Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Look to Tame the Nittany Lions
10/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Oct. 22, 2008
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana travels to the Keystone State for a showdown with the Nittany Lions this week. The game will take place at AstroTurf Field in University Park, Pa., and is schedule for a 5 p.m. ET start.
The meeting will be the tenth all-time between the two schools, with Penn State holding a 8-1 series advantage. The Hoosiers took the 2006 contest, the last time the teams squared off at Penn State. The 2007 game resulted in a 0-2 defeat for IU.
Indiana is coming off of a 3-2 loss to the RedHawks of Miami on Friday, Oct. 17. Penn State is riding a winning streak of seven games, the last win coming over the Northwestern Wildcats by a score of 4-0.
CASTRO HEADED TO NFHCA SENIOR ALL-STAR GAME
Senior Indiana field hockey player Danitra Castro has been selected to play in the NFHCA Senior All-Star Game. The National Field Hockey Coaches Association announced on Wednesday that Castro and 37 other players from around the country have been selected to play in the game. The all-star game will be played in Louisville, Ky., on November 22, 2008, at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Castro is a captain on head coach Amy Robertson's team. The senior from San Diego, Calif., is the leader of the Hoosier defense and has made contributions on offense as well, scoring six points on two goals and two assists thus far in the 2008 season.
Robertson said that Castro's hard work over four years makes the recognition well-deserved.
"It is exciting to continue the tradition of having one of our seniors named to the all-star team. It is a great honor for Dani. She has worked very hard for four years," said Robertson. "She has made a major contribution to this program, and it started when she was a freshman and continued over her four years. It is nice to see it culminate in receiving an honor for her career. She is among a lot of elite and accomplished players. It is nice for the team, and we're very happy for her."
Indiana had two representatives in the 2007 NFHCA Senior All-Star Game in Haley Exner and Meredith Brown.
HOOSIERS FALL TO THE REDHAWKS
Indiana lost to the RedHawks of Miami 3-2. The Hoosiers got goals from Lena Grote and Alina Valenti in the game.
The game was back and forth throughout with the two teams trading goals. Grote got on the board first, recording her third goal of the season just 17:37 into the game. The sophomore from Cincinnati, Ohio deflected a hard stroke from Meg O'Connell off of a defender's stick and into the cage.
Miami answered back with two goals before the half. Katie Brightwell and Elizabeth Gilroy recorded the RedHawk tallies.
Just 3:38 into the second, Alina Valenti picked up a rebound behind the goalie and lifted into the cage to knot the game up at two all. The goal was the fourth on the year for Valenti.
The RedHawks got their third goal from Kate Snyder in the 65th minute, and it proved to be the difference.
DEFENSE KEYS WIN OVER RIVAL MICHIGAN
The Hoosiers used a strong defensive showing and a big second half to record their first Big Ten win of the season on Sunday. The Hoosiers got second half goals from juniors Meg O'Connell and Alina Valenti en route to a 2-1 win over the rival Michigan Wolverines.
The Wolverines came into the game at 2-0 in the Big Ten, defeating the Buckeyes of Ohio State in their last contest. That hot streak continued in the game's first half as they took a 1-0 lead into the half on an early Meredith Way goal.
The Hoosier defense was stout after the early goal. Led by key plays from sophomore Mutsa Mutembwa and junior Lucy Ireland, the Hoosiers held the Michigan scoreless for the game's final 71:05.
Indiana got on the board when O'Connell scored her seventh goal of the year off a penalty corner in the 53rd minute. The ball was sent in and stopped by Mutembwa, then sent toward the goal by senior Danitra Castro. O'Connell's deflection beat Michigan keeper Paige Pickett to knot the game at 1-1.
Valenti's goal came on an exciting play, with sophomore Katie Griswold taking a fast break all the way to the end line on the left of the cage. Griswold sent the ball back to Valenti in front of the goal, where the Lehighton, Pa. product put it home. The goal was Valenti's third of the season.
In the closing minutes, with Michigan possessing the ball inside the Hoosier's circle, Ireland came up with a big intercept to start an Indiana fast break that nearly ended in another goal by Valenti and allowed the Hoosiers to run out the clock for the victory.
Head coach Amy Robertson was very pleased with her team's performance in the game.
"Our goals coming into the game were to communicate, to have good effort and attitude, to control the controllable, and to never give up. I think the turn around for us was in our constant communication. Our defense showed grit and determination. The goal for our defense was to communicate more on the field, and they nailed that today," Robertson said.
