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(10/17/13 2:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With the Hoosiers still pursuing their first Big Ten win of the season, IU Field Hockey Coach Amy Robertson said the team is continuing to find ways to improve. “Our team is really coming together,” Robertson said. “It’s fun coaching this team right now. To say that after our struggles in the last five games, really says something about our team.”Junior Hoosier midfielder Caitlin Bearish said defeating Pacific gave the Hoosiers momentum heading into this weekend’s set of matches. “We feel pretty good,” Bearish said. “I think that the win over Pacific gave our team a lot of confidence.”The Hoosiers will have another chance at earning their first conference win Friday when they take on Northwestern at 3 p.m. at the IU Field Hockey Complex.The last time the two teams faced off, IU knocked Northwestern out of the Big Ten tournament by a score of 4-0.Northwestern is off to a good start, posting a record of 11-3 including a 2-1 record in the Big Ten. Northwestern has also defeated five nationally ranked teams this season. The Hoosiers will need to contain Northwestern’s leading scorer, senior forward Nikki Parsley. Parsley has 22 points this season, including 10 goals and two assists. “A big thing to the game on Friday is how we stop their very skilled players in Parsley and Puffenberger,” Robertson said. “They are very skilled and aggressive players. We need to be able to shut those players down defensively.”Sunday, the team will take on future Big Ten school Rutgers in Bloomington. The Scarlet Knights have started their season with a record of 8-5, including a thrilling double overtime loss to Duke on Sept. 8. The Hoosiers will make it a point to shut down Rutgers’ leading scorer junior midfielder Sophie Wright, who has accumulated 17 points this year. She has eight goals and one assist with a shooting percentage of 26 percent. Wright has also recorded 20 shots on goal. IU senior forward Emily Bowker said if the Hoosiers are able to find their flow and stick to their game plan, they have a good chance at winning this weekend. “We need to wait for our opportunities and not force anything,” Bowker said. “We need to get the ball into the circle so that we can get some scrappy play in front of their goal keeper.”Robertson said game management is going to be important, especially against two quick teams like Rutgers and Northwestern. “We need to pass the ball and get them moving early,” Robertson said. “They put a lot of pressure on the backfield. When we get our chances, we need to be smart about getting good position.”Follow reporter Dan Matney on Twitter @Dan_Matney.
(10/14/13 2:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After dropping two matches last week, the IU field hockey team rebounded, splitting a pair of matches this weekend against Iowa and Pacific.The Hoosiers’ Big Ten record fell to 0-3 after losing to Iowa on Friday 5-1. The Hawkeyes’ scoring output started early when junior midfielder Dani Hemeon scored the first goal of the match at the six-minute mark. The Hoosiers responded quickly when senior forward Mariella Grote scored in the 21st minute. It would be IU’s only goal of the match. Eleven minutes later, Iowa forward Natalie Cafone found the back of the net to give the Hawkeyes a 2-1 lead. In the first half, Iowa out shot IU two to 10. The Hawkeyes also earned six penalty corners, while the Hoosiers were unable to register one.Iowa would continue the strong scoring output in the second half. Hemeon scored her second goal of the match 10 minutes into the second half, which gave Iowa a 3-1 lead. The Hoosiers held the Hawkeyes in check for the next 22 minutes before Iowa scored two goals in a two-minute span. Hemeon scored her third goal at the 67-minute mark. Iowa senior forward Kelsey Mitchell scored the final goal of the game in the 69th minute to solidify Iowa’s 5-1 victory. Despite the loss, IU Coach Amy Robertson said she liked how the team was attacking throughout the game. “We are connecting on a better level,” Robertson said. “We are giving passes and trusting each other. Our attack against Iowa was really good at times. We are reshaping well and playing more strictly, which is giving us more flow.”The Hoosiers’ luck changed Saturday when they defeated Pacific 4-1. IU came scored three goals in the first 15 minutes. Junior midfielder Corrine Karch scored in the third minute, with Grote adding her second goal of the weekend four minutes later.Senior back Danielle McNally scored the final goal of the first half at the 15-minute mark, which was McNally’s sixth goal of the year. Pacific found the back of the cage for the first time of the match in the 48th minute when freshman forward Emily Tregoning scored.IU quickly responded when junior forward Audra Heilman scored in the 49th minute. Heilman’s goal would be the last goal of the game, which helped the Hoosiers advance to a 7-6 record. IU outshot Pacific 10-9 and also registered four saves. Pacific did have more penalty corners, attempting 12 to the Hoosiers’ five. Robertson said one thing she is concerned with is the amount of penalty corners the team has been allowing recently. “We need to figure out how to give less corners,” she said. “Other teams are smashing the ball into the circle, and we are ending up on the wrong end of the draw.”Grote said the team is encouraged to get back on a winning track and is looking forward to next weekend’s games. “We are ready to keep the winning streak alive,” Grote said. “The win against Pacific was really helpful, and we are ready to continue the solid play.”Follow reporter Dan Matney on Twitter @Dan_Matney.
