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(10/04/13 2:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Focus has been a talking point for IU women’s soccer this week in training.The Hoosiers return home to play host to Northwestern at 7 p.m. Friday and Illinois at noon Sunday coming off a pair of conference losses.The team is focused on getting points this weekend in what has been a wide open race in the Big Ten. Teams currently sitting fourth through 11th in the conference standings are separated by only one point after three conference games.Junior defender Rebecca Dreher knows how much impact this weekend could have on the Hoosiers’ hopes of returning to the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2007.“This is a huge opportunity for us,” Dreher said. “All of us understand the importance of this week.”IU Coach Amy Berbary said her team has been focusing on coming out ready to play early and defending well.The Hoosiers gave up seven goals in their last two games after allowing only two goals all season prior to their game against Ohio State.“We’ve been working on our individual defending,” Berbary said. “It’s got to get better. I don’t care who you play, you can’t give up seven goals in a weekend. We’ve got to come out focused and execute our game plan and come out right at the first whistle.”That defense will be tested Friday when Northwestern enters the game looking to record its first conference win.Despite not scoring a point, senior defender Lara Ross said the Hoosiers cannot overlook the Wildcats, who forced overtime against No. 6 Penn State in their conference opener.“We definitely can’t sleep on them,” Ross said. “They have some good players that we need to watch out for. We can’t let their record feed into the way we play.”Berbary described the Wildcats as having talent on all levels of the field, including senior forward Kate Allen, who led the Wildcats in points last year and has recorded nine this season.“They’ve got some good, dynamic players in every line,” Berbary said. “They have a very dynamic forward in Kate Allen. So we’ve just got to deal with every line and make sure we are sticking with the way we play and account for players.”Sunday, the Hoosiers will square off against Illinois, who fell in the Big Ten championship finals last season.The Illini are part of the bottleneck of teams separated by a point between fourth and 11th in the standings and are led offensively by junior forward Jannelle Flaws, who has scored 12 goals this season.Dreher said getting points from Illinois would go a long way on the Hoosiers’ road to get into the top eight to qualify for the Big Ten Tournament.“Taking three points away from them is really important,” Dreher said. “We want to be able to determine our own destiny instead of relying on other teams to beat them. We need to be above them by beating them ourselves.”Ross knows a successful weekend for the Hoosiers would go a long way in getting to the season-ending tournament and is focused on scoring as many points as possible.“The Big Ten is pretty much wide open right now with all the space between, but that’s a good thing,” Ross said. “We pretty much have to get six points this weekend.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @sam_beishuizen.
(10/01/13 4:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Coach Amy Berbary isn’t afraid to sub.NCAA soccer rules don’t limit the number of substitutions a team can use, unlike many other professional soccer leagues. That means coaches have the option of mixing and matching lineups by calling in substitutions whenever there is a dead ball.Berbary has taken advantage of that rule.She has created a competitive environment where the lineup is always changing. There’s no finite set of starters and backups, but rather a roster where every player is expected to be ready to take the field at any time.Senior midfielder Lisa Nouanesengsy said she believes the constant competition has helped her and the other typical starters.“We are all competing with another, and that’s great for us,” Nouanesengsy said. “Just because you start Sunday’s game doesn’t mean you’re going to start Friday’s.”Senior Lara Ross thinks the ever-changing lineup and opportunities to earn or lose playing time means starters are constantly being tested by the players on the bench.“Nobody gets comfortable with their positions,” Ross said. “We know that it’s a constant fight, and its good competition.”She said competition within the team has been healthy.“We want to push each other,” Ross said. “We want success for our whole team, and that only comes from pushing each other.”Berbary is looking for results. The team score comes ahead of the individual names in the record books.“It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from or what kind of scholarship money that you’re on,” Berbary said. “My job is solely based on winning, and that’s what I do. That’s what I’m here for.”Berbary has given her players a number of opportunities to perform in games and to earn playing time throughout the year. That has resulted in younger players such as sophomores Kayleigh Steigerwalt and Jessie Bujouves emerging as offensive weapons.Bujouves said she was just happy to be in the starting lineup when she made her debut against Eastern Michigan on Sept. 6. She soon found herself being named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after netting a pair of game-winning goals in her first two games as a starter.“I was just grateful that I was able to start,” Bujouves said after the game. “It is great to be able to contribute to the team’s success.”Steigerwalt has recorded three goals and four assists this season after not starting at the beginning of the year.Junior Kate McCusker spent the opening games on the bench but now finds herself playing a large chunk of minutes, including most of the opening three Big Ten games.Berbary said these players earned their way into the starting lineups during practice weeks and then performed in the games when it counted most.In IU’s Big Ten opener against Minnesota, IU was struggling to get the ball in the net.Berbary put in freshman midfielder Veronica Ellis in the 67th minute — she scored what proved to be the game-winning goal two minutes later.Berbary said once the players have proven themselves in practice, they are expected to be used in the games.“V (Ellis) came in as a freshman composed and within two minutes, scores a goal,” Berbary said. “That comes from training, and I’ve told them before that I’m not taking a chance on you in a game until I see it in training.”Ross said everyone on the bench knows they could be used. If the player is on the bench, she could be on the field any given minute.“They have to be ready at any time,” Ross said. “Anybody can come in at any time and make a difference, and we know that. That’s what we work for in practice, is everybody doing their job and making a difference.”The early success has been a team effort throughout the entire roster.The Hoosiers have seen a Big Ten leading 15 different players record a point this season — they are off to their best start in program history.“It has been huge,” Berbary said. “These kids work their way into the lineup when they’ve proven themselves, and finally when they get on the big stage, they’ve been doing something good for us.”The Hoosiers (8-2-1, 1-2-0) are in the beginning stages of Big Ten play and have dropped two games in a row. Berbary said she will continue experimenting with her roster because she believes in doing whatever she needs to do with her lineups to get results.“Obviously we have some kids that are more talented than others, but they still work just as hard and are as important to our roster,” Berbary said. “Having the 30 kids on our roster has really helped us in the long run. Having all these girls helps us win.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @sam_beishuizen.
