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(05/29/11 9:32pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The centennial Indianapolis 500 reminded some fans of the Daytona 500 when Trevor Bayne claimed victory in his second career NASCAR start. One corner stood in the way of rookie JR Hildebrand accomplishing a similar feat. Though in his case, the track won in incomprehensibly tragic fashion.Hildebrand had one lapped car to pass before he hit the front stretch for the final time to take the checkered flag, to earn the right to drink the milk. Instead, his car collided with the SAFER Barrier with jarring violence.Why not ease off the gas and take the turn with caution, as Dan Wheldon was almost four seconds behind him?“There were some cars that were coming with some heat towards the end of the race, [including] the 98 (Wheldon),” Hildebrand said. “I certainly was aware that I had some gap on them. As I was cycling through three and four, I ended up catching the 83 (Charlie Kimball). I quickly decided that the cars in second and third were coming pretty strong. Rather than downshifting a bunch and slowing the car down, I’ll go to the high side because it’s a move I had used earlier in the race to get around some slower cars in a fairly similar situation.“I guess with the tires as worn as they were, the run being as long, there were a bunch of marbles on the outside. Once I got up there, there wasn’t a lot I could do.” His car owner offered a thought about how this will affect his driver.“He’ll rethink turn four for a long time,” car owner John Barnes said.Events that transpired in turn four gave Panther Racing its third consecutive runners-up finish at Indianapolis.Hildebrand took the lead at the halfway point, becoming the 200th different driver to have led at least one lap. A fact that will remain relegated to a minutia in the big picture, as an experienced driver offered some perspective regarding why this race is unique.“In Indianapolis, it is win or bust,” Danica Patrick, no. 7 car driver, said.It was his fuel strategy that gave him an opportunity to hoist the Borg Warner Trophy.“If we could save fuel at the beginning of the stint, we could make it [the distance],” Hildebrand said.The strategy proved successful, as he had the gas to finish. After he hit the wall, he limped across the finish line, an event of little consolation to a driver who just endured losing an Indianapolis 500.When asked about his calm demeanor at the post-race press conference, Hildebrand said with a smile, “I’m pretending well, I guess.”
(05/23/11 12:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Alex Tagliani wanted to end the Penske and Ganassi domination of INDYCAR and the Indianapolis 500.Tagliani, who drives for Sam Schmidt Motorsports, took a significant step toward that Saturday, posting a four-lap average speed of 227.472 miles per hour to claim the pole position for the 95th Indianapolis 500 next Sunday.The first Canadian to start the race from the coveted position inside the front row, Tagliani bested Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver Scott Dixon’s average of 227.340 miles per hour and claimed a $100,000 prize for his Pole Day-ending run in the “Fast Nine” shootout, the final qualifying round.“I’m happy for this team and for Sam and for all the guys,” Tagliani said. “I think more than the money and all of that, I think it’s the timing is great for what we’ve done this week.”Car owner Schmidt, a former driver who was paralyzed in 2000 during an INDYCAR event at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Fla., admitted winning the pole was one of the high points of his career.“I’ve definitely had some roller coasters in my life,” Schmidt said. “Just where does that rate? It’s for sure near the top. This is one huge step forward.”Spanish driver Oriol Servia will join Tagliani and 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner Dixon on the outside of row one.Rain threatens PatrickMother Nature found a way to make her presence felt throughout the weekend, and INDYCAR’s most popular driver felt it most of all.On a rainy Bump Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Danica Patrick waited in line to qualify until heavy rain threatened to eliminate her from the 100th-anniversary Indianapolis 500.“It kind of seemed like I just kept going up against things,” Patrick said. After waiting an hour through the rain delay, Patrick, driving the No. 7 GoDaddy car, posted a speed of 224.861, classifying her in the 26th starting position. While waiting for the rain to subside, Patrick said she began to question whether or not she would even get a chance to qualify.“The rain came back with only me to go, and it kind of just seemed like maybe it was just not meant to be this year, but that’s just the roller coaster that you ride here,” Patrick said. “It makes you value the good days more and makes you want to try like hell to never have these days again.”Patrick said her emotions ranged between happy to qualify and mad because she believed she had a much faster car. “I am mad,” Patrick said. “I really thought we had a fast car, fast enough to be in the top-9 even. For it to go the way it did, I’m relieved to be in the race but I’m frustrated.”Rain had halted qualifying both days.Andretti emotionIt turns out Patrick wasn’t the one on her team left on the outside looking in.Andretti Autosport, which entered Patrick, Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Mike Conway and John Andretti into this year’s race, managed to qualify just three of its entries, and one made the field at a teammate’s expense.With just a minute remaining in the Bump Day qualifying session Sunday, Marco Andretti hit the track in a last-ditch effort to make the 33-car lineup. The 24-year-old Andretti turned a four-lap average of 224.074 miles per hour to qualify 28th, but he bumped his teammate Hunter-Reay from the field.Team