to play hard to gain respect from their opponents.\n"Just because Northwestern only won one game doesn't mean we can walk all over them," Bashore said. "We have to think going into every game that we are lower and we need to work for respect."\nSenior co-captain Akila Jones said the Hoosiers know anything can happen on any day, but it is in their plans to win.\n"Anyone can beat anybody on any given day," Jones said. "I know that we are going to be more mentally focused. We are going to come out hard and fight hard. It's in our agenda to win, so whatever the odds may be, they will be in our favor." \nOn Sunday at 1 p.m., IU will play host to Louisville at the Mellencamp Pavilion in an out-of-conference match-up. The Cardinals are ranked No. 9 in the nation and boast a 9-2 record. Of Louisville's nine victories, three came against teams who defeated the Hoosiers already this year.\nRobertson said she knows the Louisville match will be a very tough match for her young team.\n"Louisville is very well coached," she said. "They are the up and coming team in the nation this season and have achieved a great deal. That will be a very challenging game"
(10/03/01 4:30am)
When field hockey coach Amy Robertson completed her recruiting for this season, she had high expectations of her incoming players. Fueled by the excellent play for freshmen Kayla Bashore, Katie Kanara, Kim Nash and Ryan Woolsey, Robertson's freshmen class has surprised even her.\n"Right now, the level of play that the freshmen are demonstrating is above any that I have witnessed in any other program," she said. \nNow in their second year as a varsity sport, Robertson said being a new program is not easy because her coaching staff is forced to push players even harder for the team to improve.\n"For such a young team, we have thrown out expectations that are very high, and that's because in growing and building a program, we have to push our development along faster than most programs do," Robertson said.\nBut she said she is satisfied with the way the freshmen have responded to the pressure.\n"They are really starting to play like veterans," she said. "That's because it has been demanded and expected. They have come out and performed and committed themselves to the program the way that I expected, and even surpassed those expectations."\nAlthough Bashore, Kanara, Nash and Woolsey have shined so far this season, they are complemented by eight other freshmen players. Lindsey Nealis, Caroline Hermes, Jessica Barton, Lauren Brophy, Brooke Evans, Margaret Dunne and Jamie Baldwin round out the rest of the Hoosier freshmen class. Twelve of IU's 23 players are freshmen.\nSenior co-captain Akila Jones said she is also pleased to see the freshmen succeed and says that the team is working toward the same goal whether it is an upperclassmen or a freshman who gets them there.\n"We have a lot of freshmen, but you can't tell because it is such a young team that pretty much everyone is on the same level," Jones said. "So if someone on the team scores, it energizes the team regardless of their class level."\nRobertson notes that this freshmen class has brought something last year's team lacked.\n"Their play has definitely given us an air of competition that did not exist on the team last year," Robertson said. "Fortunately it has not come in the form of jealousy, instead I think everyone is eager to see this team get better and this class has increased our ability to compete."\nIn eight games, Woolsey has tallied two goals and two assists while Bashore has added two goals and one assist. Nash is the team leader in points and goals scored with six and three respectively. Meanwhile, Kanara has stopped 54 shots in net for the Hoosiers and secured the win in the team's first Division I victory over Ball State last week.\nWoolsey credits the upperclassmen in helping her handle the transition to college field hockey and with her early success. She also believes the competition within the freshmen class pushes the players.\n"The older kids on the team explain everything well," she said. "With every game we are getting better and better I think. It's good to have the competition, it gives us the incentive to try that much harder to get the goal."\nBashore said the freshmen feed off of each other and try to keep improving as a group.\n"We work really well together and if one of us goes down the others can pick them up," she said\nBashore also hopes that in the future their chemistry will allow them to play well with each other and give them an advantage over other teams.\n"We are lucky, because other teams only bring in five or six freshmen, but here there is a whole new team of freshmen and we will be together all four years," Bashore said. "Hopefully when we are juniors and seniors we will have been playing together for a long time and can play really well together"