(09/30/13 3:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Coach Amy Berbary said she believes good teams create chances. Great teams finish them.Sunday, Penn State finished its chances, and IU did not.After heading into halftime at University Park, Pa., tied, the Hoosiers gave up three unanswered goals in the second half to lose 4-1 to the No. 8 Nittany Lions.“We played well,” Berbary said. “We had our chances, but we couldn’t always take advantage.”Penn State got on the board early with a goal in the sixth minute to take the lead.The Hoosiers scored an equalizer in the 25th minute to regain some momentum when senior forward Rebecca Candler assisted junior midfielder Monica Melink for her second goal of the season.Junior midfielder Abby Smith said the first half created excitement in the locker room, but it did not carry over into the final 45 minutes.“We were really pumped going into the second half,” Smith said. “We kept them 1-1 and had a great goal from Monica. The second half, it kind of got away from us.”The Hoosiers gave up three unanswered goals to the Nittany Lions in the second half despite only being outshot 16-17.Berbary blamed the goal differential on not being able to finish opportunities.“We had plenty of opportunities, but it’s kind of been the story of our season,” Berbary said. “We have created chances, but we really haven’t been able to execute them and put them away.”The Hoosiers had a number of chances to score including a late chance in the first half to take a 2-1 lead off a shot from Candler.Smith said she thinks just slowing down and making better decisions during scoring chances could help the Hoosiers find the back of the net more often.“If we had just taken another breath in the last third of the field and just relaxed and made better choices with our chances we would have been better,” Smith said.Although the score was 4-1, Smith said she is still pleased that the Hoosiers kept up with the No. 8-ranked Penn State.“We played well,” she said. “They are one of the best teams in the country, so the fact that we played well against them makes us feel good, and we can take that into the next game.”Berbary echoed Smith, but pointed out that the only thing that mattered at the end of the day was the record book.“I don’t think the scoreboard was indicative of the play; however, that’s the score and that’s what people look at and that’s what matters,” Berbary said. “I think we can build from this and know that we can play with anyone in the country.”The Hoosiers will return home next weekend to play a pair of Big Ten games against Northwestern and Illinois.Smith will be looking to regain any momentum the Hoosiers lost over the weekend.“(This week) is really important,” Smith said. “We just need a good week of practice. Having two home games will be important for us, and I think we can pick it up.”IU’s two losses in the Big Ten will not help them in the standings, but the team is still focusing on its “one game at a time” mentality into next weekend.“We really need to regroup,” Berbary said. “But Friday night is huge for us, so the most important game is Northwestern right now.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen.
(09/27/13 3:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In her first season at IU, Coach Amy Berbary has steered the women’s soccer team to its best start in program history.The Hoosiers entered Thursday as the only team in the Big Ten undefeated, but suffered their first setback with a 3-1 loss against Ohio State.“We started very flat,” Berbary said. “I didn’t think we were ready to play, and we looked timid in the first half.”IU had previously only allowed two goals all season but quickly found themselves behind 3-0.The Buckeyes jumped ahead early, converting on a corner kick in the third minute of the game on a ball that went between the legs of two players and rolled right past senior goalie Shannon Flower for the score.Before the game Berbary said the Hoosiers needed to limit mistakes if they wanted to come out with a win.Berbary said that play was exactly the type of mistake the Hoosiers could not afford to allow.“It was key for us to deny them on set pieces and not let the ball drop in our box,” Berbary said. “We let that one roll right by us for the goal.”Ohio State added goals in the 17th and 39th minutes to jump to a 3-0 lead before half.IU came out of halftime with a new energy and controlled the ball for much of the second half. Junior midfielder Abby Smith netted a goal in the 65th minute but by then it was too late to come back from three goals behind.Senior midfielder Lisa Nouanesengsy said the team played with a different mental focus in the final 45 minutes.“We didn’t come out in the first half,” Nouanesengsy said. “We were more focused. We knew that we had nothing to lose so we told each other we just had to give it everything and leave it all on the field.”Even with the loss, IU is still carrying their best record at this point in the season in school history (8-1-1, 1-1-0).Berbary remains optimistic that the loss against Ohio State might eventually end up helping her team in the long run.“We’ve got to learn from it,” Berbary said. “It could be the best thing that ever happened to us. It kind of knocks us down a bit but shows us that we have to play and follow our gameplan.”Nouanesengsy said she is looking at the loss as a learning experience before a Sunday noon match up against No. 8 Penn State.“We just have to look back at this game and learn what went wrong and make sure we are focused from the start,” Nouanesengsy said. “That’s all we can really do is learn from this and take it into Sunday’s game.”Senior defender Lara Ross said she could not even remember the last time IU beat Penn State, but regardless of the outcome there was still a lot of soccer to be played the rest of the conference season.“We are still only halfway,” Ross said. “We still have the rest of the season. We fought really hard to get here, and we can’t let down.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen.
(09/26/13 4:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Senior midfielder Lisa Nouanesengsy said she believes today’s game against Ohio State is a chance at redemption.Eleven months ago, the Buckeyes ruined the Hoosiers’ chance of earning a Big Ten Tournament bid when they beat the Hoosiers 5-0.The loss was in the season finale — senior night. It ended IU’s season.The combination of wanting to redeem that loss and a team full of Hoosier players that live in Ohio has Nouanesengsy excited to play.“Ohio State is a good team, and we want to redeem ourselves from last year,” Nouanesengsy said. “There are a lot of girls on this team, which gives us more of a motivation to beat Ohio State.”IU (8-0-1, 1-0) takes the field at 3 p.m. in Columbus, Ohio, in the first matchup between the schools since the season-ending loss.The Hoosiers are coming off of a 1-0 Big Ten opening win against Minnesota on Saturday. Senior defender Lara Ross is expecting a different match today.“It is going to be a tough match,” Ross said. “It’s going to come down to physicality, fitness and pretty much who just wants it more.”The Buckeyes (6-1-2) tied the Illini 1-1 with a goal in the 84th minute in their last game.IU Coach Amy Berbary knows the Buckeyes will be coming out looking to get their first conference win.“Ohio State is going to be ready to go,” Berbary said. “They are coming off a come-from-behind win to get a tie. They are going to be hungry to get a win.”The Buckeyes are marshalled by freshman forward Nichelle Prince, who leads the team in goals (5) and assists (4) this season.There has been emphasis on stopping Prince, but Berbary is confident that earlier matchups against other dynamic forwards have prepared her defense.“Most of their offense comes through number seven (Prince),” Berbary said. “We are going to have to keep our eyes on her, but we don’t really need to change much.”Berbary went on to say that limiting mistakes will be key to winning.“Ohio State is good enough to capitalize on our mistakes,” Berbary said. “Some of the other teams have just missed here or there, but Ohio State is not going to miss.”Today’s game combined with another road trip to play Penn State on Sunday have made for what Nouanesengsy believes will be a critical weekend in terms of IU positioning itself in the Big Ten standings.“Today’s game and Sunday’s game are going to be really important for us,” Nouanesengsy said. “They are probably going to be our biggest games all year. This weekend will give us more confidence going into other Big Ten games after we see what we can do against Ohio State and Penn State because they are both great teams.”The Hoosiers may have lost 5-0 to Ohio State last year, but Ross is eying a different outcome.“I feel like we can definitely get redemption,” Ross said. “We just have to be tuned in for 90 minutes. We can’t let up for any amount of time through any part of the field.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen.