owner Michael Andretti felt for Hunter-Reay, saying this has been his worst Indianapolis 500 as an owner.Conway, who broke his leg in a last-lap crash in last year’s race, failed to make the field as well.Tough Pole Day for titansIt was a surprisingly difficult day for the perennial powerhouses at Indianapolis.Team Penske, the winningest organization in Indianapolis 500 history, had just one representative in the Fast Nine shootout in Will Power, and one of the team’s entries, Ryan Briscoe, didn’t even make the field on the first day of qualifications, earning the 27th spot Sunday. Three-time race winner and Penske driver Helio Castroneves managed just 16th on Pole Day.Penske’s woes were shared by fellow IndyCar power, Target Chip Ganassi Racing, whose two cars both ran out of fuel on their Fast Nine runs.Defending race winner Dario Franchitti’s final run figured to again put him on the front row from where he won last year’s running, but his No. 10 Target machine ran out of fuel on his final lap.Franchitti did not address the media after his qualifying run, instead climbing from his car and walking straight to his mobile home without removing his helmet. However, the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner later offered a musing via his Ganassi organization.“We were pretty close on setup with the Target car, but not good enough for the pole today,” Franchitti said in the statement. “We were definitely good enough for third place. We obviously ran out of fuel at the end of the third lap and that was it. “It’s disappointing for us, but I’m happy for Sam Schmidt, Allen McDonald, Alex Tagliani and their whole team.”Dixon briefly held pole before Tagliani bumped him; the New Zealander’s No. 9 car ran out of fuel as Dixon was pulling back onto pit lane.Simona beats the burnsFifteen other cars qualified for the race Saturday. Among them was second-year Swiss driver Simona de Silvestro, who just two days prior had been involved in an accident that flipped her car upside down, shattered it upon impact with the wall in the short chute heading into turn four, and burst into flames that burned de Silvestro’s hands. It was unclear at that point whether de Silvestro would be cleared to qualify Saturday.Yet the HVM Racing driver received the OK from the track’s medical center Pole Day morning and turned a four-lap average speed of 224.392 miles per hour near the day’s end, slotting her in the 24th starting spot.“A day ago, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to get back in the car,” de Silvestro said. “I was really freaked out about it. But I think I made the right decision to get back in, and the doctors have taken really good care of me. “After the crash, I was like, ‘I don’t need this. This is too crazy. It’s way too dangerous.’ You know, after a while you’re back to being a race car driver and thinking, ‘Nah, I can do this.’ And you suck it up.”
(05/23/11 12:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Alex Tagliani wanted to end the Penske and Ganassi domination of INDYCAR and the Indianapolis 500.Tagliani, who drives for Sam Schmidt Motorsports, took a significant step toward that Saturday, posting a four-lap average speed of 227.472 miles per hour to claim the pole position for the 95th Indianapolis 500 next Sunday.The first Canadian to start the race from the coveted position inside the front row, Tagliani bested Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver Scott Dixon’s average of 227.340 miles per hour and claimed a $100,000 prize for his Pole Day-ending run in the “Fast Nine” shootout, the final qualifying round.“I’m happy for this team and for Sam and for all the guys,” Tagliani said. “I think more than the money and all of that, I think it’s the timing is great for what we’ve done this week.”Car owner Schmidt, a former driver who was paralyzed in 2000 during an INDYCAR event at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Fla., admitted winning the pole was one of the high points of his career.“I’ve definitely had some roller coasters in my life,” Schmidt said. “Just where does that rate? It’s for sure near the top. This is one huge step forward.”Spanish driver Oriol Servia will join Tagliani and 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner Dixon on the outside of row one.Rain threatens PatrickMother Nature found a way to make her presence felt throughout the weekend, and INDYCAR’s most popular driver felt it most of all.On a rainy Bump Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Danica Patrick waited in line to qualify until heavy rain threatened to eliminate her from the 100th-anniversary Indianapolis 500.“It kind of seemed like I just kept going up against things,” Patrick said. After waiting an hour through the rain delay, Patrick, driving the No. 7 GoDaddy car, posted a speed of 224.861, classifying her in the 26th starting position. While waiting for the rain to subside, Patrick said she began to question whether or not she would even get a chance to qualify.“The rain came back with only me to go, and it kind of just seemed like maybe it was just not meant to be this year, but that’s just the roller coaster that you ride here,” Patrick said. “It makes you value the good days more and makes you want to try like hell to never have these days again.”Patrick said her emotions ranged between happy to qualify and mad because she believed she had a much faster car. “I am mad,” Patrick said. “I really thought we had a fast car, fast enough to be in the top-9 even. For it to go the way it did, I’m relieved to be in the race but I’m frustrated.”Rain had halted qualifying both days.Andretti emotionIt turns out Patrick wasn’t the one on her team left on the outside looking in.Andretti Autosport, which entered Patrick, Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Mike Conway and John Andretti into this year’s race, managed to qualify just three of its entries, and