(10/11/13 3:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Despite the Hoosiers’ recent three-game losing streak, IU field hockey Coach Amy Robertson said the team still has a positive outlook and are still striving to win the Big Ten this season. “We met with some of the team leaders this week to discuss what we can do to get back on track,” Robertson said. “We asked for their input, and they gave us some insightful feedback on what we need to implement during games in order to be successful for the remainder of the season.”IU faces a tough set of road matches this coming weekend. They play their third conference game of the season against Iowa on Friday and then face the Pacific Tigers on Saturday.The 21st-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes are off to a 6-5 start and are currently 0-2 in Big Ten play. The Hawkeyes are averaging 4.73 points per game. Iowa’s leading scorer is Natalie Cafone, who has 23 points this year, including 10 goals. She has a 24-percent shooting percentage, with 66 percent of her shots being on goal.Cafone is the Big Ten’s second leading scorer, and she averages just over two points per match. Iowa is allowing only 1.73 points per game. Iowa senior goalkeeper Kelsey Boyce has 39 saves this season, which ties her for fifth in the Big Ten. Robertson said decision-making will be important against Iowa on Friday. “We create turnovers, but we aren’t giving ourselves the advantage that we need,” she said.It helps that the Hoosiers have junior forward Audra Heilman, who ranks third in the Big Ten in points per match with 1.82 and fourth in assists per match with 0.55The Hoosiers’ Saturday opponent, Pacific, has a record of 3-8 through the first part of the season, including a 1-2 Pac-12 conference record. The Tigers’ offense averages 1.5 points this season while allowing 3.48 goals per match.Though Pacific doesn’t have the same high-scoring offense that Iowa does, Robertson believes they will provide a tough challenge, something that her players are looking forward to. Robertson said the Hoosiers’ freshmen are going to continue to have a big effect, especially this weekend. “They are getting more comfortable and are contributing more at this point of the season,” she said. “We really need their effort.”Follow reporter Dan Matney on Twitter @Dan_Matney.
(10/07/13 4:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For the first time this season, the IU field hockey team made an appearance on the Big Ten Network, facing off with conference rival Michigan State.The Hoosiers didn’t get the result they were hoping for, falling to the Spartans 4-3, which gives the Hoosiers a 0-2 record in Big Ten play. The Spartans attacked quickly from the start of the game when Abby Barker found the back of the cage off a pass from Allie Ahern slightly more than seven minutes into the first half. Eleven minutes later, IU scored its first goal of the game when sophomore back Sydney Supica scored off of a penalty corner. Freshman forward Hannah McDermott and freshman midfielder Mollie Getzfread were each credited with an assist on the play, which was Supica’s fourth goal of the season.With just less than 10 minutes remaining in the first half, Barker was able to connect on her second goal of the game for Michigan State. Barker connected from the right side of the cage off a pass from Adrea Donaldson. Adelle Lever capitalized off a rebound at the 43-minute mark for the Spartans to make it 3-1. After a brief media timeout, the Spartans scored on a breakaway at the 52-minute mark. Barker scored her third goal of the game off a chip shot after she drew IU junior goalkeeper Maggie Olson out from the cage.With a 4-1 lead and 13 minutes remaining in regulation, the game appeared to be locked for a Michigan State victory.The Hoosiers fought back when senior back Danielle McNally scored off a cross from the right side of the cage. Freshman midfielder Kate Barber was credited with the assist. Just less than three minutes later, Supica scored her second goal of the game off a penalty corner, which was assisted by McDermott and Getzfread. In three minutes, the Hoosiers cut the Michigan State lead to one goal. With about two minutes left in the game, IU received its sixth penalty corner of the game. The inbound pass was mishandled, which resulted in a Hoosier turnover. The Spartans survived the Hoosiers’ late game surge to secure their second Big Ten victory of the season. Although the team fell short, IU senior defender Hannah Boyer said the late-game comeback attempt was very encouraging as the season moves forward.“After trailing by three goals, putting two shots in the back of the net really showed heart in our team,” Boyer said. “I think it is something we can carry with us moving forward.”IU Coach Amy Robertson praised the play of some of the Hoosiers’ bench players, specifically McDermott. “Hannah faced a lot of adversity at the beginning of the season,” Robertson said. “I saw her emergence coming. Now that she is comfortable and has adapted to our system, she is going to be very important moving forward.”On Sunday, the Hoosiers took a trip to Louisville to face off against the Cardinals. IU was unable to register a goal as the Hoosiers lost by a score of 3-0. Louisville scored in the 18th minute of the match when Elisa Garcia scored off a penalty corner. In the 35th minute, Louisville forward Shannon Sloss scored her seventh goal of the season after a shot to the left side of the circle. Alyssa Voelmle secured the Cardinals’ win when she scored her eighth goal of the season off a rebound from a penalty corner. The Hoosiers, who are now on a three-game losing streak, have a shot at getting back on track when they take a trip to Iowa to face off against Iowa on Friday and Pacific on Saturday.Follow reporter Dan Matney on Twitter @Dan_Matney.
