Field Hockey Concludes Spring Season in Bloomington

Katie Johnson (left) and Noëlle Rother (right) combined for nine saves and two shutouts.

Field Hockey Concludes Spring Season in Bloomington

4/23/2016 6:00:00 PM | Field Hockey

The Hoosier Spring Tourney yields a trio of wins for Indiana

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana field hockey team wrapped up their spring schedule with their Hoosier Spring Tourney in Bloomington on Saturday. The Hoosiers finished the brief exhibition season on a high note with three wins over Miami (Ohio) and the USA Field Hockey South Midwest High Performance Team.

Taylor Pearson led the Hoosier attack with three goals, one in each game, along with two assists and one pass-to-assist. The rising junior lifted her spring total to a team-high of 11 goals, giving Indiana fans the hope that the upcoming fall season will be a standout year for the North Vancouver, B.C. native.

Game 1: Indiana 3, Miami (Ohio) 1
Indiana opened the afternoon with a 3-1 win over Miami an improvement from their 1-1 draw earlier this month at the Louisville Spring Tournament. As a team, the Hoosiers created eight shots on goal and earned three penalty corners on the attack.

Pearson gave the Hoosiers an early lead with a coolly delivered tip inside the left post, redirecting Maddie Latino's shot attempt. Their roles reversed on Indiana's goal in the second half, when Pearson found Latino from the stroke point. Latino collected Pearson's delivery and finished a reverse shot into the net.

2015 All-American Kate Barber capped the win with her signature goal-scoring method: a straight shot from an attacking penalty corner. Barber's hard-driven low shot from the top of the circle was her seventh of the spring season.

Noëlle Rother continued her uncompromising ways between the pipes with three saves in the game while conceding her only goal of the day.

Game 2: Indiana 3, South Midwest High Performance 0
Indiana retook the turf later in the day for a 30-minute exhibition against the USA Field Hockey South Midwest High Performance Team, a regional collection of top college-aged and post-collegiate players vying for a future spot on the USA senior squad. The Hoosiers rolled to a 3-0 win, their fourth shutout of the spring season.

The goalkeeping tandem of Rother and Katie Johnson delivered another clinical performance with a combined three saves in the shutout win. On the offensive end, Indiana created 12 shots on target and a pair of attacking penalty corners.

Once again, Pearson opened scoring on an assertive shot attempt to the bottom-right corner. Her attempt deflected off of the foot of the defender and poked into the bottom of the goal.

Rising sophomore Taylor Swope converted her first goal of the spring season to give Indiana a 2-0 lead. Pearson sent her pass attempt to Morgan Dye in an advantageous position in front of goal. From there, Dye collected and redirected the ball to the left post, where Swope one-timed a sweep into the boards.

Claire Woods sealed the shutout win with her second goal of the spring season. The St. Louis, Missouri native put the finishing touches on Pearson's shot attempt at the top of the circle with a tip-in from close range.

Game 3: Indiana 2, South Midwest High Performance 0
The Hoosiers finished the day with a back-to-back rematch against the High Performance squad, and once again emerged with a shutout win. Indiana drew six penalty corners—triple their previous game—while sending seven shots towards the opposing goal.

Pearson slotted her third of the day to give the Hoosiers an early 1-0 lead, sweeping Mollie Getzfread's penalty corner pass into the goal.

Indiana doubled their output with Dye's sixth goal this spring. Woods placed her pass on Dye's stick deep in their attacking third, and Dye sent home a hard shot to the left corner.

Johnson amassed another outstanding performance in goal, making three saves in the shutout.

Spring Season Goal Totals:
Taylor Pearson (11), Kate Barber (7), Morgan Dye (6), Sam Scire (4), Maddie Latino (3), Cameron Gibson (2), Claire Woods (2), Taylor Swope (1)

Up Next: The Fall 2016 Season
The Hoosiers return to the turf for the 2016 season on Tuesday, August 9, the first day of the fall preseason. Indiana will partake in their annual Cream & Crimson scrimmage on Friday, August 19 at 2:00 p.m. at the IU Field Hockey Complex.

The remainder of the 2016 schedule will be announced next Wednesday, May 18.