(09/28/01 5:26am)
Looking to keep their emotional high, the IU field hockey team travels to Muncie, Ind., Sunday to face Central Michigan. After beating Ball State Wednesday, the Hoosiers have proved to themselves and to opponents they can win.\n"I think mentally this shows us that we can win and gives us confidence," head coach Amy Robertson said. "We've got that monkey off our back and got our first Division I win. Now they know that we can win."\nRobertson emphasized that the Hoosiers win against Ball State was a hard earned victory and shows how far the IU program has come in its second year as a varsity sport.\n"Ball State is an excellent team," she said. "They are fighting for No. 1 in their conference right now. They beat us 9-0 last year so in one year to turn around and beat a team like that 4-3 is huge confidence."\nOne of IU's four goals against Ball State was scored by freshman forward Ryan Woolsey. Woolsey said he believes the Hoosiers need to carry their confidence from the Ball State victory into the match against Central Michigan.\n"We can use the momentum and take the feeling we had before this game and push forward to our next game," Woolsey said. "We need to remember what it feels like to win and use that feeling to help us win again."\nFreshman goalie Katie Kanara got the win for the Hoosiers. She said she thinks they can use the experience to propel them to more victories in upcoming matches.\n"We can definitely build on it," Kanara said. "I think after the Stanford game we realized that we could do it, and finally we actually did do it. I think we are sick of going out there and playing hard for 60 out of the 70 minutes and (against Ball State) we played hard from the beginning and that made the difference."\nRobertson said she believes the confidence the team gained from the Ball State game is a key component to the success of her young program.\n"We can't apologize and we can't play like we aren't supposed to win," she said. "That's been a tough mentality to instill in a new program."\nAssistant coach Gina Lucido said now that the team has won, they can work to achieve their goals.\n"You can always know that you can win, but know that we have done it the players have that feeling of winning," Lucido said. "As a coach we can take that and work to expand it and grow on that."\nBut Lucido noted the team could work to improve and increase their level of play.\n"I think what's important is that there are so many things we learned (from the Ball State game)," she said. "It certainly wasn't a perfect game, so we aren't going into the Central Michigan game casually."\nCentral Michigan will play Ball State on Saturday in a key match-up of Mid-American Conference opponents. Coming into the weekend IU holds a record of 1-6 while Central Michigan is 3-4.\nRobertson said the team changed their attitude towards pre-game activities prior to the Ball State game and hoped they could keep that energy going into the Central Michigan match-up.\n"We changed our approach to pre-game, instead of being too focused and too serious we decided to have some fun," she said. "We stepped up the energy and enthusiasm during warm-ups and I think that kept us loose and allowed us to not be afraid to make mistakes."\nShe said she also believed teamwork and aggressiveness would be key to IU earning another victory.\n"Central Michigan is a solid team," Robertson said. "I think this is a team that if we can take the tempo and go on the attack from the beginning and everyone plays hard and together, then we can be successful. If we take care of business, the rest should take care of itself"
(09/26/01 4:06am)
After two losses in Ann Arbor, Mich., last weekend, the field hockey team is still searching for that elusive first win of the season. \nAlthough the Hoosiers were defeated 4-1 by Massachusetts and 10-1 by Michigan, the team said it believes it learned a lot from the games and hopes to get a victory soon. The Hoosiers' next chance is today at 4 p.m. in Mellencamp Pavilion against in-state rival Ball State.\n"Both Michigan and UMass are excellent teams, they did a lot of good things that we could pick up on," senior back Akila Jones said. "They had really quick feet and knew where they were going to pass before they passed. There are a lot of things that we know we have to do and it's nice to see it and pick up on it, so we can learn from what they do."\nThe Hoosiers' goal against Michigan came off the stick of freshman forward Ryan Woolsey. It was the first of Woolsey's career and the first in IU history in Big Ten competition. Woolsey said she believes playing against UMass and Michigan could only help the team improve.\n"Seeing them play gives us inspiration to work and get better," Woolsey said. "We want to emulate their play."