Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Opens Big Ten Season
9/19/2000 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
September 19, 2000
Hoosiers Open Big Ten Season
Amy Robertson |
Game Data
The Indiana field hockey team returns home after a two-game road trip to begin Big Ten play against the Michigan Wolverines. The game will take place at Mellancamp Pavilion on Friday, September 22 at 3 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 are 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
In Head Coach Amy Robertson’s third game of the season, the Hoosiers fell to Miami (Ohio) 9-0. Roberston 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. Roberston 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.
Robertson on Redhawk Shutout
“We started out well, shutting them out for the first 23 minutes. They went on to score two quick goals and our focus seemed lost.”
“We allowed too many turnovers on our free kicks. This is something we will continue to focus on in practice this week.”
“(Miami) has a hungry group of girls. They could hit the ball very hard and outhustled us overall.”
Robertson on Michigan Matchup
“Michigan is number four in the country and will be a tough game. As a team we are excited to see what top Big Ten competition is like.”
“We will look to play hard defense but also get some shots off of our own. No matter what, we will get a positive experience out of 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.
Teammates Again
Although new to IU, several girls are continuing their field hockey career with their teammates from high school. 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.
Familiar Foes
This weeks meeting between the Hoosiers and Wolverines will not be the first introductions for all of the players. Several of the girls on either squad are from the same hometown or went to the same high schools. Indiana’s Abby Schwab and Jordan Izsak from Toledo, Ohio reunite with U of M’s Jennifer Zangara. All are in their freshman seasons from Ottawa Hills High School. IU sophomore Erica Nilsson from Lake Forest High School in Lake Forest, Ill. sees two familiar Wolverine faces in Molly Maloney and Jeanne Shin. Freshman Ginna Irwin comes to Indiana from Ann Arbor, Michigan where she attended Pioneer High School. Visiting IU from Irwin’s hometown are Michigan’s Laura Stinson, Maureen Tasch, and Anneke Huntzicker
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 as a varsity sport nearly two decades later and promises to add to the long list of successful women’s sports at Indiana University.
Field Hockey Revisited
Kay Burrus was beside herself when she learned that field hockey was returning to IU as a varsity sport. Burrus started the first field hockey team in the fall of 1962. Many of the players had never played the game at that time so she faced the task of teaching the game to half of the squad and coaching the other half. She remembers watching the players develop a love and skill for the game. Her last year as coach was in 1976. Currently she is the Associate Dean for Academic Program Administration in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. She attended the first game against Slippery Rock this past weekend and had a feeling of great anticipation for what the team could accomplish.
Burrus on Coach Robertson:
“She (Robertson) has great enthusiasm for developing the team at IU. This can be a frustrating time for her but in a few years she will look back to the earlier years with great pleasure and good memories. I wish the best to Coach Robertson and the players, and look forward to watching many games.”
Lucky Number Seven
The Hoosiers join Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, 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.
Wolverine Warzone
Michigan opens its Big Ten season against IU. The Wolverines are coming off a 20-7 record in 1999. Only one goal separated the Wolverines from the National Championship last season. The second place finish has Michigan’s sights set on the gold-toned national trophy in 2000. The Wolverines have 14 returning players on their squad as well as one of the nation’s best reqruiting classes. U of M visits IU with a 7-1-0 record, its only loss coming to North Carolina in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
Head Coach Marcia Pankratz has high expectations for her team.
“Our key is everyone has to work as hard as we can, and we all start at the same level, from the seniors to the walk-on freshmen.” Pankratz, in her fifth season at Michigan, needs 10 wins to become Wolverine field hockey’s most victorious coach.
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. Pulkrabek played the second half of IU’s debut with Slippery Rock and is credited with one save and one goal allowed. She is a previous soccer goalie and also played vollyball and was a cheerleader. Pulkrabek joins the field hockey team from Barrington, Ill., with a major in accounting.
Just Zandy
Alexandra Kaufman, better known to her teammates as Zan, is a senior from Greenwich, Conn. Kaufman has had her work cut out for her in goal for the Hoosiers this season. Kaufman has started all three games for IU and played a total of 175 minutes. She’s given up 14 total goals and is credited with 27 saves. 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.
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. On the field, her superb defense and inspiration keeps the Hoosier heads up. Hults has been pushing for a varsity field hockey team since her freshman year at Indiana. Five years later, her dream has come true.
Mager Threat
Junior Brooke Magers accompanies the club team members in hopes of making Indiana a top field hockey program. The Northfield, Ill. native, Magers is majoring in psychology/sociology. Her field hockey team won the state championship in 1995 and 1996. Magers is a three-year letterwinner in field hockey as well as track in high school.
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. Schafer was named All-District and received the Bess Hayner Award for field hockey.
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 in high school. She has been a member of the Singing Hoosiers 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 in high school. Wah is from Midlothian, Virginia and is majoring in biology.
