Indiana University Athletics
Field Hockey to Face Slippery Rock
8/30/2000 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Game Data
In the first-ever field hockey game at Indiana University, the Hoosiers will take on the Slippery Rock Rockets at John Mellencamp Pavilion on Saturday September 2nd at 1:00 p.m.
www.athletics.indiana.edu
Indiana University unveiled a new look to its athletic website with the start of the 2000 season. Complete game results will be made available on the web at www.athletics.indiana.edu following the event. In addition, the women's field hockey page includes updated statistics, player and staff bios, and honors and weekly features on current athletes.
Meet Head Coach Amy Robertson
Amy Robertson was named Indiana's field hockey head coach on March 30, 2000.
Robertson joined the Hoosiers after serving as an assistant coach at Wake Forest for the past three seasons. While with the Demon Deacons, she helped lead the squad to an 18-4 record, a school-best national ranking of third, and a trip to its first NCAA Tournament. A trio of Robertson's Demon Deacons earned All-America honors.
She helped turn the program around as Wake Forest went from 9-11 to 18-4 in her three seasons.
Prior to her tenure at Wake Forest, Robertson, who has appeared in four final fours as a coach and a player, spent five seasons as an assistant coach at her alma mater, the University of Massachusetts.
Success Throughout Robertson's Career...
-Coached on teams that posted an overall mark of 169-60-6
-Advanced to seven NCAA Tournaments as a coach
-Coached in the three NCAA final fours
-Played in one NCAA final four
-Coached 10 National Team players collegiately
-Coached 10 All-Americans
Quoting Robertson
"I believe Slippery Rock is one of the best matchups we could have asked for in our opening game."
"Being a Pennsylvania school, they (Slippery Rock) offer a very competitive program. I believe Pennsylvania high schools are top in the country as far as reqruiting is concerned."
"Slippery Rock is a Division II school, but that really doesn't do them justice. They are a well-coached team which will provide us with a close match-up. As a team, we are excited for this game."
Assistant Coach Sandy Willmott
Field hockey is new to Indiana University, but Sandy Willmott is not new to Indiana University field hockey. Willmott joins the staff this season as the team's assistant coach after serving as the IU field hockey club head coach for two seasons (1998 and 1999).
He brings a wealth of knowledge about the game from his homeland of Guildford, England. The Cambridge University (United Kingdom) graduate was also the institution's women's field hockey head coach from 1991-1993.
While coaching Cambridge, he led the team to its first promotion to the East Super League and he mentored six junior international team players.
Familiar Faces
Although new to IU, several girls are continuing their field hockey career with their teammates from high school. Freshmen Lauren Micka and Meredith Price join junior Kelly Lewis from Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville, Kentucky. From Ottawa Hills High School in Toledo, Ohio, teammates Jordan Izsak and Abby Schwab attempt to put Indiana field hockey on the Big Ten map.
Starting from Scratch
Field hockey was part of the Indiana University intercollegiate program for women from 1972-1981. In the Spring of 1982 it was decided that the sport would no longer be offered at Indiana University. Over the last two years, field hockey has had a co-ed organized club team but no team of varsity status. The field hockey team has now returned to the Bloomington campus nearly two decades later and promises to add to the long list of successful women's sports at Indiana University.
Lucky Number Seven
The Hoosiers join Iowa, Michigan, Michigan St., Ohio St., Northwestern, and Penn State to become the seventh member of the Big Ten field hockey conference. Field hockey was a Big Ten sport from 1981-1988 with a six-team league. From 1988-92 there was not enough Big Ten sponsorship to have an official conference championship. The sport was reinstated when Penn State joined the conference in 1992. With Indiana's addition Big Ten field hockey will have the most teams in conference history.
Experienced Ladies
As fans take in Indiana field hockey for the first time, many of the Hoosiers will be continuing a game they've enjoyed since high school. With one exception, all 18 women on the roster have played high school field hockey, five of which are incoming freshmen. Upperclassmen Tania Hults, Kiersten Lehner, Kelly Lewis, Brooke Magers, Erica Nilsson, Rebecca Sward, Lindsay Schafer, Anna Ward, and Kim Wah competed together on the IU club team in the previous years.
On the Rock
After a "rocky" 1999 season, Slippery Rock head coach Tricia Sterling is attempting to rebound from a 2-12 season. Sterling is in her third year as head coach with an overall record of 10-18. The Slippery Rock roster is made up of a very young group of women with all but two returning from the 1999 squad.
Getting to Know You
Indiana is made up of one fifth-year senior, two seniors, four juniors, six sophomores, and five freshman. Eleven of the players are from the Midwest, states including Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Michigan. The rest of the roster travels from the eastern side of the US. Two girls are from Maryland, one from Pennsylvania, one from Connecticut and one from Virginia.
Inside the Cage
Sophomore Molly Pulkrabek will be taking her turn keeping balls from where they don't belong. Puldrabek is a previous soccer goalie and also played vollyball and was a cheerleader. She joins the field hockey team from Barrington, Ill., with a major in accounting.
H20 Polo
Alexandra Kaufman, a senior from Greenwich, Conn., will also be helping the Hoosiers in goal this season. Last season she played on the IU water polo team. In high school, she lettered in field hockey, track, and softball. She is majoring in business.
Homewood bound
From Homewood, Ill., sophomore Anna Ward joins the Hoosiers with field hockey experience under her belt. She played defense for her high school field hockey team and was named second team All-State during her 1998 season. She was active in high school, serving as treasurer of the Key Club, and a member of the National Honors Society.
Archrivals
Being rivals in high school won't effect the teamwork of Anna Ward and Erica Nilsson as they make their IU debut. Nilsson, from Lake Forest, Ill., has much competition though as three of her highschool teammates play field hockey for Big Ten rivals Michigan and Northwestern. Nilsson is a three-year letterwinner in field hockey and soccer and has also lettered in gymnastics.
The Start of it All
Considered the experienced leader of the Indiana field hockey team, fifth-year senior Tania Hults hopes to lead the Hoosiers as far as she can in her last year at IU. Hults has been pushing for a varsity field hockey team since her freshman year at Indiana. Five years later her dream has come true. Hults is from Arlington Heights Ill., where she was a four-year letter winner in field hockey, soccer, and basketball. Hult is a business major.
Mager Threat
Junior Brooke Magers accompanies the club team members in hopes of making Indiana a top field hockey program. Magers is from Northfield, Ill. and is majoring in psychology/sociology. Her field hockey team won the State Championshipin 1995 and 1996. Magers is a three year letter winner in field hockey as well as track.
A Writer Among Us
Journalism major Lindsay Schafer will be covering the midfield for Indiana. A sophomore from Dayton, Ohio, Schafer lettered in field hockey as a midfielder and also served as captain. She was named All-District and received the Bess Hayner Award.
A Head Above the Rest
At 5-11, junior Akila Jones stands taller than her Hoosier teammates. Jones comes to Indiana from Potomac, Maryland and is majoring in general studies with a minor psychology. She is a four-year letterwinner in basketball and field hockey and has also lettered in track. She has been a member of the Singing Hoosier for the past two years.
Fore Sward
After moving to the state of Indiana prior to her junior year, Becky Sward began playing golf at Valparaiso. The lone Indiana native made it to the state regionals in golf. Sward is majoring in finance.
All Around Athlete
From field hockey to bowling, sophomore Kim Wah has done it all. Wah is a three-year participant in field hockey, lacrosse, and figure skating and also bowled for four years. Wah is from Midlothian, Virginia and is majoring in biology.