(10/04/13 2:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After a tough loss to conference rival Penn State Sunday, IU Field Hockey Coach Amy Robertson said her team isn’t discouraged by the result. “The team is looking at a way to learn from it,” Robertson said. “They aren’t falling apart and thinking that we aren’t any good. It’s nice to see the team respond in a way that they think they can win these conference games.”IU faces a tough set of games this weekend. They play their second conference game of the season against Michigan State at 3 p.m. Friday at the IU Field Hockey Complex and travel to Louisville, Ky., Sunday for a rematch against the Cardinals. Michigan State has started the season with a 4-6 record, including a win in its first conference game against Ohio State last week. Last season, the Spartans defeated the Hoosiers in East Lansing by a score of 3-0. Sophomore midfielder Sydney Supica said she thinks the Michigan State game is a key point in the Hoosiers’ season.“It’s our second Big Ten game, so it is a key point in our season,” Supica said. “It will give us a chance to see how well we can compete in other Big Ten games.”Junior midfielder Corrine Karch said the team needs to get a good result against the Spartans in order to get back on track for Big Ten play.Karch also said the team has been working hard in practice to try different things to get inside the circle more often.“If we have a free hit outside we need to work into the circle,” Karch said. “We need to be more direct when we are playing two-on-one. We need to find the open player in order to get more shots.”The last time the Hoosiers played the Cardinals was in their exhibition to open the season. IU won by a single point after two overtimes and a set of shootouts.Since then, Louisville has gotten out to a hot start with a record of 8-2, including a 6-3 win on the road against Big Ten foe Ohio State. In her last outing against the Hoosiers, freshman midfielder Jennifer Pels scored two goals off the bench, one in the second half and one in the first overtime period. Robertson said the ball movement in the midfield will be a key on Sunday. “Offensively, we need to play with purpose and continue to move the ball.” Robertson said. “We will have to play with a lot of speed. We also need to hold on to the ball when we attack and get numbers on fast breaks.”Supica said the team learned a lot in its scrimmage at the beginning of the season. “We learned a lot from Louisville,” she said. “It showed us a lot in the scrimmage. It will be interesting to see how the team has grown since then.”Follow reporter Dan Matney on Twitter @Dan_Matney.
(09/30/13 3:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In Friday’s game against the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks, the Hoosiers had the largest recorded crowd for the 2013 season when 519 spectators showed up at the IU Field Hockey Complex. Despite being outshot by four and allowing five more penalty corners, the Hoosiers were victorious, defeating Miami by a score of 3-2. The win extended IU’s winning streak to six — the longest since the 2009 season.Junior midfielder Caitlin Bearish scored the first goal of the game nine minutes in after she broke past the goalkeeper and hit a shot to the left of the cage. Junior midfielder Audra Heilman was credited with the assist on the play.Eight minutes later, Heilman scored her eighth goal of the season when she hit a shot to the left of the cage off a rebound.After being held scoreless during the first half, Miami got things started quickly in the second half when Valentina Neira scored a goal left of center four minutes into the second period. One minute later, senior forward Mariella Grote scored her first goal of the day with an assist from senior forward Emily Bowker.After Grote’s goal, both teams were held scoreless until Miami’s Emily Gruesser scored from the left side of the circle off a pass from Alyssa Logan with 14 minutes remaining.That would be the last goal of the game as the Hoosiers (6-3, 0-1) held the Redhawks to extend their winning streak.Heilman said the team knew off-ball movement would be important in order for the Hoosiers to create scoring opportunities. “Our forwards did a very good job today working off of each other, which was something we focused on this week,” Heilman said. Senior back Danielle McNally said she thinks the early momentum swing helped IU control the tempo.“Getting two goals early in the first half definitely gave us momentum,” McNally said. “In the second half our defense stayed calm and controlled, which helped us control their forwards.”But the Hoosiers’ winning streak was brought to a halt Sunday when the No. 8 Penn State Nittany Lions defeated IU 4-0. Penn State was ahead five minutes into the game when Ashtin Klingler scored unassisted off a rebound to the right of the cage. Fifteen minutes later, Penn State scored again off of a penalty corner. That would be the last goal of the first half.Penn State’s leading scorer for the season, Taylor Herold, scored unassisted off of a rebound to the right of the cage 12 minutes into the second half.One minute later, Klingler scored her second goal of the game, which would end up being the last goal of the game.The Hoosiers were outshot by 13 and allowed 13 penalty corners, which was 10 more than they attempted in Sunday’s game. Although the team lost its first conference game of the season, IU Coach Amy Robertson said the team isn’t discouraged by Sunday’s result. “The team is looking at a way to learn from it,” Robertson said. “They aren’t falling apart and thinking that we aren’t any good. It’s nice to see the team respond in a way that they think they can win these conference games.”Follow reporter Dan Matney on Twitter @Dan_Matney.
