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(09/23/11 4:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Nebraska and Iowa have each demonstrated their ability to put the ball in the back of the net.According to ncaa.com, the Hawkeyes rank seventh in the nation in scoring, tallying 3.44 goals per match. The Huskers sit tenth at 3.25 goals per match.IU sophomore defender Lara Ross said the team does not consider those statistics.“We look a lot at how many forwards they play with and their tendencies,” Ross said. “We don’t focus so much on certain players. We were aware of her tendencies and stuck one person on her to handle her. It allows us to play our style a lot more instead of having to conform to how they play.”Indiana takes on Iowa Friday and Nebraska Sunday.Last season, Nebraska defeated IU in Bloomington, 3-1. This year, Ross said the Huskers deserve more attention.“It changes a little bit,” she said. “We have to respect them a little bit more knowing they are in the Big Ten now. It brings us to a different place in preparing for what they have to bring.”IU Coach Mick Lyon said he’s looking forward to playing Nebraska for the first time as a conference foe.“It’s exciting,” he said. “I’ve known John Walker’s team for many years. They’re a very good team. We’re going to have to play well to stop them.”Lyon said after IU’s 6-1 win on Aug. 21 against Butler that the best form of defense is attacking.Against Michigan on Sunday, the Hoosiers created 12 corner kick opportunities. They attempted four shots off those corners but weren’t able to score. Ross said that was addressed during an early week training session.“This is something we talked a lot about,” Ross said. “We’re trying to use variety. It’s frustrating how we get so many and don’t get the result. We’ve been talking about having the attitude to be the person that says, ‘I’m going to win this corner. I’m going to score this.’”Indiana leads the Big Ten in corner kicks attempted, with 7.67 per match.After the loss against Michigan, Lyon knows how the team can maximize their opportunities offensively.“(Becca) Zambon has to give that ball to Carly (Samp) and support her and be a second ball-winner,” Lyon said. “Same as Lara on the other side. They didn’t commit to get right up there with that player. At times they did; at times they didn’t. We’ve got to do it every single time.”
(09/19/11 4:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Junior Orianica Velasquez fired away, but no one was there to send it home. That was a costly missed opportunity for the Hoosiers. Michigan went on to win the match 1-0 on a goal by Wolverine sophomore Shelina Zadorsky that hit the underside of the crossbar on its way in. If a shot is taken that the opposing goalkeeper isn’t able to control, an opportunity to score on a rebound could go unconverted. Such was the case in the 25th minute when Velasquez attempted a shot that Michigan goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer saved. Kopmeyer was unable to control the ball. No one was there for IU to capitalize on the loose ball.That, IU Coach Mick Lyon said, showed lack of dedication.“Finding rebounds is about commitment from the two attacking mids and the center forward to be there for the first chance,” Lyon said. “And then they’ve got to be there for the second chance.“We’ve got to commit players to get into the six-yard box. We can’t allow their goalkeeper to pick up the ball easily on the front post without being contested.”To begin the season, IU switched to a 4-1-4-1, featuring one forward up top. Velasquez added that someone had to be there. But the formation is the coach’s decision.On a day when it rained early in the morning, and the sun couldn’t escape the clouds, the ball was a little damp and had a tendency to skip. Still, Lyon stuck with the formation IU has utilized all season.“Weather doesn’t make any difference,” he said. “The weather suits us because the game plays faster. We’re playing with three forwards with Carly (Samp), Ori and Kaylin (Clow).”Statistically, the teams were even through the first half — Indiana, the youngestBig Ten team, attempted six shots to the Wolverines’ five. Senior goalkeeper Lindsay Campbell recorded two saves. For the third game in the last four home matches, IU entered halftime in a 0-0 score. Zadorsky’s goal gave the Wolverines the lead 2:33 into the second half.Indiana had opportunities to score the equalizer, thanks in part to twelve corner kicks.“(Coach Lyon) has been talking about that. We have to finish those corner kicks,” Velasquez said. “We’re doing everything good. We have to keep working and make at least one or two.”Since the conference opener was broadcast on the Big Ten Network, the game was interrupted each half by a media timeout.“You have a chance to come together, get suggestions and refocus for the next half of the half,” Burks said.Though each team had extra time to discuss strategy, a recurring theme plagued the Hoosiers.“We didn’t finish our chances,” Velasquez said. “They got one. Even though we played better, we lost. I’m so disappointed.”