(09/24/13 3:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU women’s soccer senior goalkeeper Shannon Flower was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Monday by the Big Ten Conference. It was the second time this season Flower has earned the honor. Last week, Flower recorded a pair of shutouts against Xavier and Minnesota.Flower had four saves against a previously undefeated Xavier team Wednesday in IU’s 3-0 win.After the game, IU Coach Amy Berbary said Flower was key in the win.“She was big time,” Berbary said.Saturday’s Big Ten opener against Minnesota proved to be a defensive duel between Flower and Gopher goalie Tarah Hobbs.Hobbs recorded nine saves but was beaten by freshman midfielder Veronica Ellis for a goal in the 69th minute.The Hoosier defense held the Gophers to nine shots on the night. Flower made two saves on the night to preserve the win.Senior midfielder Lisa Nouanesengsy was happy to have Flower behind her, preserving the 1-0 lead.“She had some good saves,” Nouanesengsy said. “She was pretty active. I’m pretty proud of her for getting another shutout. That goes for the entire defense also helping her out.”Flower currently leads the Big Ten in goals against average (0.22), save percentage (0.917), goals allowed (2) and shutouts (7).Her next shutout will put her in a tie for most single season shutouts in IU program history with former Hoosier goalie Ashley Davis.— Sam Beishuizen
(09/23/13 3:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Freshman midfielder Veronica Ellis played less than 12 minutes for the IU women’s soccer team in Sunday’s 1-0 win against Minnesota, but that was all it took to create the spark the Hoosiers needed.Ellis checked into the game in the 67th minute as a defensive substitute on a corner kick with the game tied 0-0. Just two minutes later, she found herself at the head of a Hoosier transition attack.“I was a little bit nervous,” Ellis said. “I was so nervous about the defensive aspect of it and I didn’t want my man to score that I was never expecting to do something on offense.”Ellis said she could hardly believe she was onside when senior midfielder Lisa Nouanesengsy found her with a wide-open field in front of her. Ellis beat Minnesota goalie Tarah Hobbs one-on-one to the far post, propelling the Hoosiers to their first win in a Big Ten opener since 2007.“I don’t think they expected me to be coming forward,” Ellis said. “Lisa got the ball, and I noticed I was wide open, and she played me through the space. When I ran onto it, I thought I had to be offside because I was so wide open.”It was not the first time this year IU has relied on new faces to come in and make an impact. IU Coach Amy Berbary has not been afraid to change her lineup when the team has struggled.Berbary said the decision to put Ellis in late as a spark was a no-brainer.“They were running us into the ground, and we had to make a change,” Berbary said. “We talk all the time about coming in and making an impact. She was in for about a minute, and it was her second touch on the ball, and she buried it.”It is that type of confidence in her bench that Berbary said she has relied on all season.“That’s what you need from players,” Berbary said. “And that’s big time. Could I have imagined that she was going to score in one minute? Probably not, but she was a super sub.”On the defensive half, senior goalie Shannon Flower recorded her seventh shutout of the season.The defensive backs limited the Gophers to 11 shots, two of which were on goal.“The backs were solid today,” Berbary said. “They did what we asked them to do. They played a very difficult team. They pushed pretty high and put 10 players on us in transition pretty quickly, but Lara (Ross) did a great job of just taking leadership back there and staying organized.”IU improves to 8-0-1 with the win, remaining undefeated in what has been the best start in program history.Nouanesengsy said she believes the win against Minnesota, a team that had gotten recognition in the top 25 coach’s poll, helps the Hoosiers establish themselves.“It’s huge for us,” Nouansengsy said. “It’s a great start to the Big Ten. It is going to give us more of a confidence for the next game, and now we are really looking forward to the next one.”If there was any remaining doubt in IU, Berbary said she believes that doubt has been vanquished.“I think everyone in the community and even our own team was wondering if we were for real,” Berbary said. “We came in and played a very good Minnesota team that has some great wins on their schedule, and we got it done. If there is any question if we are for real, I think it has been answered.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuzien.
(09/20/13 2:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>If someone had told IU Coach Amy Berbary that her women’s soccer team would enter Big Ten Conference play undefeated, she would not have believed it.But as IU prepares to play Minnesota at 6 p.m. Saturday, the Hoosiers stand at 7-0-1 — undefeated.Berbary admitted her initial doubts to her team after their 3-0 win against Xavier.“We just talked about it,” Berbary said. “I looked at them, and I said, ‘When I got here in February, I would have never dreamed I would be standing in front of you on Sept. 18 and we would be undefeated.’”Berbary said her team agreed with her early doubts.“They all laughed and said, ‘Don’t worry, we didn’t either,’” she said.IU enters Big Ten play undefeated in what has been the best start to a season in school history. In non-conference play, they outscored opponents 20-2 while outshooting opponents 167-56.Their opponent, Minnesota, enters the game 7-1-0, which includes wins against LSU and Ole Miss. Their one loss on the year came against Florida.In the most recent NSCAA Coaches poll, Minnesota was not ranked but did receive 15 votes, which has caught the attention of sophomore forward Kayleigh Steigerwalt.“They are going to be great,” Steigerwalt said. “They have been in the rankings and have played really well.”Players and coaches have stressed that the key to the Hoosier’s early success has been their defense. Junior defender Lara Ross said she believes the strong defense has made the offense more comfortable and willing to attack.“I think the defense gives our team just an overall confidence,” Ross said. “I think our offense is really confident in us and feels comfortable with us back there. I think it makes it easier for everybody to take risks and play without any fears and that allows us to play the way we want to play.”That defense will be tested by the flexible Gopher offense, which has seen goals come from 10 different scorers this season.Having multiple scoring threats on the opposing side of the field means the team will have to remain aware at all times, Ross said.“More people are going to have to be accountable, especially on set pieces,” Ross said. “We are going to have to communicate a lot more and make sure everybody stays accountable.”Senior goalie Shannon Flower, who has allowed only two goals all season, is focused on trusting her coaches and not worrying about the results.“We just have to trust our system,” Flower said. “Not going in thinking about losing or thinking about records or anything. We just have to go in and play the way Amy wants us to play and how we feel confident in playing.”IU has lost their last five conference opening games in a row, but Berbary said she believes that could change this weekend.“When we started the season we said we wanted to be special,” Berbary said. “This would just be one more chapter in the book if we get it done.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen.