one made the field at a teammate’s expense.With just a minute remaining in the Bump Day qualifying session Sunday, Marco Andretti hit the track in a last-ditch effort to make the 33-car lineup. The 24-year-old Andretti turned a four-lap average of 224.074 miles per hour to qualify 28th, but he bumped his teammate Hunter-Reay from the field.Team owner Michael Andretti felt for Hunter-Reay, saying this has been his worst Indianapolis 500 as an owner.Conway, who broke his leg in a last-lap crash in last year’s race, failed to make the field as well.Tough Pole Day for titansIt was a surprisingly difficult day for the perennial powerhouses at Indianapolis.Team Penske, the winningest organization in Indianapolis 500 history, had just one representative in the Fast Nine shootout in Will Power, and one of the team’s entries, Ryan Briscoe, didn’t even make the field on the first day of qualifications, earning the 27th spot Sunday. Three-time race winner and Penske driver Helio Castroneves managed just 16th on Pole Day.Penske’s woes were shared by fellow IndyCar power, Target Chip Ganassi Racing, whose two cars both ran out of fuel on their Fast Nine runs.Defending race winner Dario Franchitti’s final run figured to again put him on the front row from where he won last year’s running, but his No. 10 Target machine ran out of fuel on his final lap.Franchitti did not address the media after his qualifying run, instead climbing from his car and walking straight to his mobile home without removing his helmet. However, the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner later offered a musing via his Ganassi organization.“We were pretty close on setup with the Target car, but not good enough for the pole today,” Franchitti said in the statement. “We were definitely good enough for third place. We obviously ran out of fuel at the end of the third lap and that was it. “It’s disappointing for us, but I’m happy for Sam Schmidt, Allen McDonald, Alex Tagliani and their whole team.”Dixon briefly held pole before Tagliani bumped him; the New Zealander’s No. 9 car ran out of fuel as Dixon was pulling back onto pit lane.Simona beats the burnsFifteen other cars qualified for the race Saturday. Among them was second-year Swiss driver Simona de Silvestro, who just two days prior had been involved in an accident that flipped her car upside down, shattered it upon impact with the wall in the short chute heading into turn four, and burst into flames that burned de Silvestro’s hands.It was unclear at that point whether de Silvestro would be cleared to qualify Saturday.Yet the HVM Racing driver received the OK from the track’s medical center Pole Day morning and turned a four-lap average speed of 224.392 miles per hour near the day’s end, slotting her in the 24th starting spot.“A day ago, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to get back in the car,” de Silvestro said. “I was really freaked out about it. But I think I made the right decision to get back in, and the doctors have taken really good care of me. “After the crash, I was like, ‘I don’t need this. This is too crazy. It’s way too dangerous.’ You know, after a while you’re back to being a race car driver and thinking, ‘Nah, I can do this.’ And you suck it up.”
(05/02/11 3:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU water polo team is going to the NCAA Championship for the second time in program history.Indiana used stingy defense and a timely goal by freshman attacker Shae Fournier to defeat top-seeded Michigan 5-3 and earn a Collegiate Water Polo Association Eastern Championship and an NCAA Tournament berth.Fournier scored with two seconds remaining in the first half to give the Hoosiers a 4-3 lead at intermission.“That was gigantic because we were on our heels offensively a little bit,” IU coach Barry King said. “If we would’ve gone into half tied, there would have been some feelings of last year and other games we let get away. Then (junior goalkeeper) Cassie Wyckoff took over from there.”IU did not allow a goal by the Wolverines in the second half.“To be successful on defense, you have to communicate and keep your head on a swivel,” said Wyckoff, who was named tournament MVP. “That’s exactly what our girls did. They communicated all over the pool.”However, prior to beating Michigan, the No. 3 seeded Hoosiers defeated No. 6 Harvard 7-6 on Friday and No. 2 Hartwick 10-9 on Saturday.Junior attacker Jakie Köhli matched a career high and school record, scoring six goals to help the Hoosiers advance to the finals for a rematch against the rival Wolverines, a match senior utility player Lauren Wyckoff highly anticipated.“Huge, huge rival,” she said after the victory against Hartwick. “We lost to them (Michigan) last year in the finals and earlier this year by one goal. We have seven seniors. We’re going to go after them. Hard. We’re going to win.”Against Hartwick, it wasn’t until the third quarter that either team enjoyed a lead greater than one goal. Senior utility player Kara Butler’s second goal gave IU a 7-5 lead, which would grow to a four-point margin. Ten seconds later, Hartwick answered, making it 9-6. Köhli scored the Hoosiers’ final goal 11 seconds later to give IU a 10-6 lead. A late Hartwick rally would not be enough, as the Hoosiers escaped with a 10-9 upset victory.King said his team sought to confirm one objective against Hartwick.“We wanted to prove that we were the better squad,” he said. “We played four hard quarters. We showed what kind of group we are.”On Friday, IU withstood another rally by Harvard. The Hoosiers enjoyed their biggest lead at 7-4 with 3:39 to go in the game. One minute and 55 seconds later, the Crimson had cut its deficit to one. IU’s defense held in the remaining 1:39 to preserve the win. Wyckoff earned her 16th save with just less than 35 seconds to play.After the Hoosiers’ victory, the coaches jumped in the pool to celebrate with their players.