(09/16/11 4:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The six seniors on Indiana’s roster began their playing career in 2008, a year after IU last reached the NCAA Tournament.Senior forward Carly Samp said it’s sad this is her last opportunity to help earn the Hoosiers an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.Despite that, she will begin her final season of Big Ten play as the center forward, something she said made her happy after the match against Xavier on Sept. 9.“I’ve been a forward my whole career here — except for last year a little bit,” she said. “I played outside mid. I like being around the goal as a forward. It’s my natural position.”Samp will enter Sunday’s match against Michigan looking to capture fifth place on IU’s all-time points list. She currently has 48.Senior midfielder Kaylin Clow has learned to appreciate Big Ten conference play as her career has progressed.“Coming in as a freshman, I didn’t realize how big Big Ten season was, how big the conference was,” Clow said.Now that she has experience, she’s looking for better results than the 7-20-3 record IU has compiled in conference play in her prior three seasons.“I want to (defeat) every team in the Big Ten and make it to the tournament,” she said. “We were kind of at the bottom last year. I really want to make our way up the line.”Samp said the team must continue to work on one specific aspect.“Our defense is a work in progress,” Samp said. “We’re trying to make sure that we don’t give up goals after we score. We’re still working on the defensive part.”IU Coach Mick Lyon said his team must buckle down after a goal.“After a goal is scored for or against, the next five minutes is critical,” he said. “Statistically, there are a ton of goals scored in those five-minute periods.“For example, against South Florida, they scored in the first five minutes of the game and the first five minutes of the second half. And lose the game. We’ve done a much better job of that.”Neither IU nor its rival from Ann Arbor, Mich. play a match on Friday. Still, Lyon said playing only one match will benefit his team.“On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, we can train a little bit longer and not have to worry about the fatigue in preparation for two games on the weekend,” he said. “We made the Big Ten season over seven weeks so what we don’t have is five weeks where we played two games every weekend. That was very tiring on the student athletes.“Now it’s stretched out over seven weeks. It makes it better for the games. There’s more preparation time and we’re well-rested.”As conference play is about to begin, Lyon said his team is progressing well. “We’re very happy with what the girls are doing,” he said. “How this team is developing is top-level. It’s a joy to coach right now.”
(09/13/11 2:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Wrapping up non-conference play, the IU women’s soccer team continued to learn the new formation implemented by IU Coach Mick Lyon, in which they now feature one forward out front.Indiana’s new 4-1-4-1 has led to four fewer goals scored on them than this time last season. They also played one more non-conference game last season.Senior goalkeeper Lindsay Campbell has stepped up, posting 1.47 goals against average. She was voted Goalkeeper MVP of the Notre Dame Invitational by coaches and media. However, Lyon said the team is confident in Campbell and sophomore Shannon Flower.Offensively, the team has posted 14 fewer shots on goal than last season. That discrepancy is of little consequence, as IU has scored 17 goals this year, one fewer than last season. It’s a statistic that can be attributed to the new system, one that sophomore forward Rebecca Candler said the team is still “getting used to.”
(09/12/11 4:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana scored quickly — 37 seconds into the match against Marquette on Sunday, but the Golden Eagles responded less than seven minutes later and went on to win a 2-1 victory.Junior forward Ori Velasquez gave the Hoosiers the lead less than a minute into the game when she converted a one-on-one matchup with Marquette goalkeeper Natalie Kulla. Senior forward Carly Samp earned the assist.Velasquez’s goal gave her 17 for her career. With a goal and assist, Samp is now tied for fifth in career points with 48.“We always talk about scoring early,” IU Coach Mick Lyon said. “That’s what we’re good at — putting teams under pressure right from the bat. Every time we enter a game, we know their game. We know their strengths and how we’re going to exploit them.”Marquette scored its first goal in the eighth minute after an IU defensive error.“We made a mistake, and we got punished for it,” sophomore midfielder Lisa Nouanesengsy said.The goal increased IU’s urgency, sophomore midfielder Becca Zambon said.“I think it made us play a lot harder,” she said. “It made us play with a lot more heart. We did a good job of that. We kept our composure and played our own game.”Marquette scored its second goal in the 63rd minute as Taylor Madigan scored from a cross from Vanessa Legault-Cordisco.That goal marked the first time in 422 minutes that an IU opponent had the lead at Jerry Yeagley Field.Zambon said that helped the Hoosiers play more at ease.“We brought it in real quick,” she said. “Just relaxed, took a couple deep breaths, sorted it out, decided to play our own game and go from there.”On Friday, Indiana escaped with a 1-0 victory against Xavier University, Samp received the ball at the top of the box and converted.“I got a ball from Lisa,” she said. “I turned, spun (and) hit it, and it went in. I was glad we didn’t go into overtime.”Indiana attempted 19 shots before Samp scored. Goalkeeper Katie Markesberry recorded 10 saves for Xavier.Meanwhile, senior goalkeeper Lindsay Campbell recorded the only save of the game for IU. Sophomore goalkeeper Shannon Flower played the second half and earned the win. Lyon said after Sunday’s match that Xavier’s style afforded an opportunity to get Flower some playing time.“Xavier was never going to score,” Lyon said. “Everybody gets experience and gets better by being on the pitch during game time.”
