Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Set for Big Ten Opener
9/21/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Penn State and Minnesota Game Notes in PDF Format
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Sept. 21, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana women's soccer team begins its Big Ten season on the road this week at Penn State on Friday, Sept. 23, followed by a trip to Minnesota on Sunday, Sept. 25. The Hoosiers currently stand 4-3-1 on the season, and will meet the unbeaten Nittany Lions for a 7 p.m. start on Friday. The Golden Gophers will battle Purdue at home for its Big Ten opener before hosting the Hoosiers on Sunday at 1 p.m.
"We are excited to start the Big Ten season," head coach Mick Lyon said. "We have two big road games ahead of us, and we are looking to come back with two wins. Both are extremely tough games against some quality teams."
•HEAD COACH Mick Lyon's PREVIEW AGAINST PENN STATE•
"Penn State has had a great start to their season and are a top-notch program," head coach Mick Lyon said. "They are prime to be knocked off, is the approach we are taking to the game as a team. We cannot come into the game looking at the statistics and records. We have to see that we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. We match up fairly well against their players and it will be an extremely competitive match. When we step on the field, all statistics and records are out, instead its just two Big Ten schools battling for points on the scoreboard."
•HEAD COACH Mick Lyon's PREVIEW AGAINST MINNESOTA•
"We have always had good games against Minnesota," head coach Mick Lyon said. "They are a competitive team and will come out tough in their Big Ten opening weekend. Their style of attacking and countering attacking will make it a good challenge for our team, but we have to continue to limit opponents chances on the offensive side why applying pressure on their goal. Then it will become the same story of whether we can convert on our chances."
•LAST TIME OUT•
The Indiana women's soccer team defeated visiting Bowling Green, 2-0, on Yeagley Field at Armstrong Stadium. Senior defender Robin Barker and junior forward Megan Pipkens notched their first goals of the season to lift the Hoosiers over the Falcons to finish a weekend home sweep.
The win moved Indiana to 4-3-1 on the season, while the Falcons dropped to 4-4. The first half of action sent both teams to the locker room even on the scoreboard at zero, with the Hoosiers in control of the affair with eight shots. Indiana dominated the first half, spending most of its time on the Bowling Green doorstep with four corners and two shots on goal. The Hoosier defense allowed only one shot on goal during the first 45, while Bowling Green's goalie, Ali Shingler, stayed busy with nine saves.
The Hoosier offense opened the scoring frenzy in the second, first strike coming from the head of Barker. Barker received the setup from freshman midfielder Molly Kruger off a right corner kick that landed perfectly in Barker's possession to notch the first goal in the right side of the net in the 53rd minute. Barker's goal is her first of the year, and Kruger notched her third assist in her debut season.
Just 18 seconds later, the Hoosiers struck again off a feed from sophomore forward Lindsay McCarthy, who displayed some moves to pass her defender before giving up the ball to Pipkens for her first goal of the 2005 campaign, ninth overall in her career. McCarthy notched her first assist, while the two points are Pipkens' first of the season.
•SCOUTING PENN STATE•
The Hoosiers will open Big Ten play on the road against the No. 3-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions. The Lions are the highest ranked team in the conference, and enter the affair unbeaten with a perfect 8-0 record. Indiana has beaten Penn State once in 14 tries (1-13-0), 1-0 in 1996, the win coming in the Big Ten tournament. Penn State has won the last 10 meetings, four times holding IU scoreless during the streak.
Penn State got its second consecutive shutout in its last outing, defeating James Madison at Jeffrey Field, 2-0. Penn State is having its best start in program history going unbeaten to date. Freshman Allie Long (Northport, N.Y.) scored her first career goal, the game winner.
•SCOUTING MINNESOTA•
Indiana will finish off its conference-opening weekend at Minnesota. IU is 5-8-2 against the Golden Gophers, winning the two teams last match up in Bloomington, 2-1, in double overtime. The two teams have three times taken it the distance of double overtime, Indiana taking the only win, with the other two ending in ties. The Hoosiers have defeated Minnesota three of the last four times, out-coring the Golden Gophers, 7-3.
The Golden Gophers lost to Villanova, 1-0, in Hanover, Del., in the team's last outing. The Wildcats' Valerie Grow scored with 15 minutes to play to give Villanova the victory. The Gophers will open their Big Ten season at home against Purdue on Friday before hosting IU on Sunday. Minnesota managed just two shots in the contest against the Wildcats, who held a 17-2 advantage in attempts. Senior goalkeeper Molly Schneider recorded six saves in the defeat.
