Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Louisville
Indiana Set to Open the 2016 Season
8/18/2016 4:37:00 PM | Women's Soccer
WHAT'S AHEAD IN 2016?
The 2016 schedule features 11 total games against participants in the 2015 NCAA Tournament and nine opponents who finished last season ranked in the top 50 of the RPI.
The non-conference portion of the slate includes eight games, with six opponents advancing to the tournament last year and four winning their conference championship.
Big Ten play will see Indiana face off against five NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago, including National Champion Penn State and Women's College Cup semifinalist Rutgers.
In the NSCAA Preseason Poll, four of Indiana's 2016 opponents are ranked - No. 2 Penn State, No. 10 Rutgers, No. 17 Virginia Tech and No. 23 Ohio State.
LOOKING AT LOUISVILLE
Friday's meeting with the Cardinals will be the first time Indiana and Louisville have played since 1997. The Hoosiers lead the all-time series, 2-0, and picked up a 2-1 victory in Louisville on Oct. 31, 1997.
The Cardinals finished the 2015 campaign with an 8-8-2 mark. Their season was highlighted by an upset of No. 1 ranked North Carolina on Oct. 8.
BATTLING THE BRONCOS
Indiana also leads the series against Western Michigan, 2-0. The Hoosiers came away with a 2-1 overtime victory in 2010 and a 4-1 win in 2011.
After capturing the MAC Tournament title, Western Michigan fell to Florida in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 1-0. The Broncos were selected second in the MAC West in this week's 2016 Preseason Coaches poll.
Indiana freshman Grace Labadie's twin sister Jane plays for the Broncos.
THIS WEEK'S PROMOS
Friday's opener is Student Appreciation Night with special IU Women's Soccer tanks and free pizza for students to help officially kick off the 2016-17 IU Athletics season. On Sunday, the Hoosiers will welcome back participants in this year's camps and sign autographs following the game.
A FRESH DOZEN
The 2016 roster sees the addition of 12 new faces, including 11 true freshmen. Redshirt freshman Haleigh Guerra will also suit up for the Hoosiers after transferring from Texas. The freshmen group includes Chandra Davidson, Julia De Angelis, Julia Gilliam, Allison Jorden, Emma Kershner, Sydney Kilgore, Sarah L'Hommedieu, Grace Labadie, Kyndal McKinney, Macy Miller and Meghan Scott.
RETURNING IN 2016
Indiana has 15 Hoosiers returning this season, including 13 letterwinners from a year ago. Of those who scored at least one goal last season, five are suiting up again this year, including redshirt senior Marissa Borschke, junior Annelie Leitner and sophomores Cassidy Blacha, Hanna Johnson and Maya Piper.
Senior Veronica Ellis comes into this season as the active leader in goals scored, while junior Kayla Smith is the active assists leader. Both Ellis and Smith, along with Borschke, were named to the Big Ten Preseason Honors list this week. The recognition is the second in a row for Smith and Borschke.
On the other side, Borschke and the Indiana defense will look to continue success from last season, which was highlighted by a scoreless streak of 463 minutes, the second longest in program history. Goalkeepers on the 2016 roster include redshirt freshman Bristal Hadley-Mautino and freshman Sarah L'Hommedieu.
CATCH #IUWS ON BTN PLUS
Indiana Women's Soccer announced the 2016 broadcast schedule on Tuesday, with fans having the opportunity to catch the Hoosiers in action more than ever before on a variety of platforms.
For those who can't make it to Bill Armstrong Stadium to cheer on the Hoosiers in person, every home game will be broadcast live on BTN Plus, starting with this Friday's season opener against Louisville.
BTN Plus is a web-only streaming service that is available for a small monthly fee. For more information and to subscribe, click here.
While the Hoosiers are on the road, fans can catch all of Indiana's conference meetings on BTN Plus. Additionally, Indiana's Sept. 15 game at Northwestern will be shown live on the Big Ten Network.
Along with the option to watch games on BTN Plus, a select number of games will also be available via a free audio stream on IUHoosiers.com.
Griffin Weinberg will be the voice of Indiana Women's Soccer in 2016 and will be featured on most BTN Plus broadcasts, as well as a variety of radio streams.
ORI IN THE OLYMPICS
Indiana Women's Soccer alumna Orianica Velasquez made her second appearance in the Olympics this month in Rio. The Team Colombia defender and 2013 IU graduate started all three games, and played every minute of the first two matches and received significant playing time in the third. Colombia's stay in the Games was highlighted by a 2-2 draw with the United States in the final game of group play.