(09/09/11 4:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With conference play on the horizon, the IU women’s soccer team has little time left to ensure they are prepared for the rigors of a Big Ten season.This weekend’s matches are the last two prior to Big Ten play. However, they are not different from other non-conference matches, senior defender Kerri Krawczak said.“Every non-conference game, we’re getting ready for the Big Ten season,” Krawczak said. “The Big Ten season is physical, and every game is close. Xavier and Marquette are really good teams. I think it’s going to be really good preparation for the Big Ten season.”Xavier has won three consecutive games entering Friday’s match, and Marquette is ranked at No. 12. Meanwhile, IU Coach Mick Lyon said an eight-minute span prevented his team from having an opportunity to upset Notre Dame.“Other than an eight-minute spell where we kind of crumbled a little bit under the pressure, and (Notre Dame forward Melissa Henderson) getting a hat trick, our defense has been very solid,” Lyon said. While the return of Krawczak is visible in a box score, her experience and presence appears indirectly. Her return from an ACL injury sustained in the spring will benefit the Hoosiers, as she is a four-year starter. She made her season debut Aug. 26 against the University of South Florida and made her first start Sept. 2 against Western Michigan.Counting this weekend’s matches, she will have had six games to reacquaint herself before conference play commences. She said those games are vital.“It’s really important to get my confidence back and just start playing again,” she said. “I just needed a few games to get back in it. It’s feeling really, really good. I’m ready.”Lyon agreed, saying that Krawczak and junior defender Ciersten Burks having an opportunity to play together before conference play will help IU moving forward.“The two center backs were Krawczak and Burks,” Lyon said. “That’s the first time they’ve played together this year. Kerri had been working herself into more and more playing time and showed on Friday that she was ready to start and play 90 minutes. Those two needed a little bit more communication between them.”Lyon said he was encouraged by fast improvement in the two player’s chemistry against Notre Dame.“Those two did a much better job in the second half,” Lyon said. “That tightened things up in the middle of the defense. That was a huge difference of why they weren’t able to penetrate down the middle.”Offensively, sophomore forward Rebecca Candler said the team has improved greatly since its season-opening draw against Evansville.“Between the first game and where we are now, we’ve made a huge leap,” Candler said. “We’re finding the chemistry. We’re playing with a new formation with one forward up top. We’re getting used to that.”
(09/06/11 2:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU converted an opportunity early, taking a 1-0 lead against defending national champion Notre Dame in the 12th minute Sunday, but the Irish responded with four unanswered goals to earn a 4-1 win. Three came in the first half.Senior midfielder Devon Beach said the Irish’s goals were due to small errors.“We continued to play how we were playing,” Beach said. “We try to minimize the amount of mistakes we made. The goals they did score in the first half weren’t because of them creating offense. It was us making minor mistakes. Cutting down on those mistakes cut down their chances.”In two of the team’s three games prior to Sunday, IU’s opponents scored first. Not this day, as senior forward Carly Samp scored early to give IU the early 1-0 lead. She said the goal encouraged her teammates.“We’re always expecting to get on the scoreboard first,” she said. “Scoring first against Notre Dame gave us a lot of energy. It was really important.”The Irish attempted 34 shots, nine of which were on goal. Senior goalkeeper Lindsay Campbell recorded five saves and was named goalkeeper of the tournament.Campbell’s saves have come at crucial times, Beach said.“She has been playing well this whole season,” Beach said. “She’s gained so much confidence. The saves that she’s making have kept us in games. I feel so comfortable with her back there. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”Friday against Western Michigan, the Broncos scored in the fifth minute to quickly build to a 1-0 lead. The Hoosiers responded 16 minutes later with a barrage of goals, scoring three in a span of 5:07. Freshman midfielder Abby Smith scored unassisted in the 21st minute. Approximately four and a half minutes later, Samp scored off a pass from Beach. Following Samp’s goal, 35 seconds elapsed before junior forward Orianica Velasquez gave the Hoosiers a 3-1 lead.“We did not get off to the best start, but give the players credit,” IU Coach Mick Lyon said. “We were able to regroup and put together a couple very exciting minutes of soccer and were rewarded with three very good goals.”Redshirt freshman midfielder Monica Melink added a fourth goal, her first at the college level, in the 51st minute.In goal, Campbell earned her 15th career win, tying her for fifth in IU history.Despite the split, Lyon said his team will benefit from this tournament.“We learn from each game,” he said. “We are a much better team after playing in this event this weekend.”Beach agreed that the team played better than the score indicated.“The high caliber of competition showed us that we can play our game whether they’re a ranked team,” she said. “We play the same way every time. The score doesn’t reflect how we played.”
(09/02/11 4:30am)
Notre Dame and Indiana last faced one another in a women’s soccer match
in September 2001. That will change Sunday when IU will take on the
Fighting Irish, the defending national champions, at their home base.