(04/29/11 2:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Since last season concluded, the Hoosiers have prepared for this weekend.Friday through Sunday, IU will be the location for the Collegiate Water Polo Association Eastern Championship, where an NCAA tournament berth will be earned.The Hoosiers look to claim their first conference championship since 2003.Prior to their final three regular season games, IU coach Barry King said his team needed to work on some individual aspects.Now he says the team is prepared for this weekend and playing their best offense of the season.“We’ve got a nice flow going,” King said. “Individuals are doing the things that they do well. Our goal production has been pretty solid. We’ve put that together.”IU will face the winner of the Harvard—Gannon contest at 7:30 p.m. Friday. IU faced each team within the last month, defeating Gannon 15-4 on April 8 and Harvard 14-8 on April 16.Senior attacker Kelsey Campbell said facing an opponent for the second time will present a unique challenge.“This is what we’ve been working all year towards,” Campbell said. “In the conference championship, everyone is coming out with that added intensity. Anything can happen. You have to be prepared and give it everything you’ve got.”King said he will talk to his team about their opponent “when we get closer to the contest.”Senior attacker Katie Black summed up the team’s mindset about this weekend. “Friday needs to come real fast,” Black said. “The whole weekend needs to come. Everyone’s ready to start playing and stop practicing.”
(04/19/11 12:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Given the cumulative experience of the IU water polo team, one might think that it is a win-now team. The 2011 team returned six starters. Four of the team’s seven seniors have combined for 394 goals and 290 starts as Hoosiers entering the season.Still, each of the three freshmen have played a significant role this season. Freshmen attackers Shae Fournier and Meghan Lappan, plus freshman defender Amanda Redfern, have each carved out a niche on this year’s team and earned the respect of the senior class.“In the pool, Amanda is a really smart player,” senior attacker Nicole Redder said. “She knows the game. She can help everyone know what to do with the ball. She’s also been converting a lot of goals for us.”Redfern has chipped in 17 goals and 11 assists this season. She deflected credit to her teammates for her success on the offensive end.“Our team overall has made me successful offensively, being able to move and drive and get people open,” she said. “I was lucky enough to be one of those open people. I’ve been way more aggressive than I used to be in wanting to get the shots because shooting feels good and you feel good when it happens.”IU coach Barry King said Redfern was a pleasant surprise.“We knew that she had a nice skill set coming in, she’d been taught well previously,” King said. “What we didn’t realize was that she has a very steady personality. When you’re a center defender, you can’t play emotionally. You have to play hard, but you have to keep your emotions in check. She’s done a good job.”Fournier also came in and made a splash offensively for IU. The Manitoba, Canada, native racked up 51 goals and 35 assists during the regular season.King said he has been looking for Shae to be aggressive scoring the ball.“That was something we’d been asking her to do and get her head wrapped around since January,” King said. “The more she gets comfortable being the person with the ball, the better it is for us. We’re starting to see the fruits of her labor a little bit more. She’s become more comfortable as the person that needs to terminate possessions (with goals).”Arguably her best game came against Michigan on March 26, senior attacker Kelsey Campbell said.“She really stepped up, especially when we were down,” Campbell said after the game against the Wolverines. “She had those two goals back-to-back. That was big to get our team motivated and back into it. She stepped up when we needed her and filled that shooter’s role.”Fournier said she has grown more comfortable being aggressive on offense.“At the beginning, it was a lot harder to be shooting as often, to know when it was my place to shoot, playing with new people, new coaches, new style,” she said. “Now I’m more comfortable with the style and the team. So it’s easier for me to execute.”Fournier said the seniors have supported her as she has learned.“They’re really good with supporting (me) even if (I) take shots when I’m not supposed to,” she said. “I never get in trouble for taking any shot I want. You know they’re behind you. It’s easy to shoot when you know that you have a team behind you.”Lappan has started 29 games and asserted herself in the distributor’s role, posting 31 assists to go along with 13 goals. King said Lappan was polished before she got to IU, which has helped smooth her transition process. “Meghan was taught the fundamentals of body position and balance before she arrived,” King said. “Those skills are essential in making good passes and defending. Once she got used to the speed of the game and the strength of opposing players on the college level, she put her fundamental skills to great use shutting opponents down and setting her teammates up for offensive opportunities.”While the freshman core have racked up their share of accolades this season, their ultimate goal has yet to be achieved.Redfern said the three freshmen have talked about earning an NCAA Tournament berth and doing everything they can do to send the seniors out on a high note.“Hopefully we make it because we want to help them and we want to make it to NCAAs,” Redfern said. “That’s our main goal, and that’s what everybody wants here.”