\nFreshman midfielder Kimberly Nash netted IU's lone goal in the UMass game. She also said she believes the Hoosiers could build on their performance and improve their play against the Cardinals.\n"The games were a lot faster paced; we were able to progress and use a lot of our skills," Nash said. "We played well as a team. We need to work on taking quicker free hits (against Ball State)."\nHead coach Amy Robertson said the goals scored by Nash and Woolsey will give the Hoosiers confidence to score against future opponents.\n"We proved that we know how to score," Robertson said. "Hopefully, this will give us the confidence to do it against anybody."\nRobertson expects the tough competition and fast paced play from the weekend to help the Hoosiers in the long run.\n"I thought the way we played (Sunday) definitely showed us where we stood and what we need to work on," Robertson said. "From (the Michigan game), we learned that no matter what the opposition's level, we need to step up more aggressively and deny our opponents the ball defensively."\nRobertson said she hopes to see the Hoosiers playing a faster-paced game in upcoming matches.\n"Our execution needs to error more on the side of harder rather than softer," Robertson said. "The tempo of our play needs to pick up."\nWoolsey said the Hoosiers need to speed up their play against the Cardinals.\n"We need to be faster moving our feet and be sure to communicate," she said.\nBut Robertson knows the Ball State match-up won't be an easy game. She compares Ball State to Stanford who defeated the Hoosiers 1-0 in extra strokes earlier this season.\n"Ball State is a better team this year than they were last year. I think the game will be similar to Stanford," Robertson said. "We all need to be playing with the same goal in mind. We need to take our free hits quicker and get in position to play better defense within our own circle."\nNash said the Hoosiers will accomplish their goal and get a victory against Ball State.\n"We are going to win, there's no doubt," she said.
(09/21/01 4:36am)
Coming off a hard-fought performance of the season against Stanford more than a week ago, the field hockey team looks to get its first win of the season as it travels to Ann Arbor, Mich. The Hoosiers will battle No. 4 Michigan Sunday in their first Big Ten conference game of the season. Prior to meeting the Wolverines, the Hoosiers will face off against the Massachusetts Minutemen Saturday in a non-conference match-up.\nThe Hoosiers were originally scheduled to play the Wolverines Friday and University of Massachusetts Saturday, but because of last week's tragedies the schedule was changed to accommodate UMass' traveling plans. \nUMass had planned to fly to Ann Arbor but is now driving to the event. The schedule change will allow UMass to depart after their game against the Hoosiers.\nCoach Amy Robertson said she believes the prolonged break helped the Hoosiers in more ways than it hurt.\n"It has allowed us to practice a lot and focus on working individually with the players," Robertson said. "We are taking advantage of the layoff and working on things we need to improve. Hopefully, the extra time will allow us to get on the right page."\nTrying to keep their skills in game condition, the Hoosiers held an intrasquad scrimmage Monday.\n"I think it was a really good thing, because everyone had to play a full game and it helped us keep our stamina up," Robertson said.\nRobertson has special ties to the UMass field hockey program because she played there in college and spent five seasons at UMass as an assistant coach. \nNoting that while it will be a special game for her, Robertson said it will also be business as usual.\n"It's just any other game, but it is a little extra special" Robertson said. "There is some sentimentality there, because I still follow and root for UMass. I know several of the coaches and players up there. But every game is important for us and I just want success."\nThe Hoosiers said they believe they can get their first victory if they keep up their energy and confidence.\n"We just want to win. We have been working our butts off and we know that it is going to pay off," junior midfielder Erica Nilsson said. "We need to keep our energy up and our attitude up, and keep pressing our opponents.\n"We are really excited from the job we did against Stanford and we know we are right there," senior back Akila Jones said.\nRobertson said each game will be difficult, and the Hoosiers will have to focus and play their game to get a victory.\n"Michigan is very methodical, they don't force anything," Robertson said. "We will have to play smart, take our attacks when they are there and try to create opportunities to score. Against UMass, we will have to put it all on the line. \n"We need to try and expose them in their weaknesses and at the same time try to protect ourselves from their advantages."\nFreshman forward Ryan Woolsey said that the Hoosiers need to remember what it was like to be so close to victory against Stanford.\n"I think we just need to remember how good it felt to play that well, so we can keep feeling good," Woolsey said. "We need to play off that emotion and let it end in a win"