•TALES FROM THE ROAD•
Overall, Indiana is 3-6-3 in Big Ten openers. On the road, IU is 1-3-1, with its sole win coming against Northwestern, 2-1, during the 1999 season. This will be the fourth time the Hoosiers have opened conference action against the Nittany Lions.
•BIG TEN ACCOLADES•
Sophomore defender Beverly Markwort earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors for the week ending Sept. 16 announced the conference office this week. This recognition is Markwort's first-career conference honor, while it is Indiana's first selection since senior goalkeeper Lauren Fabbro garnered defensive honors on Sept. 27, 2004.
Markwort earned the conference accolade by contributing to a back unit that led Indiana to a 2-0 weekend. The sophomore defender led an Indiana defense that allowed just six shots on goal over the weekend, and 10 shots overall over two matches. The Hoosiers downed Butler, 2-1, on Friday and shutout Bowling Green, 2-0, on Sunday. The victory over Bowling Green is Indiana's third shutout of the season.
•DEFENSE TO OFFENSE•
Senior back Robin Barker scored her third game-winning goal of her career against Bowling Green Sept. 18 to rank 10th all-time in the category. The Brownsburg, Ind., native has scored six goals over her four year career, all coming from the back position. The senior has been able to turn the solid IU defense, which has turned out three shutouts so far this season, into a formidable offense. Indiana's defense also teamed together to hold its last two opponents to a combined ten shots.
•A TEAM AFFAIR•
The Hoosiers have become what head coach Mick Lyon called, "A multi-headed monster," as Indiana has scored from every position on the field, minus goalie. Senior back Robin Barker got into the action over the weekend by scoring the Hoosiers' game-winner against Bowling Green. Forward Megan Pipkens scored her first goal of the 2005 campaign during the 2-0 shutout of the Falcons, while senior midfielder Kristen Zmijewski (3), sophomores forward Kristin Radcliffe (1) and midfielder Katy Stewart (1) and freshman forward Molly Beckwith (1) round out the 2005 scorers.
•DIRECTING THE TROOPS•
Senior Kristen Zmijewski was named the 2005 team captain for the Hoosiers and has taken the role to heart. As an on- and off-the-field leader, Zmijewski has led the Hoosiers to a 4-3-1 record on the season, while scoring three of IU's nine goals in 2005.
Zmijewski currently leads the team in points with six, and entered the IU record books with 11 goals in her career to rank eighth all-time. The Aurora, Ill., native also ranks seventh in game-winning goals, with four in her career.
•SHUTTING OUT THE COMPETITION•
The Hoosiers have held an opponent scoreless three times in the 2005 campaign, the first coming in a 0-0 tie against Loyola Marymount in the season opener, followed a 1-0 victory against the Iowa State Cyclones. The most recent shutout came against Bowling Green, as the Hoosiers handed the Falcons a 2-0 defeat at home.
•FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH•
Freshman Molly Beckwith and Molly Kruger have teamed to be two of IU's most talented feet on the field. Beckwith (a goal and two assists) currently has four points to her name on the season, while Kruger has tallied a team-best three assists, leads all Hoosiers with 23 shots and is tied for most shots on goal with nine.
Kruger has started every match for Indiana at the midfield position, while Beckwith has remained a solid reserve at forward, registering action in every game as a valuable substitute.
•HOOSIER HONORS•
Seniors Kristen Zmijewski and Courtney O'Bryan represented the Indiana Hoosiers on the 11-player Hoosier Classic All-Tournament team, after leading IU to a 1-1 record over at the Classic. Zmijewski, a midfielder, and O'Bryan a defender, made the first ever all-tournament list as IU hosted the inaugural Classic inviting then-No.18 ranked Marquette, Miami (Fla.) and Xavier for the event. Marquette took home the tournament title with a 2-0 record, while Miami (1-1) finished second, followed by Indiana (1-1) and Xavier (0-2) in third and fourth.
•GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY•
It was the freshmen duo of Molly Beckwith and Molly Kruger who teamed up to notch the Hoosiers' first goal of the season against Iowa State (9/11). The feat came in the 37th minute of action against the Cyclones, as Beckwith moved toward the goal, collecting a dish from Kruger to knock the ball in for Beckwith and Kruger's first collegiate goal and assist, respectively. IU, which had gone scoreless in its first four contests, could not be denied in its offensive domination of Iowa State, posting a 13 to four shot advantage.
Players Mentioned