(04/18/11 2:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU concluded its regular season with three victories in its final weekend of play. The Hoosiers defeated a pair of Ivy League opponents Saturday, knocking off Brown and Harvard 11-6 and 14-8, respectively, in College Park, Md.Against Brown, junior goalkeeper Cassie Wyckoff recorded five first-half saves, moving her into second place all-time on the career list with 667.Wyckoff concluded the weekend with eight saves in the final two contests.Junior attacker Jakie Köhli and senior attacker Kelsey Campbell each posted hat tricks for IU against Brown.Against Harvard, senior attacker Nicole Redder scored four goals and Köhli recorded a second consecutive hat trick to lead the Hoosiers.“We really got things done on the offensive end,” head coach Barry King said after the match against Harvard. “I thought we dictated the flow of the game in the second half and that was a key for us.”The Hoosiers traveled to the nation’s capital Sunday to take on George Washington. IU broke open the game in the third period behind six goals to take a 12-5 lead into the final quarter. The Hoosiers never looked back, earning a 13-8 victory.The Hoosiers might have took momentum into the locker room at half thanks to freshman attacker Shae Fournier’s power play goal with 38 seconds remaining in the half.With the three victories, IU concluded the season at 22-11 and recorded its fourth-consecutive 20-win season and the 12th in King’s 14 seasons.
(04/15/11 4:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Delta Gamma suffered a pre-race penalty of five seconds, but given the performance of Team Cream, an independent team, it hardly mattered. Team Cream sped to victory in 67:50 in the women’s race of the ninth annual Little Fifty in front of a boisterous crowd in the lower grandstand.The women of Alpha Chi Omega and Delta Zeta got off to early leads during the first few minutes. At the 10-minute mark, however, Cream captured the lead and never looked back.Approximately seven minutes later, it had stretched its lead to about 55 meters. After another seven minutes, Team Cream doubled its lead over Team Crimson, another independent team. After 20 laps, Team Cream had a 200-meter lead.At the halfway mark, 70 meters stood between Team Cream lapping second-place Team Crimson.By the end of lap 30, Team Cream putting Team Crimson a lap down looked inevitable. On lap 32, it happened. From that point on, it was but all over. Team Cream kept its collective foot on the gas, placing Team Crimson two laps off the pace in the final laps, and cruised to victory.“It was exciting,” runner Emily Weisbard said. “Last year, this team got second. Crimson got first. They got second this year. It’s exciting that we both had a chance to win.”Los Corredores lead every lap except for one in the early stages of the men’s race. They claimed their second consecutive victory in record-breaking fashion, winning in 53:16 and establishing a new record by about a minute, runner Michael Nussa said.“We wanted to do what we knew what we were capable of doing,” Nussa said. “If a win came with it, that was great. Obviously it did, so we’re really pumped.”Los Corredores’ victory earned IU Running Club a Little Fifty sweep. Both Los Corredores and Team Cream are members.“The club is a great way for people to work out together. When we have a big group of people pushing each other, it helps you get faster.”
(04/15/11 4:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The things coach Barry King would like to see his team improve upon in its final weekend of regular season play are small and understandably vague.“We’re looking for a sharpening of our team concepts,” King said. “A sharpening of our roles. We want to see some improvement of some individual skill things that we’ve identified and talked to the kids about trying to fix some this week as we roll into the postseason.”Senior attacker Nicole Redder agreed, saying individual aspects of players’ games are a focus this weekend. She also said her team strives to improve on capitalizing on opportunities.“Little things need some work,” she said. “Some individual stuff. Finish and follow through with goals.”King has been happy with how his team has finished power play opportunities.“Our power play has improved,” King said. “That’s important because we’re generating a good number of opportunities earlier in the year that weren’t getting rewarded because we weren’t scoring goals in the power play as well as we are now.”The Hoosiers face Brown and Harvard on Saturday in College Park, Md. and George Washington on Sunday in Washington D.C.