(09/27/13 2:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After extending their winning streak to five games, the IU field hockey team faces two tough opponents at home this weekend in Miami (Ohio) and Penn State.IU Field Hockey Coach Amy Robertson said Big Ten play is always exciting, especially starting at home. “You get to this point, and you can’t wait,” Robertson said. “It really feels like Christmas Day.”Before facing Penn State, the Hoosiers play the defending MAC Conference champion Miami Redhawks at 3 p.m. Friday. The Redhawks have started the season with a 5-4 record, including a 4-2 win against Ohio State last weekend.IU junior forward Audra Heilman said although the team is excited to start Big Ten action, they’re more concerned about the game against Miami.“The game against Miami is very important,” Heilman said.The Hoosiers face off against the Nittany Lions noon Sunday. Penn State has started 2013 with a 5-3 record, including three victories against nationally ranked teams. Hoosier goalkeeper Maggie Olson said flexibility will be key this weekend.“We are going to see some things this weekend that we haven’t seen in previous games,” Olson said.Robertson thinks sticking to their game plan will help the Hoosiers break down Penn State’s tough defense. “We have to be smart with the ball,” Robertson said. “Execution will also be key this weekend.”Olson didn’t downplay the importance of a fast start in conference play. “You can’t put a value on it,” Olson said. “We really want to make a big leap from last season.”Follow reporter Dan Matney on Twitter @Dan_Matney.
(09/23/13 3:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Three Hoosiers scored goals Saturday at the IU Field Hockey Complex to lead the field hockey team to its fifth straight win, defeating Ohio 3-1.“It feels good to win,” IU Coach Amy Robertson said. “We grew during these games and are continuing to find ways to score.”After falling to Ohio in triple overtime last season 2-1, the team was looking to change the results this time around.Just three minutes and 35 seconds into the game, IU sophomore back/midfielder Karen Lorite scored the first goal off an unassisted shot from a rebound.Lorite said she credits Saturday’s win to the team’s flexibility and ability to adjust quickly throughout the game. After ending the first half without finding the back of the net again, IU junior forward Audra Heilman capitalized quickly in the second half, scoring at the 40-minute mark.Ohio’s defense quickly adjusted and held the Hoosiers scoreless for 18 minutes until sophomore back/midfielder Sydney Supica connected with the back of the cage off a penalty corner.After IU held Ohio scoreless the first 62 minutes of the game, Ohio senior Jessica Jue scored off a rebound to the left of the cage. Olson said she believes good communication has been the key to the five-game winning streak.“We’ve been sticking to the basics and have had good communication,” Olson said. “We made sure our low midfield players have been pulling back and been strong on defense.”With Big Ten play starting on Sunday, Olson said the win streak has lifted spirits and provided the team with good experience.“We are feeling good with these wins under our belt,” she said. “Everyone is anxious to get the Big Ten season started and get that level of competition back into our season.”Robertson said she believes her defensive backfield this season is the best she has had in her 13 seasons of coaching at IU.“We have a tremendous backfield,” Robertson said. “As long as we have them, we will always be fine.”Follow reporter Dan Matney on Twitter @Dan_Matney.