(09/20/01 4:52am)
Looking down the field hockey roster, one might notice something missing from the lineup. There is not a single player on the team from the state of Indiana. \nThe field hockey team is one of only two varsity sports teams that do not have a homegrown competitor on the squad. But it does boast eight players from neighboring Illinois on its roster of 22.\nSeveral players noted this fact and said they believed it was because the team turned into a varsity sport from a club sport last year that many of the players were from Illinois.\n"I think part of it is because a lot of the players on the club team were from Illinois," junior Molly Pulkrabek said. "It's also easy for coach to recruit out of Illinois since it is close."\nHead coach Amy Robertson also noted the proximity to IU as a contributor to the high number of players from Illinois. Another factor is that the University of Illinois does not offer field hockey as a varsity sport.\n"I think a lot of players would like to go to a Big Ten school," Robertson said. "And IU is one of the closest Big Ten schools (with a field hockey team). A lot of Illinois kids, not just field hockey players, are drawn to IU because it is fairly close to home, but it is out-of-state and offers something different."\nAmong the eight Illinois bred athletes are Pulkrabek of Barrington, senior Brooke Magers of Northfield and juniors Erica Nilsson of Lake Forest and Anna Ward of Homewood. Freshmen Kimberly Nash from Lake Bluff, Lindsey Nealis from Oak Park, Caroline Hermes from Lake Forest and Margaret Dunne from Oak Park round out the eight.\nNealis gives Robertson credit for recruiting Illinois hard and attracting players who were also teammates in high school.\n"A lot of us came from the same high school and she was able to see us work together," Nealis said.\nNealis also noted that the connection allowed Illinois players to get to know each other before they came to IU.\n"We all hung out together over the summer, especially us four freshmen from the Chicago area and got to know everything about each other," Nealis said.\nRobertson said prior to coming to IU she never really recruited in Illinois. Nonetheless, she quickly targeted the state for its field hockey talent and said she believes she uncovered a hidden gem, even though the state only contains 14 field hockey teams.\n"Last year, I really discovered that Illinois has a ton of players with untapped potential," she said. "They seem to kick out great players with a lot of athletic ability, but it is not nearly as exposed as some other regions of the country."\nRobertson said she hopes to continue the tradition of Illinois players on the squad, but understands that it may not be easy.\n"For the 2002 recruiting season we are very heavily involved with the top two or three players in Illinois. Northwestern and Michigan have started recruiting the area hard as well, but it would be much harder competition if Illinois had a program"
(09/10/01 5:33am)
A thunderstorm ripped through Bloomington last Friday afternoon, but Mother Nature wasn't the only force in town. Before the first overtime began, someone from the Hoosier field hockey team huddle yelled, "There's a storm coming, and it's Indiana."\nUnfortunately for the Hoosiers, their efforts fell just short as they were defeated by Stanford University squad 3-1 in extra strokes following 70 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of overtime scoreless play. The overtime play and extra strokes were the first in the Hoosiers' two-year history.\nAlthough IU was outshot 25-7 and the Cardinals had 25 more penalty corners than the Hoosiers, the young IU team played a tough defensive game which impressed head coach Amy Robertson.\n"We took everything Stanford had to shell out," Robertson said. "They must have had a million corners, but our defense had the determination and a mindset to say 'No, we are not letting them put this ball in the back of the net.' It wasn't just one time, it was over and over and over again."\nThe second-largest crowd in Hoosier history watched the Hoosiers attempt to open up the field for offensive attacks in overtime. When neither team converted on several chances in the two 15-minute overtime periods, each team selected five participants for the extra strokes. IU's lone goal in extra strokes came off the stick of freshman midfielder Kimberly Nash.