(04/11/11 4:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana got back to its winning ways over the weekend, as the Hoosiers claimed a 4-1 record in their penultimate weekend of regular season play.On Friday, the Hoosiers (19-11, 3-2 CWPA West) dispatched two division opponents by a combined score of 32-8. IU was out of the gate quickly in their first game against Gannon, recording 11 goals in the first two quarters. The Hoosiers were effective on their power play opportunities against Gannon, converting on six of their eight chances.Freshman defender Amanda Redfern posted a career-high with four goals.IU continued their first-half onslaught against Mercyhurst, as the Hoosiers took a 9-1 lead into halftime en route to a 17-4 victory.Saturday, in Lewisburg, Pa. for the Bison Invitational, IU defeated host Bucknell 16-7. The victory gave IU its 16th win in their last 18 matches. Hours later, IU fell 8-5 to the No. 14 Hartwick College, which scored four answered goals in the second quarter.“We gave up some goals in the second quarter that really put us in a hole,” IU coach Barry King said. “We struggled shooting the ball for the majority of the contest.”
(04/08/11 3:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU coach Barry King described the defensive lapses that led to a 9-8 defeat against then-No. 7 Michigan as anomalies.Consequently, the No. 12 Hoosiers did not give extra attention to refining their defense in practice. King said the loss was due to not playing the kind of defense that earned them an eight-game winning streak.The Hoosiers have an opportunity to bounce back this weekend as they play five matches in Pennsylvania. Freshman attacker Shae Fournier said the loss to Michigan provided the Hoosiers with a sense of perspective.“It was kind of an eye-opener for us,” said Fournier, the team leader in assists. “That (result) told us what we need to do to win. It put more fire under us.”This weekend, all but one match comes against Collegiate Water Polo Association foes. King said the Hoosiers’ early-season schedule has played an invaluable role in the Hoosiers’ improved play at the most important time of the season.“We’re playing as a unit better than we did at the beginning of the year,” King said. “We’re more comfortable in our rotations. People have a good understanding of their role, and the acceptance of those roles has been the key to what we’ve been doing better. We’re getting much better looks and taking much better shots.”This week: Matches against Gannon and Mercyhurst on Friday in Erie, Pa., then the Bison Invitational against Bucknell, Hartwick and Maryland on Saturday and Sunday.Last week: Did not play.Look ahead: IU will be playing in the Maryland invitational on April 16-17.They said it: “It was kind of an eye-opener for us,” freshman attacker Shae Fournier said. “That (result) told us what we need to do to win. It put more fire under us.”
(03/28/11 2:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In a game in which the No. 12 Hoosiers controlled the action for most of the time and neither team held a lead of more than three points, four defensive lapses cost IU an opportunity to defeat rival Michigan for the first time in the seniors’ career.The No. 7 Wolverines scored with four seconds remaining in the third quarter to give them a 6-5 heading into the final quarter. That goal would ultimately prove to be the difference in the contest, as Michigan earned a 9-8 victory.The Hoosiers had an opportunity to cut the deficit to one around the two-minute mark when senior utility player Kara Butler earned a penalty shot. Freshman attacker Shae Fournier took the shot, but the attempt was saved by the Wolverine keeper Alex Adamson.Earlier in the game, Michigan converted on each of its two penalty shots.Fournier provided a lift offensively for IU, scoring three goals. The last two were during the course of 38 seconds.“She really stepped up, especially when we were down,” senior attacker Kelsey Campbell said. “She had those two goals back-to-back. That was big to get our team motivated and back into it. She stepped up when we needed her and filled that shooter’s role.”IU coach Barry King said defense cost the Hoosiers in the loss.“We made a handful of defensive mistakes,” he said. “Those were killers. We make four mistakes that turn into goals, and you have the outcome that you had.”
(03/25/11 3:27am)
Coach Barry King said the Hoosiers must stick to what has sparked their eight-game winning streak — their defense.