(09/18/13 3:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>While most IU students spent their summers at home, working local internships or other seasonal jobs, IU field hockey redshirt senior defender Hannah Boyer spent six weeks in Ghana teaching children math and English during summer 2012.Boyer has been a selection on the Big Ten All-Academic team twice and has also been a part of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association academic team two times. She has started all 59 games that she has played in while at IU, and she was also a Second Team All-Big Ten selection in 2012. Boyer received her undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Science and Applied Health Science with a major in human development and family studies in May 2013. Although she has been known for her play on the field and her hard work in the classroom, others might not know Boyer always wanted to take a trip to Africa. She was finally able when she was offered an internship through her undergraduate degree program last summer. “Ever since I was little I’ve wanted to go,” she said. “I figured it was my one opportunity to get over there and have it count towards something.”IU Coach Amy Robertson wasn’t surprised that Boyer decided to go to Africa. Robertson, who has also been to Africa, said she knew Boyer would love it there. She also said Boyer has always been someone who enjoyed volunteering and giving back.“Knowing Hannah’s personality and her love for doing the greater good, I knew it would be great for her,” Robertson said. “I thought she was going to fall in love with Africa. I was a little worried that she wasn’t going to come back.”Boyer spent six weeks in the small city of Frankadua, in the Volta region of Ghana. While there, Boyer was able to experience how the Ghanaians live on a daily basis. “I woke up early when the chickens were waking up and went to sleep when the kids did,” Boyer said. “There was no running water or air conditioning, and I also took bucket baths. It really was a true African experience.”When Boyer wasn’t teaching students, she spent most of her time with them absorbing their culture. “I played a lot of football games, which is soccer in America,” she said. “My favorite part was being a part of their culture for six weeks. All of the Ghanaians were extremely welcoming and really made me feel like I was right at home.“It was a great experience to be a part of their community and welcomed into their lives.”Boyer said although children in Ghana have a different lifestyle, they are very similar to children in the U.S. “It is a completely different world,” Boyer said. “Kids are the same everywhere you go. They like to play tricks on you everywhere you go.”Along with the children and lifestyle, Boyer said almost everything, from food to the people, differs from the U.S., but in a good way. “Their food is different, as is their diet and interaction with one another,” she said. “It’s all a lot different. They are such welcoming, happy and truly glorious people to be around.”Robertson complimented Boyer on her maturity and growth since her trip. She said she thinks the trip has not only helped Boyer grow as a person, but it also has helped her on the field. “It helped her gain some extra perspective,” Robertson said. “She has always been Her trip to Africa definitely helped her gain some confidence and helped her grow as a person.” Boyer said the most rewarding part of teaching the students was teaching them how to speak English. “They honestly probably taught me more than I taught them,” Boyer said. “They all spoke a local language, so teaching them English was the most enjoyable part.”Boyer said she was excited about her experience in Frankadua. Although she was unable to return this past summer, she still has plans to return to the country whenever she finds the next opportunity. “I would absolutely go back,” Boyer said. “I’ve been itching to get back badly. It’s one of those things where I wanted to go back there, but it didn’t work out, but I know I’ll make it back there someday.”Follow reporter Dan Matney on Twitter @Dan_Matney.
(09/17/13 3:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Growing up in a family of seven in Dublin, IU women’s field hockey freshman forward Hannah McDermott never really expected to play the sport she loves overseas, especially in Bloomington.On March 11, McDermott officially committed to play field hockey for IU Coach Amy Robertson. “I really liked the location and how it was a university town,” McDermott said. “I liked that it wasn’t in the middle of a city. Indianapolis is nearby, and I am only two flights away from home.”McDermott has an undecided major, but she said another reason she chose IU was because of its academic excellence. “I think that IU offers a great degree,” she said. “I don’t know my major yet, but I know that whatever I choose will be a good degree because it is a very well established institution.”McDermott didn’t start playing field hockey until she was 10-years-old. In Ireland, McDermott said field hockey is the most popular sport for women, and she was exposed to it in her physical education classes at a young age.“My older sisters started playing first,” she said. “I got into the sport from watching them. I remember going to their matches, and it really sparked my interest in the sport.”McDermott played throughout school and started for her state team at age 14. She spent her first three years playing at the under-16 level and eventually worked her way up to the under-18 team. When she was 16, she started playing on her first women’s club team.McDermott was the leading scorer on the All-Ireland championship teams in 2011 and 2012. In 2011, McDermott led the team to a second-place finish and eventually won the Celtic Cup in 2012. She said her favorite part about playing on the All-Ireland teams was all the traveling she did. “We went to Holland and played in some tournaments,” McDermott said. “In 2012, we went to Scotland and played in the Celtic Cup. We beat Scotland, Wales and Switzerland for the championship, which was a great accomplishment.”Aside from winning the Celtic Cup, McDermott also won the Jacqui Potter Cup and Leinster League Championship, in which she was the leading scorer.Robertson praised McDermott for how quickly she has been able to adjust to the changes in scenery and also the change of the game at IU. “We train a lot, and it is also much hotter over here,” Robertson said. “It’s a completely different culture.”Field hockey in the United States is a lot different than it is in other countries, McDermott said. “The game is more physical over here,” McDermott said. “There is more of a focus on fitness. When we got into overtime here, the teams go down to seven players. In Ireland, we play overtime with 11 players.”McDermott also said being on the sidelines is a lot different.“I find it weird that we have to stand when we are on the sidelines,” she said. “When you’re on the bench, you’re not actually on the bench.”Follow reporter Dan Matney on Twitter @Dan_Matney.
