Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers' Back Four Work Well as One
10/16/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 16, 2006
On a brisk, breezy October day, four young women clad in crimson stand in a semi-circle. The lanky, tall one in the pony tail smiles nervously, while the curly-haired England native listens attentively to the question she has to answer. To her left is the outspoken senior who simply can't wait to escape the chill of the autumn breeze. And on the far left is the vocal leader on the field who is nowhere near as conversational when face-to-face with a tape recorder.
But as the interview begins, the task before the foursome becomes simple. After all, they're just talking about soccer, something that Jenna Babcock, Jessica Boots, Lauren Lamping and Kelly Lawrence have known about for more than 10 years.
So what makes these four players, so different in style, background and personality, mesh together so well that they form one of the top defensive units in the nation?
"Because we're the prettiest," Babcock jokes.
In all seriousness, though, these four lead an Indiana defense has allowed just six goals over the last 13 games, a streak during which the Hoosiers have gone 8-1-4 and have jumped all the way to No. 16 in the NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of America) national poll.
"I think we have such a diverse crowd," Lamping says. "Jenna and I have been playing together for a while and we have two new freshmen, but they have a lot of experience. I think we just get along well both on and off the field, and that helps."
Lawrence picks up right where her elder leaves off. "We all work for each other, that's the main thing," the Chigwell, Essex, England native says. "We do what we have to do and go the extra mile to get things done."
In interviews as well as on the playing field, the chemistry of the four defenders is evident to even the most inattentive of observers. And that chemistry and complementary quality, according to IU head coach Mick Lyon, is what made the foursome combine to help the Hoosiers a 13-game unbeaten streak from Sept. 1-Oct. 13.
"I think we have a nice blend of speed, size, and strength," Lyon says. "All four in the back are strong physically. Kelly and Jenna have that great speed and the outside defenders - Boots and Lamping - are just great one-on-one defenders, so it's very difficult for teams to get around the outside of us, which forces them to come back in the middle where we are even stronger. That's given us a great base to go from."
Communication is a major strength of this unit, with Babcock leading the vocal charge. (When asked who talks the most on the field, the other three respond in unison: "Jenna.") But if something needs to be said, any of the four feels confident enough to speak up on the field.
"We're constantly talking to each other, whether we're saying that we're covering someone or if one of us has to drop," Boots says. "Jenna's yelling at us a lot more than anyone, but it's good, we need it."
"When something needs to be said, though," Lawrence interjects, "Lamps will say something, the same with Boots."
Lyon is quick to agree with the assessment.
"They really have to work as a group, their communication is an important element and all four of them are good talkers," the Boston, England, native says. "The two freshmen are a little bit more quiet, so you get a little bit more organization on direction from both Jenna and Lamping. They certainly work well as a unit, and the nice part is they work to the next group, which is the midfield group. They fill gaps and make the link between defense and midfield a strong one because, obviously, the way we play, we want defenders to get involved with our offense."
Part of the reason the four know each other so well is the fact that they have grown accustomed to seeing each other on the field. Babcock, Boots and Lamping have started every game this year, while Lawrence has started each of the last 15, and have played nearly every minute of every game since a 4-0 win over Texas Tech on Sept. 2.
"They've learned the game very well," Lyon says. "Lamping and Jenna have been around for three years, so I've been able to continually talk to them about the shape. The good part is we haven't changed the shape of our back four in four or five years, we've just adapted it a bit based on the personnel. It had a different look to it last year, and this year it's more aggressive because of the balance of athleticism that we have. The ability to slide across, to fill gaps and mark players is very good."
The aggressiveness and ability to counter-attack that the back four hold adds another dimension to the skill with which they play. When opponents try to find their way into the offensive zone, not only is it difficult to find open space, but often the Hoosiers move the ball the other way before the opposition can react. Partly because of that Lamping sits second on the team with eight points this season, and Babcock and Lawrence have each tallied an assist on the year.
"Lamping does well when she takes off down the side," Boots says. "We shift over but I don't really have to worry about her getting back, so that's nice."
"I think we all cover one another well," Lamping adds. "We know each other's strengths and weaknesses, so we can play on that. I know Kelly's good on one-on-ones, so I usually don't have to drop back on those."
A big part of that counter-attack is the team philosophy of controlled aggression that Lyon employs.
"Our philosophy is go get the ball, not drop off," he says. "You go get it and if you are the closest player to the ball, our philosophy of this team is you put your head down and you race to get there, try to steal the ball and be hungry for that. If they have to come out to win that ball then I expect them to be the springboard to our offense, so that means if Jenna wins a ball and carries it forward, that's what we expect her to do. Then, she can produce the kind of pass that helps us either keep the ball or attack the other team."
But the back four would not be nearly as successful if the quartet didn't have a quality keeper behind them. Enter junior Stacey Van Boxmeer, who in her junior year is living up to the hype as one of the best goalkeepers in IU history. The Collingwood, Ont., native has allowed just eight goals on the season and, with her 0.54 goals against average, is on pace to set the school mark for lowest GAA in a single year.
"Defense starts with the goalkeeper, and Stacey is playing very well," Lyon says. "She has a lot of confidence and is fully fit. That gives the back four confidence when they see her securing every ball, kicking well and organizing."
"She's our sweeper, she gets us out of trouble sometimes," says Lawrence, as her teammates voice their agreement. "It's more of a back five than a back four."
For Lyon, who was a four-time Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year while coaching at Evansville, the 2006 Hoosiers represent his strongest chance to bring home a Big Ten title. At 5-1-1, the Hoosiers are off to their best Big Ten start in conference history, and the defense is a big reason why. But is the 2006 IU defense the best he's ever coached?
"It's one of the best," he says. "I had a pretty good one at Evansville for one year, but this certainly matches it and has the opportunity to beat it if we get some hardware at the end of the year."
So for the Hoosiers the goal is clear - win the first regular-season title in program history. And at the center of that are the four young women who are so different in personality, but come together as one on the field - whether they are shutting down the opposition or counting the seconds until the recorder has turned off and they can come in from the cold.