(03/22/11 3:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Lauren Wyckoff’s senior season lacked an ideal start.The IU water polo team was 2-7 after its first two tournaments and had a three-week layoff from competition. Since that start, the Hoosiers have ridden the leadership of Wyckoff to a No. 13 national ranking and a 15-9 record. King said his senior utility player’s maturation as a leader has been crucial to his team’s turnaround.“Up until now, it’s been a leader-by-example kind of thing. She’s earned the space and the respect,” King said. “Now she can talk to people about it and they’ll listen. That’s been really good for us in the last month.“She’s finally gotten comfortable being a vocal leader, getting people’s heads wrapped around giving the same kind of effort she does.”Wyckoff’s leadership skills helped guide the Hoosiers through a schedule that pitted them against five of the top six teams in the nation. During those first two tournaments, Wyckoff said the younger players received an eye-opener from the nation’s most talented teams. Since then, IU has caught fire, compiling a 13-2 record. During that time, the Hoosiers have scored 10.2 goals per contest while allowing 5.2 goals per match. The Hoosiers enter Saturday’s contest against Michigan having scored double-digit goals in each of their last five games.Wyckoff said the upperclassmen used their experience to provide confidence to navigate through the early season struggles.“As seniors and juniors, we have to be leaders and tell them, ‘Keep your head up. We’ll start playing teams that are similar to us competitively,’” Wyckoff said.At Princeton earlier this month, Wyckoff made a name for herself in the record books, becoming the fifth Hoosier in program history to have 100 career goals, assists and steals. Ever the team player, Wyckoff admitted that the record slipped past her.“I didn’t know that until right now,” Wyckoff said. “It feels great. It’s a team. It’s not an individual sport. “I’m just doing what I’m doing: having fun. The program’s come a long way. The teams in the past few years have been getting better and better every year since I’ve been here.”Through the course of the prior two invitationals, King has started two freshmen: attackers Meghan Lappan and Shae Fournier. Wyckoff said she took it upon herself to smooth the freshman learning curve for her teammates.“The leader role is a huge part,” Wyckoff said. “It’s talking to them inside and outside of the pool, giving them pointers and leading by example inside the pool.“Talking to them after the games is a huge help. Two of them are from Canada and are not used to playing so many games against good teams. It’s just talking to them, making them comfortable, telling them, ‘I’ve been there.’”Amidst the accolades she has garnered from her teammates and coaches, Wyckoff said there is still work to be done as her IU career winds down.“It’s kind of upsetting,” Wyckoff said. “It’s coming to an end. I need to get these girls in a position to lead this team. That’s what I’m doing as a leader: getting them prepared for the next few years.”
(03/21/11 4:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The No. 13 Hoosiers posted an 8-1 record during spring break, falling only to the No. 4 Rainbow Warriors of Hawai’i. “We did a lot of really positive things out there,” IU coach Barry King said. “We brought a great amount of intensity on the defensive end and really competed throughout.”IU rebounded against Cal State Bakersfield, claiming an 11-2 victory.The Hoosiers won against then-No. 9 San Diego State as senior utility player Lauren Wyckoff scored a goal from distance with four seconds left.“It was a tremendous win for this team,” King said. “We did some really solid things out there on both ends, and we made a big play when we had to.”IU defeated then-No. 18 California-San Diego 9-4.Earning three consecutive victories at the Aztec Invitational propelled the Hoosiers to No. 13 nationally.On March 17, the Hoosiers took on Cal Baptist. IU outscored them 7-3 in the second half en route to its fourth straight win.“We came out a little sluggish early on,” King said. “In the second half, we were able to get some things going and make plays. I thought our defense caused some problems as the game went on.”The Hoosiers jumped out to a 4-1 lead the following day after one quarter against Concordia en route to a 13-6 victory.IU followed that up by winning its seventh straight match, defeating No. 20 Iona 14-6. Seniors Nicole Redder and Amanda Redfern each recorded a hat trick while junior goalkeeper Cassie Wyckoff posted a season-high 16 saves.To conclude the weekend, IU won a 13-10 shootout against Redlands.
(03/11/11 4:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Defense wins championships.
The IU water polo team’s five-game winning streak is predicated largely
on defense, as the Hoosiers have allowed 4.8 goals per game in their
past five matches. They look to take their strong defense into this
weekend’s Aztec Invitational in San Diego.
The Hoosiers’ increased success on the defensive end of the pool comes
from dictating how opponents run their offense, IU coach Barry King
said.
“We’re controlling the action at the center better than we had
previously,” King said. “It’s tougher for the opposing offenses to run
their offense through the middle. The less time they’re running their
offense through the middle, the more time we’re allowed to play defense
further away from the cage. That’s an advantage because they’re shooting
from further away and our keeper is ready to make a save.”
King said controlling the middle of the pool benefits the Hoosiers offensively as well.
“It shortens the pool for us counterattacking to offense,” he said.
Senior utility player Lauren Wyckoff said the Hoosiers have been
focusing on defending each opponent’s offense in practice the last few
weeks.
“The last few games we’ve proved that we’re a competitive team,” Wyckoff said. “We can play anyone.”