\nPlaying in the second half and during overtime, junior keeper Molly Pulkrabek made 10 saves to keep the Hoosiers in the game. Admitting the loss was a tough one, but Pulkrabek said she was pleased with the way the team played.\n"I think we stepped up to a level that we hadn't been playing. I am really proud of the way we played today."\nAlthough disappointed with the outcome, senior co-captain Brooke Magers said she accepted the game as a moral victory for the Hoosiers.\n"I think this is the best game we have ever played, by far," Magers said. "While it's hard for us to have lost and to have gone into strokes, it's a victory in our book."\nSenior co-captain Akila Jones made several key defensive stops in the second half and overtime that kept the Hoosiers in contention. Jones said she was delighted with the team's play.\n"I am so proud of everybody on this team. They gave 110% all the way and fought hard. You play like you practice and they practiced so hard this week and that's exactly what I saw today."\nHoping to carry over the momentum created in the Stanford match, the Hoosiers now focus on next weekend's matches in St. Louis against the University of Pacific and St. Louis University.\n"Stanford helped bring our level up another level," Robertson said. I think we saw a new side of ourselves we haven't seen previously and that's got to carry over a lot more in our next games."\n"We finally found that we have what it takes to play hard," Jones said. "Now that we know where to find it, I think we can keep this surge going"
(08/30/01 5:14am)
You would sooner find senior Tiffany Fisher on the balance beam than on the driving range at the age of 13. It was then that the lone senior on the women's golf team felt burned out from her gymnastic experiences. \nTom Fisher, Tiffany's father, encouraged her to try golf. He put her in three clinics where she began to develop interest and skills for the sport. That experience led to the opportunity for Fisher to caddy for her father at a local club championship in her hometown of Easton, Penn. Her father won the tournament, spurring Fisher's devotion to golf even more.\n"He won and I saw the rewards and all that golf had to offer," Fisher said.\nFisher honed her golf skills, becoming a three time District XI champion at Easton Area High School. A well regarded business school, legendary golf coach Sam Charmichael and an attractive Bloomington campus all contributed to Fisher's decision to attend IU.\nIn previous years, Fisher has posted exceptional scores in several tournaments, including last year's Big Ten Championships. She shot a career low of 205 to finish fifth. Fisher also completed the season with four more top-25 finishes and is the team leader with 92 career rounds played. \nNow the only senior on the team, Fisher looks to continue on a successful career with a decorated and enjoyable last season.\n"I have a lot of mental goals this year, and want to enjoy the process of playing golf since this is my last year of eligibility," Fisher said. "And obviously before I graduate I would love to win a tournament. As for team goals, we really want to win the Big Ten Tournament and hopefully get to nationals." \nFisher attributes her mental strengths and abilities to her childhood days as a gymnast.\n"My mom was my gymnastics coach and it was serious club gymnastics; we practiced six days a week four hours a day," Fisher said. "It really taught me focus, work ethic and a lot dedication, all things that really helped me golf."\nThese traits have also helped Fisher garner the respect of her teammates and the title of captain.\n"She is a good leader, a good friend, and a huge part of connecting the team," freshman Megan Mulhaupt said.\n"I think Tiff is a really good role model for the team," sophomore Ambry Bishop said. "She is always willing to listen to any problems and creates unity for our team. Not only is Tiff a great leader, but she is also a hard worker in everything she does."\nBut Fisher's achievements have not all been racked up on the golf course. She has twice been named an Academic All-Big Ten athlete. As a student in the Kelley School of Business, Fisher plans to major in marketing and operations management and has career aspirations in the sporting world.\n"I hope to stay in the golf or sports industry on the business side and maybe consider being a certified Ladies Professional Golfers Association member," Fisher said.\nWith the completion of her golfing career at Indiana on the horizon, Fisher is approaching this season like no other.\n"I am trying to take a new approach this year, and make sure that I am enjoying every moment since this is my senior year and I probably won't have the opportunity to play much golf again since I will have to get a job"