Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Field Hockey: 2006 Season Preview
7/24/2006 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
July 24, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - After recording the best season in Indiana field hockey history and one of the best years in the country in 2005, the Hoosiers look to capitalize on last year's momentum and experience to make 2006 just as memorable.
Head coach Amy Robertson welcomes back five starters from a season ago in addition to seven newcomers and a talented group of underclassmen who are set to make their impact on the nation's field hockey stage.
The Hoosiers lost six seniors, including All-American and Honda Award semifinalist Kayla Bashore, to graduation. The group, including back Morgan Albini, Bashore, forwards Nikki Orciuch and Mallory Reabold and midfielders Lesley Wiler and Ryan Woolsey, transformed the reinstated program into a top-10 team at the conclusion of their careers.
Despite the loss of six key contributors, IU returns a team with a wealth of experience, confidence and a drive to continue to elevate the program to more new heights. Led by first team NFHCA All-West Region selection Morgan Miller in the backfield and All-American forward Lydia Schrott on the attacking line, Indiana's second NCAA Tournament bid looks in reach for the 2006 squad.
"After what this group experienced in building this program and the success we had last year, this team is really hungry to continue that winning tradition," Robertson said. "There will be a challenge in the beginning to bring this group together with seven incoming freshmen and to really develop and mesh as a team. We want to develop a good structure right from the beginning and continue to build from last year. We have three brand new captains and it will be key for this team for them to develop into that leadership role."
FORWARDS
The Hoosiers, setting the Indiana single-season record for goals scored last year, will look to the forward line for scoring production. Indiana returns three forwards in Schrott, sophomore Katie Kiper and junior Kate O'Connell who made an impact on IU's scoring offense last season.
"It's our goal to have the scoring dispersed among many people," Robertson said. "You are a much more dangerous team when you have many different people stepping up to score. I believe that is what you are going to see from this team this year."
Schrott, the conference's second-leading scorer, returns for her senior season as IU's single-game (3), single-season (17) and career (29) leading scorer. Last season, the Lancaster, Pa., native recorded two hat tricks including a three-goal performance against North Carolina to propel the Hoosiers into the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. The second team All-American also earned first team All-Big Ten honors and NFHCA All-West Region accolades. "Lydia is an unbelievable scorer," Robertson said. "She creates so much for our offense and if she is in position to take a shot, chances are good she can finish. Lydia will be an incredible leader for the forwards."
In addition to Schrott, O'Connell and Kiper will move into starting roles. Both Hoosiers played in every game last season and are poised to enhance IU's offense this year. O'Connell tallied three goals and two assists last season, including the game-winning double-overtime goal that gave Indiana its first win over Michigan State in program history. Kiper, who scored five points off two goals and an assist in 2005, will add speed and intensity to the attacking line.
"Our three returning forwards work really well together and it will be exciting to see what this group can accomplish this season," Robertson said.
MIDFIELDERS
Indiana will look to its depth in the midfield to compensate for the loss of Bashore, who led the Big Ten in shots (76) and was second on the team in scoring with 12 goals. Despite the loss of Bashore, the Hoosiers return an experienced and deep group of midfielders in junior captain Meredith Brown, juniors Amanda Oyler and Margie Stoll and senior Rachel Telian.
"Although we lost a lot of experience and talent in the graduation of Kayla (Bashore), the midfield is a very deep position for us," Robertson said. "Having that depth will allow us to put the best people on the field and put us in contention to win a lot of games."
Brown returns to the Hoosier starting lineup for the third season. Brown, who utilized her excellent possession skills to feed one of the highest scoring offenses in the league, led the team in assists last season with 10.
"I foresee Meredith (Brown) being a key for our team this season," Robertson said. "She is an excellent passer and is very deceptive. She is the type of player that makes those around her look good."
Oyler returns as a player who has gained tremendous experience and is ready to make an impact as a starter on the Hoosiers' second NCAA Tournament run. The Oley Valley, Pa., product made 13 starts and registered three assists. Stoll also is expected to see increased time in the midfield rotation. Stoll made one start against Kent State in 2005 and tallied two shots last season. Telian will make more of an impact in the final season of her Indiana career. Telian played in 16 games last season, making three starts. The Ann Arbor, Mich., native turned in a pair of assists in 2005.
BACKS
The Indiana defense looks to be one of the Hoosiers' many strengths in 2006. Last season, IU gave up only 35 goals, the third fewest in the Big Ten. IU's defensive front will be anchored by Miller, while sophomore Dani Castro, junior Erin Isler and senior April Levins are expected to make significant contributions to the fierce Hoosier defense.
"I think our backfield is going to be exceptional," Robertson said. "We return Morgan (Miller), Dani (Castro) and April (Levins) who all have a lot of experience. We will have the ability to attack out of our backfield, which is a huge advantage. We are not just a defensive line, we are an attacking line that is crucial for starting the play."
Miller returns as Indiana's fifth-leading scorer from a year ago. The Gap, Pa., product's powerful shot off penalty corners accounted for five goals in 2005. Additionally, the first team All-Big Ten selection registered three assists and one defensive save last season.
