Latino Scores Hat Trick in 3-2 Overtime Win Against Miami

Sunday, September 10

Bloomington, IN

12 PM

Indiana University

(4-2)

Miami

(2-4)

OT 1

Miami

Indiana

Latino Scores Hat Trick in 3-2 Overtime Win Against Miami

9/10/2017 4:52:00 PM | Field Hockey

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Hoosiers roll to four-game winning streak; finish weekend with 2-0 home record

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana's field hockey team came from behind to win a dramatic contest on Sunday at the IU Field Hockey Complex, a 3-2 overtime triumph over Miami University. In both halves the RedHawks (2-4) created opportunities to regain the lead but the Hoosiers (4-2) pushed to the finish, finding a late tying goal before scoring the sudden victory game-winner in overtime.

"It was a tough fight today," said head coach Amanda Janney. "Miami is a talented team and they really put us under pressure. We're so pleased with our team to fight back from being down a goal, it really shows the character of our squad."

Senior forward Maddie Latino did it all for the Hoosiers on offense in the win, scoring her first career hat trick and seventh career game-winning goal (T-6^th all time at IU). Latino evened the score in the last minute of the first half, forced overtime with ten minutes to go in regulation, and tapped in the decisive overtime score on a penalty corner.

Freshman forward Bente Buwalda registered her first career assist, providing a crucial touch to Elle Hempt's sublime long ball that set up the tying score in the firts half. Goalkeeper Katie Johnson collected four saves in her extended shift, two of which were incredibly deft deflections at close proximity.

Trailing 1-0 after Miami's Kirsten McNeil scored on a penalty corner, Indiana sensed a need to grab the momentum before they headed to the locker room. The Hoosiers persisted until the final minute of the half, when an opportunity opened for the tying score.

With less than a minute on the clock, Hempt hammered a long ball down the field looking for an attacker. Her delivery redirected from Buwalda's touch and found Latino, who was set up behind their line of defense. The Hoosier senior turned, took a touch to her right, and lunged to poke her shot past the goalkeeper. The score gave Latino her third goal in as many games and tied the line at 1-1 entering halftime.

"I just happened to be in the right place at the right time," Latino said, commending Hempt's delivery on the assist. "I don't know how many times you're going to get a gift like that in front of the goal. I've never had an opportunity like that in four years here, so I was glad to be there and relieved to convert the goal."

Miami issued another challenge in the 56^th minute, when Allie Grace Joyner regained a RedHawks lead on a penalty corner. Latino answered in similar fashion just four minutes later, poaching the deflection from Ciara Girouard's initial corner hit into the boards. That score knotted the game once again at 2-2, which held after 70 minutes of regulation.

The Hoosiers found themselves in a similar situation to last season, when they played to overtime against Miami in Oxford. Determined to find the positive result this time around, Indiana jumped on the attack with the first offensive pressure. Latino entered the circle and forced the period's first penalty corner.

And that corner in the 75^th minute was all the Hoosiers needed to prevail with Janney's second overtime win of her tenure at Indiana. Latino once again got her stick on the save rebound to convert for the third time of the afternoon, earning the 15^th hat trick in Indiana field hockey history and the team's second this season.

"Overtime wins feel great," Janney said. "It's really hard to play seven-on-seven and the girls really exhausted themselves out there, so it's exciting to come away with a big win today."

Game Notes:
• Maddie Latino's hat trick was the first of her career, the 15^th in IU Field Hockey history, and the second by a Hoosier this season (Ciara Girouard, 9/4 at Villanova).
• Latino now has 19 career goals, which is tied with Niki Orciuch (2002-05) for ninth all-time in Indiana's record books.
• Latino's six points in the game moves her to 54 in her career (8^th – IU history). She also vaulted to a tie for sixth all-time with seven game-winning goals for Indiana (Morgan Miller, 2003-06). Her three game-winners this year ties a personal season best.
• For Amanda Janney, this win is her first over Miami since arriving at Indiana. It's also the first 2-0 home start for Janney in three seasons at the Hoosiers' helm.
• Indiana's four-game winning streak is the longest since 2015, when Indiana beat Ball State (9/18), No. 16 Iowa (9/25), No. 14 Northwestern (9/27), and Kent State (10/2).
• Bente Buwalda scored the first point by a freshman this season with her assist in the first half.

Up Next: Indiana (4-2) vs. No. 11 Maryland (3-2)
Friday, Sept. 15 • 3:00 p.m. ET • Bloomington, Ind. • IU Field Hockey Complex
Live Stats • Watch: BTN Plus • @HoosiersFH on Twitter

Indiana enters the gauntlet of Big Ten Field Hockey action next weekend, as they open their conference slate with the No. 11 Maryland Terrapins. The Hoosiers seek their first win in the all-time series, having played three times since 2014, and the game will be the first against Maryland at home for coach Janney. The Terrapins took a 4-1 result in College Park last season.

Maryland regained a winning record on Sunday afternoon with their 1-0 win over No. 9 Louisville at home. The Terrapins won their home opener against Saint Joseph's, 2-1, before dropping a pair of games against No. 1 Duke and No. 8 Boston College last weekend at Spooky Nook in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

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