Looking for Success in 2002 (8-15-02)

8/15/2002 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey

Bloomington, Ind. - In the last two seasons, the Indiana field hockey team has taken its steps. Last season, it picked up its first Division I victory over Ball State, and will now look to build a championship tradition.

"After two years of developing the fundamentals and focusing on teaching the game, we are ready to change gears and place a greater emphasis on competing," said head coach Amy Robertson. "Our past training and practice methods have prepared us to take the next step in the building process. We have raised our standards a great deal over the past year and know we have the tools necessary to really compete and win games at the Division I level in the upcoming season. Now that the foundation is in place we are very excited to begin a tradition of success as we pursue our vision of building a championship program."
The fundamentals and training are not all that has improved. Robertson believes this Hoosier squad is the closest in the three years of the program's existence.

"At the conclusion of the spring, we were a closer team than we have ever been, and we are excited to get to know our new players and carry the unity into the fall," Robertson said. "In the process of building a program it can be very tricky to maintain positive team dynamics so we will be taking a step-by-step approach to creating positive interpersonal chemistry within the team structure."

Despite wanting to increase the level of competitiveness, Robertson feels that the hard work and measures of this team are no different than in the two previous years.

"This season will be no different in how we measure our success...it is always a process and not just an end result," Robertson said. "We will focus on striving for daily forward progress in practice, games and in the classroom. Each and every one of us are responsible for examining our role and using feedback from games and daily situations to find ways to continue to make the program better."

The Hoosiers return a solid nucleus in the defensive end of the field. Indiana welcome back senior Akila Jones and sophomores Kayla Bashore, Lauren Brophy, Margaret Dunne and Brooke Evans. The Hoosiers will also return both of their goalkeepers, senior Molly Pulkrabek and sophomore Katie Kanara.

Bashore became the first Hoosier to be selected to an All-Big Ten squad last season when she was a second-team pick. She finished the season with seven points on two goals and three assists from her back position.

Pulkrabek and Kanara both put up impressive numbers last season as well. They split time, with Kanara making eight starts and Pulkrabek making nine.
"We will be returning both of our goalkeepers from last year who split time and both had outstanding save percentages," Robertson said.

Kanara was an All-Tournament team selection at the Big Ten Championships at Ohio State. She made 82 saves on the season, while only allowing 26 goals. Her goals against average was 2.73 with a save percentage of 75.9 percent. Pulkrabek made 85 saves allowing only 30 goals. Her save percentage was 72.0 percent, while her goals against average was 3.92.

The Hoosiers return four midfielders and four forwards from last season's squad. In the midfield, Indiana returns seven point scorers Erica Nilsson (3 goals, 1 assist) and Ryan Woolsey (2, 3). Junior Ginna Irwin and sophomore Jamie Baldwin are the other two returnees in the Hoosiers midfield.

At the forward position, IU brings back senior Lindsay Schafer, junior Jaime O'Pray, and sophomores Kim Nash and Lindsey Nealis. Nash comes back as the Hoosiers' leading scorer from last year with nine points. She had four goals and one assist on the season. In the Hoosiers' first-ever Division I victory over Ball State, Nash scored two goals, including the eventual game-winner.

All five incoming freshmen will also help the Hoosiers at the midfield and forward positions. Morgan Albini (Escondido, Calif./San Pasqual), Nikki Orciuch (West Falmouth, Ma./Falmouth), Mallory Reabold (Lehighton, Pa./Lehighton Area), Amelia Quane (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park River Forest), and Lesley Wiler (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch) will all contribute for the Hoosiers.

"We have a lot of speed and athleticism coming out of our freshman class, which will give us a more threatening and attacking look to our forward and midfield line," Robertson said. "We will be able to fit players more neatly into the positions that they are best suited for rather than placing them in a position to fill a gap. We will be able to play in a multitude of systems because of the depth on the squad and the increase in game experience of the returnees.We are actually fewer in numbers this year but greater in quality."

The Hoosiers will return a total of 13 letterwinners, including eight of 11 starters this season. With the number of returning players and upperclassmen, Robertson feels confident in the leadership and determination of her team.

"One major advantage that we will have this season is greater leadership from our upperclassmen who now know what it takes to be successful at the Big Ten level," Robertson said. "Our team is very hungry for success and we are willing to work hard in preparation and in every single game."