(08/29/11 3:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When the white ball landed at the bottom of junior forward Morgan Fleetwood’s stick with 2:33 remaining in the overtime period, it was only the second time in 49 minutes Fleetwood raised her stick for a shot on goal.It was her second shot against Duke – the team ranked No. 15, who upset No. 6 Ohio State in their match Friday.The shot was her second resulting from a corner.The first time, it was a goal. This time, it was a golden goal.The shot rang off the wood at the back of the goal box as cheers filled the air.Fleetwood threw both hands toward the sky as she screamed and fell to her knees, and eventually her back when her teammates celebrated the 3-2 overtime victory with a dog pile.It was the first time IU played Duke, and it would go down as a W in the record books.“Everyone bought out that game, and it was a whole team effort in overtime,” Fleetwood said.But scoring goals wasn’t just a Sunday gift for Fleetwood. She scored twice Friday at IU Field Hockey Field, where the Hoosiers opened their 2011 campaign with a 3-0 win against Miami (OH).IU returned three of four starting defenders to open the season, senior Brenna Moeljadi, sophomore Danielle McNally and sophomore Hannah Boyer. The fourth defender, freshman Stefani Day, has transitioned seamlessly, Boyer said.“She’s come right in and picked up on things right away,” Boyer said.Sophomore Maggie Olson started in the cage for IU and recorded two saves in her first regular season start. Senior Viki Green played the second half in the cage.Each goalkeeper faced only one penalty corner.The experience of the Hoosiers’ defenders contributed to the low tally of penalty corners for the RedHawks.“Our composure was really important,” Boyer said. “We stayed composed under pressure. Our communication was positive throughout the game.”IU Coach Amy Robertson said her defenders’ experiences earlier in their careers have led to the ability to handle chaos with confidence.“They’ve learned,” said the 12-year coach. “You’re not going to get a lot of corners against us. We’re good tacklers. We can see situations before they’re actually forming and take care of it.”On Sunday, the Hoosiers took the game against Duke in chunks.“We focus on pieces that we can control,” Robertson said. “We don’t think about the outcome ... They didn’t let the pressure rattle them. They didn’t look at the magnitude of what the result could mean for them.”As for her forward who scored four of the team’s six goals in their opening weekend?“Morgan is one of the strongest people I’ve ever known,” Robertson said. “She can go through people, but now she’s finding where the defense is imbalanced, when she can get shots, how she can create space for herself. So really, she’s just become a smarter player. She always had the strength to do what she’s doing.”After the game, Fleetwood called the game a “confidence builder.”“Going 2-0 this weekend, that’s a huge deal for us,” the forward said, “especially after last year. We didn’t have the best season.”In the score box, Duke had 19 shots to IU’s six. The Blue Devils had nine corners. IU had five and scored off three, but the one that mattered most for IU was the final one that lead to the game-winning goal.“We have a lot of talent on this team,” Fleetwood said. “It’s just putting it together and creating opportunities and finishing. We did all of that this weekend.”
(08/29/11 3:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In IU’s 10th shot attempt, junior forward Orianica Velasquez scored the first goal, giving IU a 1-0 lead that proved to be the final margin against Oakland on Sunday. It gave the team its second win of the season.Freshman midfielder Jordan Woolums earned the assist.“We have to be more accurate and take advantage of chances we have,” Velasquez said. “This is a good team, but we’re going to have tough games where we are going to have just two chances. The thing we have to do is to score those two.”Three of the Hoosiers’ six first-half shots came in the final six minutes of the first half. Indiana created three more opportunities early in the second half before the goal by Velasquez.The Hoosiers had eight more shot attempts but were unable to convert.On the other side of the ball, IU allowed only one second-half shot from Oakland. The Golden Grizzlies earned just one corner kick.“We’ve been working a lot on communication lately, which has been leading to a lot of improvements,” sophomore defender Lara Ross said. “We had to adapt to their style of play and push one of our center backs up. With that increased pressure in the middle, they weren’t allowed to play the way that they’re used to.”IU Coach Mick Lyon believes the team’s defensive versatility made it possible for them to adapt. He listed junior defender Molly Buynak and senior defender Kerri Krawczak as examples.“We took one of the defenders and pushed her into the midfield to give us that extra depth,” Lyon said. “Molly started the second half in that role, with Kerri Krawczak as the holding central player. With Kerri fit to play, she’s a key figure for us. She’s a four-year starter, and she got to play on Friday for the first time and did well. This is only her second time playing this year. It was a good thing to see.”Senior goalkeeper Lindsay Campbell kept the opposing team scoreless for the 12th time in her career. She is now third on the all-time school shutout list.After IU fell behind 1-0 early on Friday against South Florida in Tampa, Fla., the Hoosiers were briefly saved by sophomore Lisa Nouanesengsy’s fourth goal of the season. The second time, IU could not score an equalizer as the Bulls scored in the 50th minute. That goal proved to be the decisive score as South Florida won 2-1 in their first game in their new stadium.Campbell recorded a career-high nine saves.“Campbell had a tremendous game,” Lyon said. “We forced them to shoot from 35 yards. The few times they got in, Campbell was there to turn them away.”Despite the loss, Lyon thought his team showed promise in the game.“Overall, we played well,” Lyon said. ”We never gave up, always there to get a second goal but just couldn’t find it. We will be a better team for having played this physical game.”
