Indiana University Athletics
No. 8 Hoosiers Set for Another Tough Weekend
9/28/2005 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Sept. 28, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - No. 8 Indiana field hockey team is set for another tough weekend of competition. The Hoosiers, who topped then-No. 6 Michigan State last Saturday, travel to Ann Arbor to take on their second Big Ten opponent of the season in No. 13 Michigan on Friday, Sept. 30 at 4 p.m. Wasting no time, IU turns around to square off against Kent State on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 1 p.m. in Kent, Ohio. The Hoosiers are looking to improve their overall record to 10-1 and 2-0 in the Big Ten.
"Michigan has been that team that we have always looked up to," head coach Amy Robertson said. "We hope we can carry the momentum we have gained from the Michigan State win and have similar results. We need to play our game for 70 minutes. Although it feels great to be ranked in the top ten, we are taking it one game at a time. I know this team is capable of great things and we are going to continue to prove that again this weekend."
Indiana Cracks the Top Ten
For the first time in program history, the Indiana field hockey team cracked the top ten of the NFHCA rankings. The No. 8 ranking replaces last week's No. 11 ranking as the highest in history. Additionally, this is the first time IU has been ranked for three straight weeks.
Not Just a Face in the Crowd
Senior Kayla Bashore was featured in Sept. 26 Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd" for her performance so far this season and being the first player from IU to be named to the U.S. National Team.
Last Time Out
The Hoosiers, who are 8-1 overall this season, remained perfect at home with a double-overtime win over then-No. 6 Michigan State and then Lindenwood.
IU's upset over the Spartans marks the first time in nine tries that Indiana has beaten MSU. The 3-2 overtime win avenged three season-ending losses the Hoosiers have suffered at the hands of the Spartans. IU got on the board first with a penalty stroke by Kayla Bashore. The Spartans answered back in the 39th minute, but not before Lydia Schrott raised the score to 2-1. Just before the end of regulation, the Spartans knotted the score once again, sending the game into overtime. 21 minutes later, Indiana finally recorded the win when Kate O'Connell converted the tip from Meredith Brown into the game winning goal. Goalkeeper Haley Exner recorded nine saves in the win.
Despite serious fatigue, the Hoosiers came out strong the following day against Lindenwood and recorded their fourth shutout of the season. The 6-0 win was highlighted by another hat trick from Kayla Bashore, who tallied three consecutive goals in the first period. Also scoring for Indiana was Morgan Miller, Katie Kiper and Mallory Reabold. Freshman goalkeeper Jobi Manson recorded her first collegiate save against the Lions.
Scouting the Opponents
The 6-4 Wolverines are currently 0-1 in the Big Ten with a loss coming from Ohio State on Sept. 23. UM lost three games early to arguably the three best teams in the country, Wake Forest, Maryland and North Carolina. The six wins for the Wolverines came from Temple, Miami (Ohio), Old Dominion, Central Michigan, Vermont and Kent State. Leading Michigan in scoring is senior Katie Morris with eight goals, including a hat trick against Old Dominion.
Kent State is currently 0-9 with a game still to be played on the 30th against Missouri State. Leading the Golden Flashes is Elizabeth Lahey with four goals, followed by Berber Rischen with three goals and two assists. Kent State has suffered losses from James Madison, Dartmouth, Boston College, Syracuse, William & Mary, Wake Forest, Michigan State, Miami (Ohio) and Michigan.
The Series Friday's matchup between Indiana and Michigan marks the sixth time the two teams have met with UM holding a 5-0 overall record. The last time the two teams squared off was on Sept. 24 in Bloomington. Morgan Miller was the only scorer in the 4-1 loss.
Sunday's meeting will be the second time Indiana and Kent State have met. The Hoosiers currently hold the 1-0 advantage in the series. The last time the two schools met was on Oct. 5, 2003 in Bloomington. IU was victorious 1-0 and the win marked the fifth shutout of the season. The Hoosiers only score came from Erica Nilsson off the assist from Lesley Wiler.