(09/16/13 3:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After losing its first two games of the season, the IU women’s field hockey team was still focused and hungry, IU Coach Amy Robertson said. The team extended its winning streak to four games this weekend, defeating Missouri State 3-0 Friday and Robert Morris 4-1 Sunday.IU’s defense had a three-game shutout streak before allowing Robert Morris to score in the 41st minute. During that streak, the Hoosiers allowed six shots on goal.Junior goalkeeper Maggie Olson said the team’s defensive effort has increased her comfort level and taken some pressure off her. “The less opportunities the opposition has, the more comfortable I feel,” Olson said. “I credit my defense for that. They’ve been playing well the last few games and they’ve made my job a lot easier.”Olson also said the defense has focused on fundamentals to limit scoring opportunities.“Our communication is really good,” she said. “We are staying low on circle opportunities and we really trust one another.”Junior midfielder Audra Heilman scored the first goal of the Missouri State game off an unassisted goal in the 17th minute. Heilman’s goal would be the only one in the first half. Heilman’s offensive contributions didn’t end there. With 15 minutes left in the game, senior back Danielle McNally flicked a pass from Heilman into the cage to give the Hoosiers a 2-0 lead. Senior forward Mariella Grote capped off the Hoosiers’ third consecutive win with a goal off a rebound in front of the cage in the 65th minute. On Sunday, Heilman scored her fifth goal of the season off of a rebound in the 26th minute, which puts her one goal away from tying her single season career high of six she set her freshman season. Just three minutes after Heilman’s goal, McNally netted her fourth goal of the season after getting a rebound from a corner attempt.In the 34th minute, freshman forward Hannah McDermott assisted Grote on the Hoosier’s third goal of the day. Robert Morris tallied its first goal of the game in the 41st minute when Jamie Hartley assisted Chloe McIlwaine on a penalty corner. It was the first goal allowed by the Hoosiers in two weeks.After going back and forth for most of the second half, IU sophomore back Sydney Supica scored from a penalty corner in the 68th minute. Senior forward Emily Bowker and sophomore back Karen Lorite were both credited with an assist on the play.Senior defender Hannah Boyer said she was impressed with how the team maintained their composure during the game. “We had a lot of adversity thrown our way today,” Boyer said. “I think that we played with a lot of class.”Although Robertson said she is excited about the current win streak, and she wants the team to continue to improve every week.“We need to continue to challenge ourselves,” Robertson said. “We aren’t satisfied with just winning. We are really looking to play with a standard and the quality of play that is representative of a Big Ten and NCAA tournament team.”Follow reporter Dan Matney on Twitter @Dan_Matney.
(09/13/13 3:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU women’s field hockey team faces another set of home games this weekend, as the Hoosiers play host to Missouri State Friday and Robert Morris Sunday.Junior Forward Audra Heilman will be a player to watch for Indiana after she recorded her first career hat trick against St. Louis last Friday and she was named the Big Ten’s Offensive Player of the Week.“It’s a very big honor,” Heilman said. “I was just doing my role, and I just so happened to get that. It feels good.”IU Coach Amy Robertson praised Heilman for all of her hard work and dedication not only this year, but throughout her entire career as a Hoosier. “She’s the kind of player who just works as hard as she can all of the time,” Robertson said. “She’s so determined to become the best she can be. She pushes herself to her limit everyday. That’s how tough of an athlete she is.”Robertson also said Heilman’s competitive nature has led to her emergence this season.“She loves playing and to compete,” Robertson said. “It carries over to the rest of the team. She works so hard. It’s great to see her get the recognition she deserves.”Missouri State has started the season with a 1-3 record, with its single win coming from Pacific. Missouri State allows four points a game on average, while scoring just one point per game on average. On defense, the Hoosiers will need to contain sophomore defender Liz Young and senior forward Hillary Lawless, two of the teams’ leading scorers.After an offensive explosion last weekend where the Hoosiers scored 14 points in two games, they will be facing Missouri State goalkeeper Andrea Bain, who has allowed 16 goals this year, including 10 in the last two games. Robert Morris has started the season with a 3-1 record, with all four of its games coming on the road. Robert Morris has a defense that doesn’t allow a lot of points; they have allowed just two goals this season, including shutting out their opponents three times in four games. Colonial’s junior midfielder Jamie Hartley, who has scored three goals this season, including two against St. Louis, leads the team’s offensive attack. Heilman said that the Hoosiers effort offensively will be a key to the weekend’s games. “We need to attack,” Heilman said. “We need to try to get corners and shots and just go all out.”Robertson said ball movement is the main focus, especially for the game against Robert Morris. “We need to move the ball,” Robertson said. “We need to attack their weak spots and we need to have the mindset to finish once we get into the circle.”Robertson also said limiting turnovers will be very important.“We will be looking for opportunities where we can get an edge,” she said. “We love playing teams that have been successful, it makes us better and gives us a challenge. It brings out the best in us.”Follow reporter Dan Matney on Twitter @Dan_Matney.