(09/19/13 4:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Coach Amy Berbary said her team’s defense is typically a point of pride. But after defeating Central Michigan 2-1 last Sunday, she said the defense wasn’t quite there.In Wednesday’s 3-0 win against Xavier, Berbary saw her defense return to form. Xavier forward Tori Doss, who’s scored three goals so far this season, scored no points and managed only four shots.“We concentrated on defense after that short turnaround,” Berbary said. “They had a very dynamic forward in number five (Doss), and we had to make sure we shut her down right away, and they sure did today.”The Hoosier defense kept the ball out of its territory for most of the first half, letting the offense do the work as it controlled the time of possession and made the Musketeer defense work.Junior forward Abby Smith put IU on the board in the 12th minute when sophomore Kayleigh Steigerwalt found her at the far post.The opening goal proved to be all the Hoosiers needed as the defense took it from there.When Xavier managed to control the ball offensively, it made senior goalie Shannon Flower work. Flower made four saves on the night.Just as Central Michigan had done on Sunday, Xavier jumped out early with a one-on-one opportunity against Flower in the goal in the opening minutes.She made the save, which she said helped her regain confidence.“It was big time,” Flower said. “That first stop really just let the jitters off to make the save early.”Berbary applauded Flower’s sixth shutout on the season.“She is big time,” Berbary said. “They broke through again just like Central Michigan, and she is calm. It’s her sixth shutout in eight games. Any time you have six clean sheets against anyone, you’re doing a pretty good job.”The Hoosiers added another two goals to extend the lead to 3-0. Steigerwalt added a goal in the 68th minute, and senior midfielder Lisa Nouanesengsy added in her team-leading sixth goal of the season in the 88th minute.“It really just got to me, and I was able to finish,” Steigerwalt said. “It was a great ball. Amy always tells us to go after the second chances, and that’s what I did.”Berbary was pushing her team to add the insurance goals as Xavier continued to threaten IU’s early lead.“When we went into halftime, I told our kids that one goal wasn’t going to be enough to beat this team,” Berbary said. “They were knocking on the door. We needed to get that second goal to keep them on their heels.”For Xavier, it was the team’s first loss of the season. Senior defender Lara Ross was happy to hand the Musketeers their first loss of the year.“This was especially a good win,” Ross said. “Xavier is a really good team. We were kind of nervous going into this because it was their best start since 1990, but we kept it together.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen.
(09/18/13 3:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU women’s soccer is on a seven-game point streak for the first time since 2007 — the last time IU qualified for the NCAA tournament.Xavier Coach Woody Sherwood was an assistant coach of that 2007 Hoosier team, but returns to Bloomington tonight on the away team’s sideline. His Musketeer team will threaten for IU’s point streak at 7 p.m.Sophomore forward Kayleigh Steigerwalt, who is coming off a game-winning goal with time winding down on Sunday, said she expects a competitive game.“They are going to be great,” Steigerwalt said. “It is going to be a really good game. Hopefully, if we just play our game right and play the way we play, it should be good.”IU enters the game 6-0-1, but Xavier has been off to an undefeated start of its own. The Musketeers enter tonight with a 5-0-1 record, their best six-match start since 1990.IU Coach Amy Berbary has her team focused on playing their own game and not focusing on the Musketeers’ hot start.“They are a good, organized group,” Berbary said. “They just beat Cincinnati 3-0 last week, so we just have to make sure we do what we do to the best of our ability.”Junior forward Abby Smith said she knows Xavier will be looking to keep its streak alive, but is confident in her Hoosier squad.“Obviously they are going to want to keep their streak going and be ready to play us,” Smith said. “But as long as we play our game, we should be able to come out with the win.”Defense has been the story of the Musketeers’ last six games. They have shut out five of their first six opponents this year, including the last four.Offensively, Xavier is led by a pair of freshmen. Tori Doss and Maggie Hare are both tied for the team lead with three goals apiece.Smith said she believes the Hoosier offense will need to come out strong at the start of the game to avoid falling behind early.“We just need to focus and play our game,” Smith said. “We need to have a good start to that game and attack from the beginning.”The Hoosiers are coming off one of their closest games of the season, needing a goal from Steigerwalt in the last five minutes of regulation to avoid overtime against Central Michigan last Sunday.Berbary credits her team’s mentality for being able to come back in the last game.“If this was last year’s mentality, I’m not sure we would have walked out with a win,” Berbary said after the game. “It’s a new team. We are in a different place than we were last year.”Tonight’s game will be the last game until Big Ten season starts Saturday against Minnesota.Steigerwalt said she thinks a win would prepare the Hoosiers for conference play.“We want to just come in and win,” Steigerwalt said. “We want to have a clean sheet. A win will get us set for the Big Ten.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen.
(09/16/13 3:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU women’s soccer team is off to its best start in school history after improving to 6-0-1 with a 2-1 win against Central Michigan on Sunday.With little more than four minutes remaining in the game, sophomore forward Kayleigh Steigerwalt scored a game-winning goal from outside the 18-yard box.With time winding down and the Hoosier offense struggling to convert on shots, Steigerwalt said she and her team changed their offensive strategy.“On the sidelines, the four of us were getting ready for the last 10 minutes,” Steigerwalt said. “We just said, ‘Alright this is what we need to do differently.’”The team decided to attack the net from long range. IU had struggled to convert on crosses in front of the net.Steigerwalt picked up her dribble from 40 yards out, stepped up a bit and took her shot.“I didn’t know I was that far out, to be honest,” she said. “I was just dribbling and I found space in front of the goal.”IU Coach Amy Berbary praised the shot selection, saying she believes Steigerwalt needed to take more shots from farther out.“It was such a good finish,” Berbary said. “She is such a good finisher. She does that all the time in practice. It’s funny when we get to games we try to push her saying, ‘Please shoot.’”The goal was one of the few chances IU was able to convert on the day. Despite outshooting Central Michigan 21-4, IU had a hard time finding the back of the net.The Hoosiers found themselves trailing for only the second time all season in the fourth minute when Central Michigan midfielder Emily Cooksey beat senior goalie Shannon Flower for the early goal.Junior forward Abby Smith was pleased with the way her team responded to the early struggles.“This team is really good as a whole about not getting down on ourselves,” Smith said. “We just focused on getting the first goal and we went from there.”Smith would end up adding an equalizer off a Tori Keller assist in the 33rd minute. Just minutes later, IU had another opportunity to score off a penalty kick, but senior forward Rebecca Candler couldn’t convert.Berbary said she believes the struggles came from the Hoosier defense struggling early.“It was our defending,” Berbary said. “That’s something we pride ourselves on is our team defending, and we were just not very good.”Freshman defender Ari Kowalski stepped in when the defense struggled. She made a pair of diving stops in front of the net to help hold the Chippewas to only one goal.Berbary said she was impressed with Kowalski’s ability to make use of her limited minutes.“Ari was absolutely fantastic,” Berbary said. “She has really brought it in the last two weeks of training. When you get a chance and make an impact like she did, that’s all you can ask for.”Although the Hoosiers were tested and had to step up late, Steigerwalt said she was relieved after the game to have gotten the win.“They were great,” Steigerwalt said. “They had good movement, they passed to each other well. That goal was so last minute, but it was such a relief.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen.
