Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Report for Preseason Camp
8/9/2006 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Aug. 9, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana field hockey team reported back to Bloomington for preseason camp on Aug. 9, officially marking the start of the 2006 season. After a record-breaking 17-5 season is 2005 that included advancing to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament and a runner-up finish at the Big Ten Tournament, the Hoosiers are set for another unforgettable season.
Indiana head coach Amy Robertson, now in her seventh year at the helm of the Hoosiers, is excited to get to work and set the bar for IU field hockey even higher than it was set last year.
"It's exciting to be back," Robertson said. "We have seven new freshmen joining us and that brings a lot of new energy. Preseason is going to be a period when we take some time and get to know each other. We are going to use these next few weeks to get the team organized from top to bottom and identify the right people for the right places. Right now, we are a group of individuals and it's going to take a lot of work and effort to become a team. After such an incredible season last year, we believe in ourselves more than we ever have. Now, there is no question that if we set goals, we can reach them if we take the right steps in that process."
In addition to practice and team workouts, two preseason games and a team-building trip to Bradford Woods highlight the 17-day camp.
Indiana will travel to Muncie, Ind., to take on Ball State on Friday, Aug. 18 at 4 p.m., in their first preseason match. On Tuesday, Aug. 22, IU will head south to close the preseason slate, taking on Louisville at 5 p.m., at Trager Stadium, the site for the 2005 NCAA Final Four. Indiana will face both Ball State and Louisville in the regular season on Saturday, Sept. 2 and Friday, Oct. 6, respectively.
Junior goalkeeper Haley Exner, who became Indiana's winningest goalkeeper in program history with 17 victories to her credit, is looking forward to being with her teammates again, as well as putting in the hard work to make IU successful in 2006.
"It feels awesome to be back," Exner said. "It's great to see everyone and catch up, especially get to know the freshmen. I expect camp to be challenging but very worthwhile. Camp is a lot of hard work, but it will pay off in the end. There is no better feeling than going into your season opener and feeling prepared."
Indiana opens the season on the road against Atlantic Coach Conference (ACC) up-and-comer Virginia on Saturday, Aug. 26. The Hoosiers remain in Virginia to take on Longwood the following day.
IUHOOSIERS.com will have complete coverage of IU's preseason training and the Hoosiers' quest for a second NCAA Tournament berth.