Castro stepped into a starting role as a newcomer last season and added a lot of versatility to the backfield. The San Diego, Calif., native led the team with a pair of defensive saves last year, starting all 22 games for the Hoosiers.
Levins and Isler also will see significant time on the Hoosiers' defensive line this season. Levins appeared in 12 games, providing quickness and intensity to the Indiana backfield. Isler made her mark in 11 games for IU last season.
GOALKEEPERS
No doubt a strength of the Indiana defense will come from junior Haley Exner in goal. Exner started every game for IU, becoming the winningest goalkeeper in program history in only one season with 17 victories. Exner, who earned first team All-Big Ten and second team NFHCA All-West Region honors, closed the season with 138 saves, a goals against average of 2.14 and five shutouts. The San Diego, Calif., native recorded a career-high 16 saves in the Hoosiers' 2-1, double-overtime win against then-No. 9 Ohio State on Oct. 14. Exner earned Defensive Big Ten Player of the Week on three occasions during the 2005 campaign.
"So much of a goalkeeper's success is confidence, and Haley (Exner) gained so much confidence last year," Robertson said. "She has matured a lot, and she has always been a prepared and competitive athlete. I can see her stepping up in more of a leadership role and becoming an even bigger asset to our team than she already is."
Sophomore goalkeeper Jobi Manson will also return to the IU lineup in 2006. Manson, who played in two games last season, recorded three saves off three shots for a save percentage of 1.000.
NEWCOMERS
Indiana will welcome seven incoming freshmen to the roster in 2006. Haley Funk, Fenna Geuskens, Meg O'Connell, Brittney Hacken, Lucy Ireland, Elizabeth Schmidt and Alina Valenti will bring even more talent and experience to the already deep IU lineup.
"This is the best all-around field hockey class we have ever signed at Indiana," Robertson said. "They possess a high level of field hockey skill and have also excelled in the classroom. Some of these incoming players will immediately make an impact and will give us the depth that we will need for next season and beyond to continue to compete for a Big Ten Championship and pursue our ultimate goal of winning a national championship."
All seven freshmen come to Bloomington with a wealth of high school and club experience. Among the class are three NFHCA Regional All-Americans in O'Connell, Ireland and Schmidt.
"The freshmen are going to challenge the returning players," Robertson said. "This is a really experienced group who have had a lot of success outside of their high schools. As a group, they are very mature in their levels of play. This class is very versatile. It's exciting to see where this group is going to fit because a lot of them can make an impact in a lot of places."
SCHEDULE
Once again, the Hoosiers will boast one of the toughest schedules in the country. Indiana opens the 2006 campaign against one of the top Atlantic Coast Conference teams, in Virginia, before taking on Longwood, Ball State, Miami (Ohio), Radford, Central Michigan, Maine, Louisville and Northeastern in non-conference competition. IU opens Big Ten play with Northwestern on Sept. 22 in Evanston. Indiana will take on conference foes Iowa, Ohio State and defending Big Ten Tournament Champion, Michigan, at home, while facing Michigan State and Penn State away from Bloomington.
"I am really excited about our schedule for 2006," Robertson said. "We open the season in Virginia against a strong, up-and-coming ACC team. We play some of our tougher games at home, but we are on the road more than we are here, which is a unique challenge."
The Big Ten, known for some of the country's best field hockey, placed four teams (Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State) in the NCAA Tournament and is expected to be just as competitive in 2006.
"The Big Ten is going to be strong once again," Robertson said. "Just like last year, any team could be the champion and there could very well be two different teams that win the regular season and the tournament."
Download Schedule To Microsoft Outlook
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time |
| 08/26/06 | Virginia | Charlottesville, Va. | 1:00 PM |
| 08/27/06 | Longwood | Farmville, Va. | 1:00 PM |
| 09/02/06 | Ball State | Muncie, Ind. | 2:00 PM |
| 09/05/06 | Miami (Oh) | Oxford, Ohio | 5:00 PM |
| 09/08/06 | Ohio | Athens, Ohio | 2:00 PM |
| 09/09/06 | Radford | Athens, Ohio | 2:00 PM |
| 09/15/06 | Central Michigan | Bloomington, Ind. | 3:00 PM |
| 09/17/06 | Maine | Bloomington, Ind. | 1:00 PM |
| 09/22/06 | Northwestern | Evanston, Ill. | 3:00 PM |
| 09/24/06 | New Hampshire | Bloomington, Ind. | 1:00 PM |
| 09/29/06 | Iowa | Bloomington, Ind. | 3:00 PM |
| 10/01/06 | Ohio State | Bloomington, Ind. | 1:00 PM |
| 10/06/06 | Louisville | Louisville, Ky. | 7:00 PM |
| 10/08/06 | Lindenwood | Bloomington, Ind. | 1:00 PM |
| 10/14/06 | Northeastern | Bloomington, Ind. | 1:00 PM |
| 10/15/06 | Michigan | Bloomington, Ind. | 1:00 PM |
| 10/21/06 | Michigan State | East Lansing, Mich. | 1:00 PM |
| 10/29/06 | Penn State | University Park, Pa. | 1:00 PM |