(09/13/13 3:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The women’s soccer Hoosier Classic Tournament makes a return this weekend after a five-year hiatus as the IU women’s soccer team plays St. John’s on Friday and Central Michigan on Sunday. St. John’s and Central Michigan will be joined by Ohio State to make up the field that IU Coach Amy Berbary said she believes is strong.“We are bringing in three very good teams,” Berbary said. “We don’t know any of them very well. We really just need to focus on it not too much as a tournament as it is just single games.”The weekend tournament consists of two games for each team. A win earns three points, and a tie earns one point. Goals scored and least goals conceded will function as tiebreakers.A trophy will be awarded for the winning team, and an all-tournament team will be announced as well.Sophomore forward Kayleigh Steigerwalt said she believes a win would help the Hoosiers build confidence going into the Big Ten Conference schedule.“Winning the tournament would give us a good confidence boost heading into the big season,” Steigerwalt said. “It will give us a range of where we are.”IU plays St. John’s at 6 p.m. Friday in the first game. The Red Storm enter the game undefeated while outscoring opponents 21-1.Berbary said she expects St. John’s to give IU’s defense a challenge.“They’re good,” Berbary said. “They have a very sophisticated offensive attack that will really test our team defending.”St. John’s offense is led by sophomore Rachel Daly, the nation’s leading scorer. Daly has recorded 11 of the team’s 21 goals in six games and was recently named Big East Player of the Week.Senior defender Lara Ross said she expects Daly and the Red Storm to come out attacking.“We have got to be on our toes and ready from the start,” Ross said. “We definitely have to watch (Daly). It is important to maintain everything that we’ve been doing and working on in the season so far.”Steigerwalt and the rest of the offense are going to be focused on staying ahead of St. John’s high-powered offense.“We are going to do our best to make sure we come out ahead,” Sterigerwalt said. “Getting early goals would be great for us and great for our confidence.”In Sunday’s game, IU will face a Central Michigan squad that enters the tournament winless on the season, which Berbary said she believes has a lot to do with the team’s difficult schedule.Despite not having any wins, Berbary said she believes the Chippewas will be dangerous.“They have had more experience than we do playing very, very good teams,” Berbary said, including Portland and Washington. “That experience alone, even though they didn’t win those games, helped their program.”IU will begin Big Ten play next weekend at home against Minnesota. Berbary wants to keep IU’s early season momentum alive heading into the conference schedule.“We’ve got momentum right now,” Berbary said. “The question is carrying this momentum and not having a lapse in what we are trying to do.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen.
(09/12/13 4:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When IU coach Amy Berbary and senior goalkeeper Shannon Flower first met after Berbary was hired as IU’s women’s soccer coach, they caught each other’s eyes in a meeting. The two of them knew they had met before, but it took a moment to realize where.“When I walked into the room to meet the team after I was hired, Shannon and I both stared at each other,” Berbary said. “We both couldn’t figure out where we knew each other from, and then we both at the same time said, ‘England.’”Flower was coached by Berbary in England on a 10-day trip when she was 15 years old as part of an Ohio South Olympic Development team trip. Five years later, the two were reunited.“I knew that she was going to end up being a very good keeper, but I didn’t know where she ended up,” Berbary said. “But when I got here, I was pleasantly surprised that I was going to coach her as a collegiate player.”Since coming together, Flower has become statistically one of the best goalkeepers in the country.Prior to this season, Flower had recorded only two shutouts as a Hoosier. This year alone she has recorded five shutouts in six games, allowing only one goal.Flower credits her defense’s concentration and ability to work together for the improvement.“This year has been a lot about focus,” Flower said. “We have all been staying focused throughout the game, and we have communicated a lot better this year. We all mesh really well together.”Part of that ability to mesh well comes with comfort.Flower and fellow senior Lara Ross have played together since they were kids. They grew up together, which Ross believes has helped build strong communication that helps the defense play better.“She has been my goalie since age 10 or 11,” Ross said. “I have always felt comfortable with her back there.”Ross said years of playing alongside Flower have bolstered their communication, which has helped the Hoosier defense become one of the best in the country early on in the season.IU is one of seven teams in the nation to allow only one goal in six games.IU Assistant Coach Sergio Gonzalez, who works extensively with Flower and the goalkeepers, said he believes Flower’s ability to stay calm is contagious to the rest of her teammates.“We always joke that we wonder what her heart rate monitor looks like during games because she is always so calm,” he said. “She instills that ability to stay calm in her back, keeping them calm and collect when things get crazy.”Gonzalez said the ability to stay calm and collected under pressure is what makes Flower the player she is.“As a goalkeeper, you’re the last line of defense,” he said. “If you’re all over the place, your teammates are going to be in the same mind frame.”That calmness showed up in the Hoosier’s Aug. 30 win against Wisconsin-Milwaukee. After letting in a goal early, Flower buckled down, denying all goals the rest of the game, while the Hoosier offense came back and took the lead to win 3-1.After letting in the early goal, Flower said she remained calm, focusing on avoiding another mistake.“There was just no communication on the backside runner,” Flower said. “I took that away and just had to pick up communication and focus on not letting another goal in.”Flower’s defense has been key for the Hoosiers this year, Berbary said, adding she’s consistently made at least one big save per half, anchoring the defense.“She is a calm, quiet leader,” Berbary said. “She has worked very hard to get into the position to play.”When the defense collapses, Flower has seemingly been there for the save. Last Friday against Eastern Michigan, Flower made a leaping punch save to keep a potentially game-changing header from going in, preserving the 1-0 win.Gonzalez said he believes Flower’s ability to make clutch saves, as in that game, is exactly what makes her a good goalkeeper.“She has been very steady,” he said. “I think that’s exactly what you want in a goalkeeper.”Even though Flower is ranked as one of the statistically best goalies in the nation, she said stats aren’t really important to her.“It is kind of cool to look at, but that is about it,” Flower said. “There are some games that I haven’t had many shots on me, so I have to take that into account and not get cocky about it.”Although she doesn’t bother with stats, Flower did enjoy being named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after her performance in the opening weekend of the season.“It is cool,” Flower said, “but I try to remain focused and not let it get to my head.”Flower will be tested this weekend as St. John’s sophomore Rachel Daly, who leads the nation in goals, will travel to Bloomington for a 6 p.m. game Friday.“We need to make her beat us by not giving her any open shots or any freebies,” Flower said. “We just want to make her work for it. Again, we need to stay focused for all 90 minutes.”Although Flower is playing the best she has in her career, she still believes that she can improve. She believes the addition of having Gonzalez coach her has helped her become a better goalie.“I think there is definitely room for more,” Flower said. “I’m a very technical goalkeeper, and this has been the first year that I have a real technical goalkeeper coach. Seeing how much better I have gotten in such a small amount of time makes me think there is more.”Flower joked about only having two months of her career left, but wants to end on a strong note.“Unfortunately, there is just a little bit more time left,” she said. “But better late than never, I guess.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen.