(09/09/13 4:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Heading into the first two home games of the season, IU Coach Amy Robertson said she wanted the team to find the goal more after being stuck scoreless in a set of tough losses last weekend against Duke and Drexel.The Hoosiers did just that Friday and Sunday. They defeated St. Louis 11-0 Friday and Radford 3-0 Sunday.Sophomore Karen Lorite scored the first goal of the game Friday off an assist from junior Audra Heilman just 3:48 into the first half.The Hoosiers’ 11 goals Friday set a team single-game record. Heilman recorded her first-career hat trick, scoring three goals and adding three assists. Seven different Hoosiers scored a goal, which is something Heilman said she was excited about.“We had seven different goal scorers,” she said. “That’s huge for us. Our ball movement and hard work was very important for us.”IU attempted a season-high 34 total shots, including 26 shots on goal. Senior Danielle McNally also added two goals on three shots. Freshman Morgan Dye scored her first two career goals Friday. Dye said she was excited about her offensive performance, but she also said she appreciated the effort the team put forth. “I think that we were working really well together,” Dye said. “We were making the adjustments that the coaches wanted us to make. We were more aggressive when we were in the circle.”Robertson said she didn’t know until after the game that the Hoosiers had broken the single-game goal record.“It’s exciting. It is always fun to make history,” Robertson said. “I think overall this team just kept their foot on the pedal and played as hard as they could. Our goal is to get better every game.”Against Radford, the Hoosiers scored their three goals of the game all in the first half. Lorite had another big game Sunday, scoring two goals on just two shot attempts, which were her second and third goals of the season. Her first goal came at the 11:47 mark off of a corner. Heilman and Sydney Supica both were credited with the assist on the play. The Hoosiers’ aggressive offensive attack continued with sophomore Rachel Stauffer scoring her first goal of the season at the 20:38 mark from a shot to the right of the cage. Dye was credited with the assist. Less than two minutes later, IU scored what would be their final goal of the game. Lorite scored a shot from the center of the cage off a pass from Emily Bowker.Defense was the key during the second half. IU allowed Radford to get off just two shots for the entire period. The Hoosiers also limited Radford to just two penalty corners, something that Robertson focused on in practice this week. Robertson was impressed with the team’s defensive effort and credits that to limiting space at midfield.“We have done a lot better with our midfield structure,” she said. “We are closing down more space at midfield, which is helping our forwards work back to the ball and forcing our opponents to make errors.”Follow reporter Dan Matney on Twitter @Dan_Matney.
(09/06/13 3:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Coming off of a difficult set of games in Raleigh, N.C., the IU women’s field hockey team heads into the weekend to play against St. Louis Friday and Radford Sunday in Bloomington.IU Coach Amy Robertson was impressed with the play of the freshmen in the first set of games and also admired the effort put forth by junior forward Audra Heilman.“You always notice Audra because she works so hard,” she said. “She’s a whole level above anyone out there.”Last weekend, redshirt junior goalkeeper Maggie Olson tied her career high in saves twice with seven. Maggie said her confidence level with this season’s team is higher than it was last year. She said Assistant Coach Phil Edwards’ work with goalkeepers was productive last spring.Olson also said the experience of this year’s defense is also something that has helped her become more confident.Robertson praised Olson for her performance against Duke and Drexel, but she also said she wants to limit the opportunities that Olson has to make saves.“We would like her to see less action,” Robertson said. “We need to do a better job of limiting the shots against her, but given the challenge, she really stepped up for our team.”The Hoosiers will face a St. Louis team that dropped its first two contests to Robert Morris by a score of 0-3 and Central Michigan 6-1. IU will be facing another difficult goalkeeper Saturday against junior Megan Depew-Brady, who accounted for seven saves against Robert Morris and 11 saves against the Chippewas. IU’s Sunday opponent, the Radford Highlanders, are also starting their season with a 0-2 record. The Highlanders lost their first game to William & Mary by a score of 0-5 and then followed with a loss to defending MAC Conference champion Miami (Ohio) University 1-6. Playing well defensively and limiting scoring opportunities are something that Olson feels will be important this weekend, she said. “Keeping our body positioning low, really good communication on the field and just general awareness on the field will be factors,” Olson said. “I think they will be two really competitive games, and our defense has to hold it down. We are really focusing on the basics.”On the offensive side, the team needs to work together to create scoring opportunities, Robertson said.“We have to be able to find passes sooner and move the ball better,” Robertson said. “We really need to work as a unit. We sometimes play too much as individuals. There is space and options for the ball that we aren’t recognizing, so we need to be more proactive when we have the ball.”Robertson said the team has put together a productive week of practice and is ready for the challenge ahead.“We are ready and hungry,” Robertson said. “We are going to make better shots and find the goal more.”
