Indiana Drops Big Ten Opener at No. 7 Maryland

Saturday, September 17

College Park, MD

1 PM

Indiana University

(4-3, 0-1B1G)

Maryland

(5-2, 1-0B1G)

Indiana

Maryland

9/17/2016 4:08:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Watch: Indiana at Delaware

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Hoosiers began their trek through the Big Ten schedule on Saturday with the defending Big Ten Champions, the No. 7 Maryland Terrapins. Indiana (4-3, 0-1) hung within one goal of Maryland (5-2, 1-0) late in the game, but two quick scores by the Terrapins put the contest out of reach, 4-1.

"We had a lot of fight today," said Indiana head coach Amanda Janney. "The team did a good job of stepping up and playing a fast-paced game. Our defense really stepped up today and they were able to limit a lot of Maryland's opportunities. They played a solid game today and did a great job at limiting shots and keeping it at a 2-1 game. I thought we gave ourselves the opportunity to get back in there and make it 2-2, we had really good chances that we just didn't put away."

Kate Barber extended her scoring streak to six games, the longest of her career, with Indiana's 2-1 score at 46 minutes. Barber now has 10 goals in her senior season through the Hoosiers' first seven games. In Saturday's effort at Maryland, Barber stayed in frame on all three of her shot attempts.

Leading the Hoosiers in scoring chances was Taylor Pearson, who placed four of her five shot attempts on target. Maddie Latino and Mollie Getzfread assisted on Barber's penalty corner score, and both contributed with one shot apiece.

Goalkeeper Noëlle Rother set a season high of eight saves against the Terrapins' 25 shots. Rother and the Hoosier defense face nine Maryland penalty corners in the game, compared to Indiana's five corners on the attacking end.

"To have Maryland as our first Big Ten opponent is a great benchmark for us," Janney said. "We had some great challenges early in the season with our nonconference schedule, but we can really see where we're at after playing the returning Big Ten champions. It's a good sign for us that, in my opinion, we played a really tight game for 60 minutes. We're able to see the things that we're doing well, and we're going to carry those into tomorrow's game and our future games."

How it Happened:
Maryland's Olivia Reiter scored the lone goal in the first half, the first of her career, in the ninth minute. Rother saved the initial shot attempt, but Reiter collected the rebound and finished the ensuing chance. The Terrapins doubled their lead in the 38^th minute of the second half, when Welma Luus emerged with the ball from a scramble in the circle.

Barber pulled Indiana within one score of tying the contest in the 46^th minute with her signature penalty corner hit. Latino inserted to the top of the circle towards Getzfread, who collected the delivery and lined up the strike for Barber.

The Terrapins pulled away with two scores in a two-minute sequence. With 11 minutes remaining in the game, Grace Balsdon scored on her penalty corner straight shot. In the 62^nd minute, Lein Holsboer redirected a deflected pass in the circle to give Maryland a 4-1 lead.

"As tough as it is to play such a strong opponent early in Big Ten play, it really forces us to address the issues that are revealed in those games," said junior defender Elle Hempt. "We want to correct those early so that later in our Big Ten season, we're playing at the level we want to achieve."

Up Next: Indiana (4-3, 0-1 Big Ten) at No. 12 Delaware (5-2, 0-0 CAA)
Sunday, September 18 • 12:00 p.m. ET • Video Stream • Live Stats
Rullo Stadium • Newark, Del.

Before they return to the friendly confines of the IU Field Hockey Complex, the Hoosiers face a tough road test against the No. 12 Delaware Blue Hens (5-2, 0-0). The matchup against Delaware will be the first in program history, and it's the third time this season that Indiana faces a nationally ranked opponent outside of the Big Ten.

Delaware is 5-2, which includes a 2-0 upset win over No. 5 Virginia on Labor Day weekend. The Blue Hens most recently hosted Columbia on Friday afternoon, and Delaware took the 8-2 win.

"It's really important to bring the speed of play into tomorrow's game," Janney said. "We played a really good game of hockey today. It was fast-paced, we had quick passing from both teams. We want to bring that level of intensity to our nonconference games. We missed some opportunities today, and we need to find some ways to score more and get back in the win column."

Sunday's game will air online for free, courtesy of the Blue Hens All Access Network. For Indiana's starting lineup, in-game updates, and more, follow @HoosiersFH on Twitter.