(09/10/13 3:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU women’s soccer sophomore midfielder Jessie Bujouves was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Monday for the first time in her collegiate career after her weekend performance.Bujouves earned the honor after scoring two goals in as many games against Eastern Michigan on Friday and Eastern Kentucky on Sunday.She netted what proved to be the lone goal in Friday’s 1-0 win over Eastern Michigan with a header off sophomore Kayleigh Steigerwalt’s corner kick. It was the first time that Bujouves had been put into the starting lineup by IU Coach Amy Berbary this season.“Jessie earned a starting spot this week, and we couldn’t have asked for more,” Berbary said.In Sunday’s game, an almost identical play occurred as Steigerwalt found Bujouves’ head yet again for the opening goal of IU’s 5-0 win over Eastern Kentucky. Bujouves went on to add an assist when she found senior Lisa Nouanesengsy for what ended up being Nouansengsy’s third goal of the game.Bujouves said she was just happy to help the team win.“I was just grateful that I was able to start,” Bujouves said. “It is great to be able to contribute to the team’s success.”Bujouves became the first Hoosier to be named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week since Nouanesengsy earned it for the week of Aug. 20, 2012. Goalie Shannon Flower earned the honor of Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week earlier this season.Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen.
(09/09/13 4:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>During the practice week, sophomore midfielder Jessie Bujouves played her way into a starting spot for the IU women’s soccer team. After scoring a pair of goals this weekend — including a game-winner — IU Coach Amy Berbary said she was happy with her decision to give Bujouves the start.“Did we do the right thing starting her, or what?” Berbary said jokingly after the game. “Jessie has earned a starting spot this week, and we couldn’t have asked for more. She scored goals on both set pieces, both game winners.”Bujouves picked up her goals off corner kicks by fellow sophomore midfielder Kayleigh Steigerwalt. The defense, anchored by senior goalie Shannon Flower, recorded pair of shutouts to lead the Hoosiers past Eastern Michigan 1-0 Friday and Eastern Kentucky 5-0 Sunday.Friday’s game against Eastern Michigan had started out similarly to the game against Loyola. The offense was getting shots off, but they were not going in. That changed when Steigerwalt found Bujouves for the goal.“I think that the week leading up to the game on Friday we really focused on ‘how can we get through the backline and the mid that is so compressed?’” Bujouves said. “I think we did a really good job of being able to slot balls through and get balls past the defenders and getting shots off that.”Berbary and Bujouves said set pieces had not been the strongest part of the Hoosiers’ game early in the year. They were a part of the game that Bujouves said the Hoosiers were trying to change.“It is really important to take advantage of them and challenge for balls,” Bujouves said.On the defensive end, when the Eagles got shots off, Flower was there, recording four saves, including a punch-save that maintained the lead with 20 minutes remaining.“We are defending very well as a unit,” Berbary said. “I credit our backs, our mids and our forwards for just jamming them up and making sure they keep the field compact, not allowing them to shoot.”The defensive performance seemingly carried over into Sunday with IU breezing past Eastern Kentucky 5-0.The Hoosiers found the back of the net early, scoring two goals in the first nine minutes of the game. The first goal came exactly as it did in Friday’s game — Steigerwalt finding Bujouves for the goal off a corner kick.“It was kind of like deja vu,” Bujouves said. “I am kind of used to where the girls play the ball in the box, and basically I just need to get in that area, get up into the air and try to get my head on it.”Senior midfielder Lisa Nouanesengsy recorded her third career hat trick, netting three consecutive goals including a penalty kick.“I couldn’t have done it without my teammates,” she said. “They set me up well, and I’m happy with the outcome.”IU has been getting goals from a number of different players lately, but Berbary said she still thinks Nouanesengsy is vital to the offense.“She is the engine that makes us go, and the kids know that,” Berbary said. “Other players have to step up, but today she was just out of her mind.”Next for IU is the Hoosier Classic. Earlier in the week Berbary said she wanted to use this weekend to pick up momentum. After a pair of shutout wins she said she believes her team has the momentum she wanted.“We’ve got it,” Berbary said. “Now we just need to take this in and enjoy it today. (Monday) we can take the day off, but then Tuesday get back to work because we’ve got two tough teams coming in.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen.
(09/06/13 3:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After a weekend road trip, IU women’s soccer returns home undefeated (3-0-1) to host Eastern Michigan at 6 p.m. Friday and Eastern Kentucky at 2 p.m. Sunday.Eastern Michigan is coming off back-to-back overtime losses against Big Ten rivals Ohio State and Michigan.Eastern Michigan’s success against other Big Ten schools has caught the attention of senior midfielder Lisa Nouanesengsy, she said.“They are a pretty good team,” Nouanesengsy said. “They played Ohio State and Michigan in overtime, and Michigan and Ohio State are good teams. I’m expecting them to bring their A-Game on Friday. They are probably a lot like Big Ten teams that we will be playing later in the season.”IU Coach Amy Berbary said she believes the Eagles will test the Hoosiers.“They are going to be very dangerous,” Berbary said. “Eastern Michigan is one of the best teams in the MAC. They fight for an NCAA tournament every year. They have taken Michigan and Ohio State to overtime, so we just need to be prepared mentally to go the full 90 minutes.”Eastern Michigan is expected to play a very similar system to that of Loyola, a team IU tied last Sunday 0-0, which might cause problems for the Hoosiers.“They play similar to Loyola, and that was challenging for us,” Nouanesengsy said. “I think it is going to be another challenge on Friday. We just need to finish our chances and come out more focused.”Senior midfielder Becca Zambon said she is trying to focus on following the coaching game plan.“I think if we just relax and play our game and work on our style of play, we will do really well,” Zambon said. “We are both strong teams, and I think whoever wants it more in the end is going to get it.”IU will play Eastern Kentucky Sunday afternoon. The Colonels have struggled early in the season as they have introduced a new coaching staff.Entering Friday, the Colonels carry an 0-4 record and have been outscored by opponents 16-2. Berbary said it is important for her team to not overlook Eastern Kentucky’s early struggles.“We have to make sure we stick with our mentality of ‘one game at a time,’” Berbary said. “It always scares me to play a team that hasn’t won a game yet because they are always looking for that first win. Depending on what the result is Friday, they are going to be hungry for a win.”Zambon is also paying close attention to the Colonels.“You can overlook it,” Zambon said. “But the main focus is to just play our game and not worry about how they are coming out. We just need to come out strong.”One of the keys for IU this weekend will be taking advantage of scoring opportunities. The Hoosiers failed to convert a goal in their last game despite 20 shots, which Berbary is using as a teaching tool.“A soccer game can go any way,” Berbary said. “One of our major focuses this week is just finishing.”IU enters the weekend without a loss.“I think that we obviously want to see two wins this weekend,” Nouanesengsy said. “We need to keep doing what we are doing. We have been doing good and playing good defense. We just need to finish our chances.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen.