(08/26/11 4:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The University of South Florida will host the IU women’s soccer team Friday in the opening match of its new soccer stadium.IU Coach Mick Lyon said he expects a “nice crowd” because the Bulls made their first NCAA Tournament appearance last season. He said the atmosphere in Tampa, Fla., will help his team learn what to expect in more hostile environments.“We’ll use that as preparation for all the Big Ten opponents we play on the road when we go places where they don’t like us,” he said.Junior defender Cierstin Burks downplayed any significance of being the first opponent USF faces in their new home.“Hopefully it doesn’t affect too much,” she said. “We’re probably going to have to get used to it the first couple minutes. We’ll have to adjust.”Indiana’s defense appears to be in good shape, though. The Hoosiers have allowed three goals in two matches.“We’ve been on the same page in those past few games, and it’s all started at practice,” Burks said. “It’s great that we’ve been able to do what we do in practice in the games as well.”All three goals have come via corner kick. Lyon said his defense has played well because each goal was scored from a set piece.“(We’ve) played 200 minutes of soccer, and no one has scored a goal in the run of play,” he said. “That’s a big boost for the back line: To say they haven’t been exposed, they haven’t gotten in behind you, you haven’t given up an easy goal.“Can we clean up our set plays? Absolutely. That should be one of the easiest things to do. We’re very happy about our back line, because it’s done a super job.”Burks agreed the team needs to focus on eliminating mistakes when opponents take corner kicks.Lyon said senior goalkeeper Lindsay Campbell will start in goal for the Hoosiers in Florida.“Certainly Lindsey’s got the nod for the start,” Lyon said. “She played very well (in the Butler match). At this point, Lindsay starting the first two games has put herself in good position.”
(08/25/11 2:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>To many, Ori Velasquez is just another face in the crowd during Welcome Week, another student at IU.To her teammates and coaching staff, she’s a starting junior forward for the IU women’s soccer team and now a big name as well.“Many freshmen talk to me and say I’m famous because I was in the World Cup,” Velasquez said. “I say I’m not.”Velasquez hails from Bogota, Colombia. During the summer, she represented her country in its first appearance in the FIFA Women’s World Cup.“I got a great opportunity to play against Sweden, the United States and North Korea,” she said. “I try to put all that for IU and help my team get to the (NCAA tournament).”IU Coach Mick Lyon said playing on soccer’s biggest stage enhanced Ori’s ability to play with pace.“She plays with such composure on the ball,” Lyon said. “I think other players — attacking players particularly — see that. Her speed of play is phenomenal. You can’t play against the U.S. national team — or any other national team — and not come away going, ‘I know how to play quickly.’ That’s what she does.”Colombian Coach Ricardo Rozo inserted Velasquez as a substitute in the second half of the match against the United States. Though the United States defeated Colombia 3-0, Velasquez created the last scoring opportunity of the match when she attempted a shot on goal in the 85th minute. United States goalkeeper Hope Solo made the save.Velasquez and her teammates bounced back four days later to earn a 0-0 draw versus North Korea, scoring the first point for Colombia in a World Cup play.“She played phenomenally in that second half against the U.S.,” Lyon said. “She was player of the match against North Korea. (Her play in Germany) absolutely elevated her confidence.”“She’s come back with her head held so high,” he said. “She is full of confidence. It showed in that free kick she had against Evansville. That was one of the best free kicks I’ve ever seen in college soccer. It was tremendous.”Velasquez’s return to Bloomington caused some players to gravitate toward her. They inquired how to transition into the college game.“Sometimes, they ask me questions about what they can do,” Velasquez said. “I give them advice when I see something wrong. I try to play and be the model on the field, encourage them to do better and get confident.”She abides by the philosophy of her national team when she is on the pitch. “Dribbling the ball and playing simple — that is the way I play,” she said. “Trying to find that timing. I’m trying to calm down and play easy and find the best player, the best position and the best place to score.”Though she is working to help her team reach an NCAA tournament, she recognizes soccer is a game. As a result, she wants her teammates to relish their opportunity here.“Enjoy the soccer,” she said. “That is the most important part, to play this sport. Just enjoy (it).”
(08/23/11 2:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A team’s youth could be characterized as a positive or a negative, depending upon one’s point of view.IU Women’s Soccer Coach Mick Lyon said he will think positively and use the opportunity provided by his team’s youth to make some tactical changes to help the team win more close, low-scoring matches. Over the past three seasons in 1-0 matches, the Hoosiers are 7-7, including five consecutive matches in 2008 when IU lost 1-0 to open the Big Ten schedule.“Eight freshmen, five redshirt freshmen and (six) sophomores (are) a lot of young players,” Lyon said. “It gives us that opportunity with this group. We’ve changed some things, we’ve added some things. Everything they’re doing is focusing on winning games. Having this youth is like, ‘Can you change some things?’ We’ve been the 1-0 team. We’ve been on the wrong end of 1-0. Just imagine if we could reverse that.”One of the team’s six seniors is forward Carly Samp, the team’s leading scorer and one of three captains for this year’s team. She said that the seniors’ jobs will include making the young players feel comfortable.“We have to make sure that all the freshmen feel integrated with the team,” Samp said. “They’re going to (have) a significant role on the team.”The Hoosiers return nine of eleven starters from last year’s team, which posted a 7-12-1 record, including 2-8 in Big Ten play.Among those returning starters is sophomore goalkeeper Shannon Flower, who played 15 games last season. Senior Lindsay Campbell provides additional depth in goal for IU.“Flower and Campbell have had quite a bit of playing time,” Lyon said. “They both played very well against DePaul (in the preseason). We’re looking for consistency. That’s one of the things you want from your goalkeepers. We need you to be solid all the time.”A 1-0 defeat in an exhibition match against DePaul on Aug. 7 gave the team an idea of what to work on in training prior to the season.“Learning from the mistakes we made and gaining confidence from the things we did well (helped),” senior defender and captain Kerri Krawczak said. “We have some work to do, but there are some things we did really well. That’s going to come with time, playing as a unit and building those relationships in the back.”Krawczak added that the match helped introduce some of the freshmen to the college game. Lyon agreed.“Their chalkboard is completely clear,” Lyon said. “We’re going to start filling in all the details.”