(09/02/13 8:18pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU women’s field hockey team failed in both its games this weekend to score a single goal.The Hoosiers lost to No. 10 Duke 4-0 Fridayin Durham, N.C. Freshman Morgan Dye led the offensive attack with two shots on goal.Despite 12 scoring opportunities — five on goal — the Hoosiers couldn’t get on the board. IU Coach Amy Robertson lauded Duke goalkeeper Lauren Blazing, but also said there are things the Hoosiers offense could have done differently to change the outcome. “We got opportunities in our circle, but we didn’t get enough numbers going into the attack,” Robertson said. “We took shots, but we were often outnumbered defensively.”Although the score of the game was lopsided, Robertson said she was impressed with some of the things the team was doing offensively in the first half. “In the first half, we had more shots,” Robertson said. “We moved the ball well, and we played at a pace that I have never seen our team play at before.”After losting to Duke Friday, the Hoosiers played No. 17 Drexel, falling to the Dragons 2-0.The Hoosiers attempted 12 shots, but were unable to score for the second consecutive game. After the completion of both games, Robertson said there were a number of things she discovered will help the team moving forward.“What we need to work on is the connection with our midfield,” she said. “We can work more players into the attack. We also need to be working on building flow and attacking better spaces. “At times it looked like we tried to force some things, and it wore us out because we didn’t maintain possession.”Robertson also said both opponents from the weekend are extremely talented teams, which is why they were on the schedule for the beginning of the season. “We wanted to play the best competition that we could opening weekend so we didn’t have to wait later in the season to find out more about ourselves,” Robertson said. “We wanted to find out as much as we could right away so we didn’t have a false sense of confidence.”Redshirt junior goalkeeper Maggie Olson accounted for seven saves in each game during the weekend, tying her career high. The coaching staff named Olson player of the game. “She was voted player of the game because she came up big against Drexel,” Robertson said. “She played really solid.”Follow reporter Dan Matney on Twitter @dan_matney.
(08/26/13 4:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU women’s field hockey team kicked off its season Saturday with a win in a home exhibition game against Louisville. After two 25-minute periods and two short overtime sessions, the match ended in a 4-4 tie.Louisville won the first shootout 3-2.After Louisville scored the first goal of the game, IU freshman Kate Barber scored an unassisted goal to tie the game in the 14th minute of the first half.“It was exciting,” she said. “I just put my head down and swung.”IU junior forward Audra Heilman scored the final goal in the sudden victory session to give the Hoosiers the win.Barber also said the team played strong and was able to keep composure, something IU Coach Amy Robertson emphasized this week leading up to the game. Defensively, redshirt senior Hannah Boyer was making defensive calls and adjustments throughout the entire game. Boyer was excited about how the team performed with its new defensive scheme.“We started playing in a new system with four players in the back. We only played three last year,” Boyer said. “It was something new for us, but we had a lot of movement within that system.” Boyer continued to praise the defensive adjustments from veteran players. “We are looking to attack more,” she said. “We have some veterans back there, so it’s really nice to have the comfort and experience that we do in the backfield.”Robertson was very impressed with the depth and performance of the freshmen.“I was able to get people in, do their work for seven or eight minutes, sub them out, get someone fresh in, and I felt like we still kept our fluidity of play,” she said. “I thought that for our freshmen playing in their first organized game, they played awesome. They were able to learn from their mistakes quickly.”One of Robertson’s biggest concerns heading into the Louisville game was how the team would play in transition. “Our transition was pretty good today,” Robertson said. “We need to be taking free hits a little quicker and get the teams on their back feet a little sooner, but we worked real hard to get back on defense.”Heading into the first regular season game against Duke this Friday, Robertson said her main concern is working into opposing team’s circles more consistently.“We need to get into our circle more with possession and earn more corners,” she said. “Today we gave up more than we earned, and we have to turn that equation around. Just being able to get some players ahead at the right times and knowing when to hold the ball are all key.”Follow reporter Dan Matney on Twitter @Dan_Matney.