— Micah McVicker
(03/07/11 3:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The No. 17 IU water polo squad (7-8) took care of business during the weekend in Princeton, N.J., earning its first weekend sweep of the season.IU surrendered a 5-3 lead going into the half against Princeton. Three goals in the third and fourth quarters keyed an IU rally, giving the Hoosiers a 9-8 victory.“After some early mistakes we regrouped and put together a solid second half,” IU coach Barry King said. “We need to take that second half play and carry it over for the rest of the weekend.”The Hoosiers were able to do exactly that against Marist, as they held the Red Foxes scoreless until the 5:42 mark of the third quarter. Marist’s goal with 15 seconds left in the quarter drew the team to within 5-2. IU squashed any hope of a rally by the Red Foxes by scoring eight goals in the fourth quarter. Senior center Jenna Roe earned her first career hat trick.“It was a very solid team effort out there,” King said. “We did an excellent job of finishing opportunities when they presented themselves.”IU concluded its weekend against Maryland, its second game against a Collegiate Water Polo Association opponent. Senior attacker Nicole Redder scored three goals against the Terrapins, moving her up to fourth on the all-time scoring list with 144 goals. Junior goalkeeper Cassie Wyckoff recorded 14 saves in goal for IU.The sweep gave the Hoosiers a five-game winning streak heading into the Aztec Invitational in San Diego, Calif., next weekend.— Micah McVicker
(03/04/11 5:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers will look to continue their offensive success when they travel to Princeton, N.J., to take on Princeton, Marist and Maryland. In their two victories last weekend, IU outscored its opponents 22-6. IU coach Barry King said his team is shooting at a higher percentage because it is not settling for outside shots.“We’ve been working really hard on getting our offense moved down into an attacking space,” King said. “Earlier in the year, we were settling for space eight and nine meters away. We did a much better job against those two squads of pulling the offense into a four and five-meter area. That created much better opportunities to shoot the ball.”It had been awhile since the Hoosiers tasted victory, as the team has had 20 days between contests and 22 days since its last victory.Senior attacker Nicole Redder said this weekend’s games against Princeton and Maryland carry an extra level of significance, as both teams are Collegiate Water Polo Association members. “We want to win those games because they’re important,” Redder said. “They change the rankings a lot. Those games matter more.”
(02/28/11 5:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU water polo team capped off a 2-1 weekend at The Rodeo in Santa Clara, Calif.The Hoosiers’ first contest resulted in a 9-7 defeat at the hands of the No. 19 Pacific Tigers. Pacific built a 4-2 lead after the end of one quarter. IU’s defense tightened in the second quarter as the Hoosiers held the Tigers scoreless in the period. Meanwhile, IU scored twice to tie the game at the half.IU could not get over the hump against the Tigers as Pacific reclaimed the lead 23 seconds into the third quarter.“There were four or five critical defensive lapses in the Pacific game that really cost us,” IU coach Barry King said.Against Cal State Monterey Bay, the Hoosiers bounced back. IU led against the Otters and earned a 13-3 victory. After scoring one goal in the first quarter, the Hoosiers tallied 12 goals in the remaining three quarters.IU senior attacker Nicole Redder scored three of those 12 goals, one in each of the final three quarters. Her fourth-quarter goal moved her into sole possession of fifth place on IU’s all-time goals list with 137 goals.To conclude The Rodeo, IU claimed a 9-3 victory against the host Santa Clara. Senior utility player Lauren Wyckoff earned a hat trick for the Hoosiers. The victory gave IU a winning record for the tournament and pushed its overall record to 4-8.
(02/25/11 3:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In most cases, a 2-7 record would elicit questions and causes for concern. For example, why is the team struggling out of the gate? In the case of the IU water polo team, such questions are unnecessary.The Hoosiers will take their battle-tested record out west to Santa Clara, Calif., this weekend where they will take on Pacific, Cal State-Monterey Bay and Santa Clara.While there is no official strength of schedule rating for water polo, IU’s would rank among the best in the nation. After nine games, the Hoosiers have played five of the top six teams in the nation. IU coach Barry King said there are positive aspects of playing such a difficult schedule.“To be the best, you have to beat the best,” King said. “From a physical and tactical point of view, those are really important contests for us because they’re really talented groups and they have a tendency to expose the areas we need to work on. We clearly showed that we could play physically with those groups.” Senior center Kate Dunn said playing the difficult non-conference schedule will benefit the Hoosiers come postseason.“It’s good to go out there in California and play all the top teams to get the experience,” Dunn said. “When we come back during conference tournament time, we have that experience and can use it to beat the teams in our conference and make it to the NCAAs.”— Micah McVicker