(09/05/13 3:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In 68 minutes, redshirt junior Monica Melink matched her career highs in a single season for assists and goals.That came in a 5-0 win in IU’s home opener Aug. 25 against Georgia Southern, a team that was coming off an NCAA tournament appearance. She helped spark the offense with a header off of a 40-yard cross in the ninth minute to give IU the lead.Later in the second half, Melink added an assist to junior Jordan Woolums with a cross from the right side. Then, she placed another ball past a defender to find junior Kristin Leist for another goal.The game was statistically Melink’s best of her career as a Hoosier — a breakthrough game. The former defender was playing her natural position at forward and was making an immediate impact on the field. In a postgame interview, one word seemed to stand out.“I just needed to stay patient,” Melink said after the game. “We created a lot of width and were able to attack.”Patience was the key for Melink. Her father taught her that patience could eventually help her succeed, like she has this season after breaking into the starting lineup.“My dad really instilled within me how much success you can get from working hard and sticking with something that you love,” Melink said. “At the beginning of my career, I wasn’t playing as much as I’d like and I knew that if I kept working at it, I would eventually find better results.”She was first exposed to IU in 2008 when she came to the campus for a soccer camp. Not only did she impress the coaching staff, but she was named MVP of the camp, which she said helped her in her decision to play college soccer.“The camp was a great experience,” Melink said. “Just seeing how well the team worked together and how involved the players were, it gave me the confidence that I could play at a Division I school. It opened up my options and made me work even harder to get out on the field.”Melink was redshirted her freshman year and saw limited action in her first year playing as a sophomore. Last season she spent the year playing out of position on the defensive side of the ball, but proved her commitment to the position and impressed her new coaching staff.“Her commitment has shown,” IU Coach Amy Berbary said. “She has been at a number of positions in her time here that she was not necessarily used to focusing on.”Melink started every game last season as a defender. It was not her natural position, but she said she believes the experience made her a better player from simply guarding against the position she was used to playing.“I learned so much,” Melink said. “I had never really been in the back line, but I was able to learn how the back line works, and how it transitions to the rest of the field. Defending forward and watching what runs they made and how they got to the ball really helped my understanding of how to play the position and learn what works.”After spending the year playing on defense, Melink got the opportunity to win a starting spot on the offense. Berbary said she was impressed with the way Melink was focused on earning this spot.“It is unbelievable,” Berbary said. “When we left for summer I knew that Monica was focused and was ready to come back here to play. I couldn’t have told you she was going to start for us. For her to come in fit and ready and to win that starting spot and to actually produce has been incredible.”Her play has caught her teammates’ attention, including IU’s returning point scorer from last year, Lisa Nouanesengsy.“I think she is definitely a better player,” Nouanesengsy said. “She has improved a lot since last year. A lot of the improvement has to do with confidence. I think this year she has definitely been a better player than she was last year and I think the new coaching staff has really helped her.”Along with the influence she is making on the field, Melink has proven herself in the classroom. She was one of 56 student athletes to record a 3.7 or higher grade point average last year while studying at the Kelley School of Business.Melink has had to find a balance between her schoolwork and soccer. She uses both to motivate her and pick her up when she struggles.“There are times when I’m not doing as well on the field when I say I need to be pushing myself and be winning in something, and that just pushes me in school,” she said. “If I have a bad day on the field then that really pushes me in the classroom. When I am doing well in the classroom it just pushes me to do even better on the field.“As a fourth year junior, Melink has stepped into a leadership position on the team.“Monica is a quiet leader,” Berbary said. “She doesn’t say much, but when she does, people listen. She shows her leadership at practice whether she says anything or not.”Melink said she does not feel the need to be a vocal leader, but instead tries to lead through her actions.“I just think you need to act like you want everyone else to act,” Melink said. “It is not always necessary to yell at everyone. Instead, you just need to lead by example.”Berbary said she stresses the importance of finding players with good character when she recruits. Although Berbary was not part of the process to recruit Melink, Berbary said Melink has been just the type of player she wanted.“In recruiting, I have learned over the years that you can’t only recruit the best players, you need to go after the ones with the best character,” Berbary said. “It could be the next coming of Abby Wambach, but if she does not do all the right things off the field and on the field, then we can’t have her part of our program. Monica is the epitome of that. She does all the right things on the field and off the field.”Melink has not been able to find the back of the net since her breakthrough game against Georgia Southern, but she will be out on the field again this weekend — being patient, waiting for her chance.“I always like finding and creating opportunities for myself and other players on the field,” Melink said. “You obviously have to love the game in order to stick with it, but the team makes that easier.”