(08/23/11 2:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Women’s Soccer Coach Mick Lyon said his team failed to create shots in their Aug. 7 exhibition loss against DePaul.Sunday’s match against Butler proved to be a much different story, as Indiana tallied six goals on 19 shots, scoring three goals on eight shots in the first half.IU built 2-0 leads in both of its weekend games against Evansville and Butler. Lyon said he addressed what happened in Friday’s 2-2 tie against Evansville at halftime of their match versus Butler.“This is the situation we’re in on Friday,” Lyon said of his Sunday halftime speech. “The best form of defense is attacking. Converting chances is so important. That’s what they did.”The Hoosiers doubled their score in the second half, as three of 11 shots found the back of the net.Sophomore midfielder Lisa Nouanesengsy recorded a hat trick, becoming the seventh Hoosier in IU women’s soccer to accomplish the feat.“If it wasn’t for my teammates, I wouldn’t have those goals,” she said. “Big credit to my teammates. They gave me the confidence to score those goals.”The Hoosiers won 6-1.In the first half Friday night against Evansville, the Hoosiers created 10 shots. The first came in the fourth minute on a free kick taken by junior midfielder Orianica Velasquez 20 yards away from goal on the right side of the box. Her shot sailed into the upper corner on the left side of the goal.“That was one of the best free kicks I’ve ever seen in college soccer,” Lyon said. “It was tremendous.”In the 40th minute, redshirt freshman midfielder Rebecca Dreher scored, her shot rolling into the lower right side of the goal. Freshman midfielder Jordan Woolums earned the assist, as her pass deflected off an Evansville defender.In addition to the two goals, the Purple Aces’ goalkeeper recorded three saves on IU’s 10 first-half shots. The Hoosiers held Evansville without a shot in the first half.As for the second half, Evansville tallied seven shots, two finding the back of the net. IU senior goalkeeper Lindsay Campbell recorded one save in the second half before a substition in goal in the 54th minute allowed sophomore Shannon Flower to make a save.IU also created four shots in the two overtime periods but were unable to capitalize, tying the Purple Aces at 2-all.“They were very disappointed,” Lyon said. “Our number one goal was to win the game. They knew they had let themselves down because they played well on Friday.”Velasquez took it a step further.“We were so mad because we made the chances to score more goals,” Velasquez said. “Then we just tied. We were winning. Then they tied the game. Coach talked about that at halftime: ‘Make sure we finish the chances we have.’”
(08/01/11 12:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series theme of first-time winners continued Sunday as Paul Menard earned his first career Sprint Cup series win in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.The win came in Menard’s 167th start in NASCAR’s premiere series. In the race’s 18th year, Menard became the first driver to score his first series win at the speedway.Jeff Gordon attempted to catch Menard, but the winner was able to conserve his fuel sufficiently to claim the victory. Gordon finished second.“Paul did a great job saving fuel,” Gordon said. “He had saved enough to go back to a full pace. I’m so happy for him. If you’re going to get beat, it’s good to get beat by someone who can appreciate this win.”Menard said he was confident he had done what was necessary to win.“I was saving a little bit, maintaining (pace) with the 5 and the 1,” Menard said. “I knew we saved plenty of fuel.”Menard received updates on the drivers trailing him from his crew chief Slugger Labbe.“I was more worried about the guys who pitted,” Menard said. “Slugger kept telling me where Jeff was and how hard he was coming.”Gordon, a four-time winner of the race, said he understands what it means to win at this track. He won the inaugural race in 1994.“That race changed my life and career forever,” Gordon said.While only time will tell how this win will affect Menard’s life, the win gave him his first top 10 finish in five races at the track.This year’s season has seen four different first-time winners. Rookie Trevor Bayne won his second career start at the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20. On May 7, Regan Smith earned his first career win in Darlington, S.C. Brad Keselowski broke through at Kansas Speedway on June 5.On Sunday, Paul Menard added his name to the list.“For Paul to get his win here is unbelievable,” his father, John Menard said. “He has followed this place all his life. My heart is going 1,000 miles per minute. It’s a wonderful place. It’s unbelievable.”Menard inherited the lead when Tony Stewart pitted on lap 145. As Menard drove to save fuel, defending race champion Jamie McMurray passed Menard just prior to lap 153. Menard retook the lead from McMurray in turn two on lap 157.Meanwhile, Gordon kept shrinking his deficit. The race still came down to fuel mileage, a predictable finish to Matt Kenseth, who placed fifth.“I’m not surprised,” Kenseth said. “That’s all we’ve been talking about for three months. I thought it was us and the 24 (Gordon) who probably had the best two cars overall, so it’s a shame one of us didn’t get the win. “Paul had a reasonably fast car and, of course, fuel mileage.”Gordon said Menard and his team had to go out on a limb to put themselves in a position to win.“They took a risk,” Gordon said. “They had to beat a lot of other guys that were trying to save fuel.”
(07/28/11 1:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Jordan Bailey, a 2011 IU graduate, will join the IU Student Foundation as assistant director and Little 500 race director, according to a press release.His duties will include overseeing the Little 500 bicycle race, as well as serving as an adviser and mentor as part of the student foundation.Bailey rode in the Little 500 race each of his four years at Indiana, serving as team captain of the Black Key Bulls during his last year.“Being a participant in the event for four years will help me garner the respect of the people I will help mentor, both from the committee and the riding community,” Bailey said. “I’ve gained an intricate knowledge of the race from the riding perspective. “They needed someone who knows the race. I think I am the guy for the job in that regard.”Bailey received a bachelor’s degree in history with minors in entrepreneurship and small business management, as well as communications and culture. He said he believes his education and athletic experience have prepared him for this job.“In the Kelley school, in my business minor, I was often a leader,” Bailey said. “You work with small groups quite frequently. “More than anything, my athletic background helped develop me and helped me be a mentor for the guys under me.”
(07/24/11 10:05pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU field hockey team welcomed a former rival into its coaching ranks July 21, as head coach Amy Robertson announced the hiring of Beth Riley.The 2007 University of Michigan graduate joins Robertson’s staff as the goalkeeper coach. Additionally, she will organize the team’s travels and serve as a liaison for academics and athletic training at IU.Riley spent the last four years as an assistant at Temple University.“I’m familiar with the Big Ten,” Riley said. “I was looking to be back in that Big Ten atmosphere like I was in my playing days. I respect Amy and Kelly as coaches and wanted to be able to learn from them and grow as a coach.”Robertson said Riley will make an impact on the recruiting trail.“One of the most talented field hockey regions is Pennsylvania,” Robertson said. “Beth is from Pennsylvania. She’s been coaching at some top clubs in Pennsylvania. She’s very familiar with some talented field hockey players that may be potential prospects.”Robertson said that having a coach who works exclusively with goalkeepers will benefit the team.“It’ll be nice to have a specialty coach, someone who knows the technical and tactical aspects of goalkeeping,” Robertson said.Riley said she is already anticipating opposing her alma mater.“It’ll be good to go back to Ann Arbor to play (Michigan),” Riley said. “The field hockey world is small. You pretty much know a lot of the other coaches and teams anyway. It makes it
(07/24/11 9:53pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Senior attacker Jakie Köhli and senior goalkeeper Cassie Wyckoff were named honorable mention All-Americans by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches.It was the second time in as many seasons that Köhli earned All-American recognition. She said the individual recognition was earned by the time she has spent practicing.“It’s a great honor being named All-American,” Köhli said. “It’s a byproduct of the hard work that I put into training and games.”Köhli, who set a single-season school record by scoring 80 goals as a sophomore, downplayed the recognition and doesn’t expect it to affect the team much next season.“I was named an All-American last year,” she said. “I think that was when teams started paying more attention to me. We have so many good shooters on our team that it really doesn’t affect our scoring opportunities if I do get more pressure.”Last year, as a result of the pressure on Köhli, freshman Shae Fournier thrived, scoring 61 goals.Despite the pressure, Köhli still scored 71 times last season. Entering her final season for IU, she is fifth all-time in goals scored for the Hoosiers with 180, 66 behind all-time leader Kristin Stanford.Wyckoff, a member of Team USA for the upcoming World University Games, also earned honorable mention All-American status.“She is the backbone of our team,” Köhli said of Wyckoff. “We wouldn’t have made it as far as we did without her. I think her getting named to the USA University Games team just proves that she is one of the best goalies in the country.”Wyckoff is also in the IU record book. She set an IU single-season record last season with 348 saves and ranks second all-time in the category with 752.Wyckoff said her accomplishments will not change how she leads the team into next season.“Leaders emerge through example,” Wyckoff said. “Leaders emerge through their actions in the playing field more than anything else, so past individual achievements won’t change how I try to lead.”
(07/20/11 11:49pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Affecting one in 12 African-Americans, the sickle cell trait is a gene abnormality that can cause athletes to die during strenuous exercise and has done so on multiple occasions. Now, the NCAA is taking action.On June 28, 2009, the NCAA agreed for the first time to recommend to its member institutions that schools test for the sickle cell trait as part of a required medical exam for Division I athletes. The NCAA mandated testing for the trait in August of 2010.“Testing for sickle-cell trait in athletes was initiated by the NCAA to protect athletes from complications related to sickle cell trait,” said Dr. Daniel Kraft, director at Riley Hospital for Children Sports Medicine. “Those complications came to light and gained more attention over the past decade. The concern is that athletes with sickle cell trait are thought to possibly be at risk for cardiac-related danger when they are exposed to extremes of dehydration or altitude.” The sickle cell trait is far less prevalent in Caucasian populations where it affects only one in 10,000 people.This agreement comes as a result of the NCAA settling a lawsuit filed by the family of Dale Lloyd Jr., a football player from Rice University who died in 2006 due to complications from the sickle cell trait.Eugene Egdorf, attorney for the Lloyd family, expressed hope that Lloyd’s case would prevent future deaths due to this trait.According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, 16 Division I football players died due to causes independent of trauma. Nine carried the sickle cell gene that contributed to these deaths, according to the National Athletic Trainers Association.According to an Associated Press report, the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sport recommended that the same test be implemented for Division II and III athletes as well. This recommendation can not be approved by the Division II and III management councils until the 2012 NCAA national convention at the earliest.“The NCAA can not discriminate against athletes and must therefore offer the testing to all athletes,” Kraft said. “The most significant reason why the testing is just reaching Division II and III could possibly be the actual cost of the tests. “The fact that there are more Division II and III schools and less money in their athletic budgets makes it tougher to implement more screening tests like sickle cell.”Division II and III schools do not receive nearly as much money from television contracts or merchandise sales as most Division I institutions. Take for example Bellarmine University, a Division II school in Louisville. Though the Knights are the defending national champions in men’s basketball, they receive less national exposure and funding than Division I institutions.Christopher Radford, the NCAA Associate Director of Public and Media Relations, said via email the NCAA is exploring ways to offer the tests to members of each division at reduced rates.“As for the effectiveness of the test, it should be the same at the lower divisions as it is at Division I,” Kraft said. “The NCAA also does not want to discriminate between its athletes when it comes to medical issues and therefore I think needs to offer the test at the lower divisions if it is going to maintain the test in Division I.”
(07/18/11 12:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Mark Cuban strived to do anything possible to not think about potential outcomes on the court at American Airlines Arena on June 12 in Miami. The Dallas Mavericks owner instead found solace in soda.“I refused to let myself think that we were closing in on a championship,” Cuban said. “Every timeout, no matter the score, I would try to find some way to divert my attention. I was devouring Diet Cokes. Anything to try not to let my mind race ahead to what it would be like if we won.”In the game’s final minute and a half, Cuban finally felt secure about his team’s lead.“It wasn’t until we were up by 10 or so with 90 seconds to play that I could let out all that stress and just soak up the moment,” Cuban said. “On the broadcast of the game you could see me just yelling at the top of my lungs as the clock was winding down. “That was an entire season’s worth of stress being let loose and the door opening up for me to live in the moment.”As Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki triumphantly hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy, the scene confirmed the IU graduate’s first championship as an owner. His Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat, the same team that won four straight games against them in 2006 to claim the first NBA Championship for South Florida.Cuban graduated from the School of Business (now the Kelley School of Business) in 1981. He said IU has had an indelible impact on his success.“IU taught me how to learn,” Cuban said. “The ability to continue to learn and to enjoy learning is a key life skill that has really helped me.”According to a segment on CBS’s 60 Minutes, Cuban “saw the potential of the Internet long before most of us even knew what it was.” After he graduated, he moved to Dallas where he was hired to sell personal computers.With $500 that he persuaded a customer to loan him, Cuban founded Micro Solutions, a firm he eventually sold to CompuServe for $6 million.In 1995, he and a friend from college started another company, Audionet.In 1999, the company, then called Broadcast.com, sold for $5.7 billion in Yahoo! stock. He bought the Mavericks for $285 million on Jan. 4, 2000.Thirty years after graduating, Cuban’s only association with IU is following their sports teams, albeit at a distance. Cuban wrote in his blog he wouldn’t give money to his alma mater until they withdraw from the NCAA.“I’m obviously proud of IU,” he said. “But other than following the sports teams, I don’t have the time I used to for getting involved.”He does see the IU basketball program as having taken a recent big step forward this summer with the hiring of Calbert Cheaney as director of basketball operations.“Cal will be great for IU,” Cuban said. “He has IU running through his blood. He did a lot of great things for the Golden State Warriors that I’m sure he will be able to translate to IU basketball.”Looking ahead, Cuban said he wants to be “greedy” and get as many NBA championships as he can. However, with the NBA in the midst of a lockout, he told TMZ he would be interested in buying the Los Angeles Dodgers.Despite the Dodgers’ current financial situation, Cuban said owning an MLB team is currently a long shot. Instead, he and his staff are devising a plan to eliminate college football’s Bowl Championship Series.“I have people working full time on it,” he said. “We won’t change the {college football] world overnight, but I think we are setting the right foundation.”