(09/04/13 9:06pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In 68 minutes, redshirt junior Monica Melink matched her career highs in a single season for assists and goals.That came in a 5-0 win in IU’s home opener Aug. 25 against Georgia Southern, a team that was coming off an NCAA tournament appearance. She helped spark the offense with a header off of a 40-yard cross in the ninth minute to give IU the lead.Later in the second half, Melink added an assist to junior Jordan Woolums with a cross from the right side. Then, she placed another ball past a defender to find junior Kristin Leist for another goal.The game was statistically Melink’s best of her career as a Hoosier — a breakthrough game. The former defender was playing her natural position at forward and was making an immediate impact on the field. In a postgame interview, one word seemed to stand out.“I just needed to stay patient,” Melink said after the game. “We created a lot of width and were able to attack.”Patience was the key for Melink. Her father taught her that patience could eventually help her succeed, like she has this season after breaking into the starting lineup.“My dad really instilled within me how much success you can get from working hard and sticking with something that you love,” Melink said. “At the beginning of my career, I wasn’t playing as much as I’d like and I knew that if I kept working at it, I would eventually find better results.”She was first exposed to IU in 2008 when she came to the campus for a soccer camp. Not only did she impress the coaching staff, but she was named MVP of the camp, which she said helped her in her decision to play college soccer.“The camp was a great experience,” Melink said. “Just seeing how well the team worked together and how involved the players were, it gave me the confidence that I could play at a Division I school. It opened up my options and made me work even harder to get out on the field.”Melink was redshirted her freshman year and saw limited action in her first year playing as a sophomore. Last season she spent the year playing out of position on the defensive side of the ball, but proved her commitment to the position and impressed her new coaching staff.“Her commitment has shown,” IU Coach Amy Berbary said. “She has been at a number of positions in her time here that she was not necessarily used to focusing on.”Melink started every game last season as a defender. It was not her natural position, but she said she believes the experience made her a better player from simply guarding against the position she was used to playing.“I learned so much,” Melink said. “I had never really been in the back line, but I was able to learn how the back line works, and how it transitions to the rest of the field. Defending forward and watching what runs they made and how they got to the ball really helped my understanding of how to play the position and learn what works.”After spending the year playing on defense, Melink got the opportunity to win a starting spot on the offense. Berbary said she was impressed with the way Melink was focused on earning this spot.“It is unbelievable,” Berbary said. “When we left for summer I knew that Monica was focused and was ready to come back here to play. I couldn’t have told you she was going to start for us. For her to come in fit and ready and to win that starting spot and to actually produce has been incredible.”Her play has caught her teammates’ attention, including IU’s returning point scorer from last year, Lisa Nouanesengsy.Along with the influence she is making on the field, Melink has proven herself in the classroom. She was one of 56 student athletes to record a 3.7 or higher grade point average last year while studying at the Kelley School of Business.Melink has had to find a balance between her schoolwork and soccer. She uses both to motivate her and pick her up when she struggles.“There are times when I’m not doing as well on the field when I say I need to be pushing myself and be winning in something, and that just pushes me in school,” she said. “If I have a bad day on the field then that really pushes me in the classroom. When I am doing well in the classroom it just pushes me to do even better on the field.“As a fourth year junior, Melink has stepped into a leadership position on the team.“Monica is a quiet leader,” Berbary said. “She doesn’t say much, but when she does, people listen. She shows her leadership at practice whether she says anything or not.”Melink said she does not feel the need to be a vocal leader, but instead tries to lead through her actions.“I just think you need to act like you want everyone else to act,” Melink said. “It is not always necessary to yell at everyone. Instead, you just need to lead by example.”Berbary said she stresses the importance of finding players with good character when she recruits. Although Berbary was not part of the process to recruit Melink, Berbary said Melink has been just the type of player she wanted.“In recruiting, I have learned over the years that you can’t only recruit the best players, you need to go after the ones with the best character,” Berbary said. “It could be the next coming of Abby Wambach, but if she does not do all the right things off the field and on the field, then we can’t have her part of our program. Monica is the epitome of that. She does all the right things on the field and off the field.”Melink has not been able to find the back of the net since her breakthrough game against Georgia Southern, but she will be out on the field again this weekend — being patient, waiting for her chance.“I always like finding and creating opportunities for myself and other players on the field,” Melink said. “You obviously have to love the game in order to stick with it, but the team makes that easier.”
(09/02/13 9:01pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU women’s soccer team stormed back from an early deficit to win 3-1 against Milwaukee on Friday but suffered its first setback of the season when Loyola forced a scoreless draw on Sunday to bring IU’s record to 3-0-1.Milwaukee struck first Friday with a goal in the 17th minute that forced the Hoosiers to play catch-up for the first time all season.The game was delayed because of weather, which IU Coach Amy Berbary said she believed affected her players.“We started the game a little bit late,” Berbary said. “We sat around a little bit because of the rain delay and we started the game flat.”The Hoosiers responded with a pair of goals from junior midfielder Bekah White from 35 feet and sophomore midfielder Kayleigh Steigerwalt from 43 feet to close out the first half. Berbary said she was pleased with the way her team stepped up after trailing for the first time all season.“We scored a goal to go up just before halftime and we never really looked back,” she said. “I was really pleased with the way they responded to the adversity.”Senior goalie Shannon Flower said she saw a change in the way this year’s team was playing in the face of adversity.“If this was our team last year, I think we would have put our heads down and kind of given up a little bit,” Flower said. “But this team is completely different. I don’t think I saw anybody put their heads down.“It was like, ‘All right here we go, we’ve got to score two now.’It was really good to see that the goal didn’t really affect anybody, it was just, ‘All right next one, here we go.’”Not only did they regain the lead, but senior midfielder Lisa Nouansengsy added a third goal in the second half off an assist from senior forward Rebecca Candler to extend the lead.That goal added breathing room after IU was forced to play at an 11-to-10 disadvantage for the final 20 minutes when freshman midfielder Veronica Ellis was issued a red card.Despite being down a player, Berbary saw her defense hold the Panthers from scoring again to preserve the 3-1 victory.“They did a great job of adjusting to what we were trying to deal with,” Berbary said. “We did better with 10 on the field in that last 20 minutes than we had done with 11.”Sunday against Loyola, the Hoosiers failed to keep their winning streak alive, but remained unbeaten by forcing a tie. The game went 110 minutes without either team scoring despite IU outshooting Loyola 20-8.The Hoosiers had a number of near misses, including four shots that caromed off the crossbar. One of those came off the foot of junior midfielder Abby Smith, who had a shot ricochet off the crossbar in the second 92nd minute.The near misses would become a recurring theme for the day.Berbary was disappointed that IU could not come out with a win, but she was still pleased with the season’s start.“It is a little disappointing after dominating the game and not coming out with a victory,” Berbary said. “But we really only allowed one goal in four games and that really just says a lot about our team.”The Hoosiers will be heading home for their next six games. Flower said she thinks the team will be coming back with confidence after adding a win and a tie on the road.“To not lose during the weekend is a definite confidence booster, especially for our road games in the Big Ten,” Flower said. “It is really hard to go on the road and win. We know that we will be able to rise to the occasion and get stuff done.”
(08/30/13 4:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU women’s soccer coach Amy Berbary said she is not a defensive-minded coach, yet her team has not allowed a single goal this year.They have outscored opponents 6-0 and held Georgia Southern to only two shot attempts last Sunday in a 5-0 win at home against the Eagles.As IU prepares for a weekend road trip to play Milwaukee on Friday and Loyola of Chicago on Sunday, the offensive-minded Berbary has shifted her focus to the defensive side of the ball.“Ask anyone that knows me and they’d all tell you that I’m the most offensive-minded coach you’d ever meet,” Berbary said. “But I have changed my tune. Defending has become our number one key.”That defense has been an anchor for the Hoosiers early in the season. They have outshot opponents 32-10 en route to recording two consecutive shutout wins. Junior midfielder Tori Keller said she believes the shutout streak will be put to the test Friday when they square off against Milwaukee. “They lost their first two games, so they are going to come out guns blazing,” Keller said. “We need to stay focused and keep our streak alive.”Although it is coming off of two losses, Milwaukee has proven to be a winning program in the recent past. They have appeared in the last five NCAA tournaments and have won 13 consecutive Horizon League championships.“They are going to come after us,” Berbary said. “They are hungry for a win. They haven’t won yet, but they are a great possession team. They have experience winning their conference and being an NCAA tournament team the last five years. I have no doubt that they are going to come out trying to put behind those two losses on Friday.”Junior midfielder Rebecca Dreher is ready to get play underway Friday as the Hoosiers look to begin 3-0 for the second consecutive season.Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen