Hoosiers Fall Short, 2-1, Against No. 7 Wake Forest

Sunday, September 4

Columbus, OH

12 PM

Indiana University

(1-2)

Wake Forest

(3-1)

Wake Forest

Indiana

Hoosiers Fall Short, 2-1, Against No. 7 Wake Forest

9/4/2016 2:01:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Postgame Quotes

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Indiana field hockey team suffered a 2-1 defeat to No. 7 Wake Forest in their opening game of the Buckeye Invitational on Sunday afternoon. The Hoosiers (1-2, 0-0) couldn't make up the 2-0 deficit created by Wake Forest (3-1, 0-0), despite a valiant effort in the second half.

"We finished strong, and it was exciting to have the momentum on our end after scoring that goal," said Indiana head coach Amanda Janney. "We tried some new strategies, and the team responded well to tough competition. We're pleased with the way we were able to make some major improvements from the first two games. For them to fight back and get that goal, and have that momentum as the game ended, made us wish we had more time on the clock."

Noëlle Rother led Indiana's defense with seven saves, her highest mark of the 2016 season. Other defenders entering the stat sheet for Indiana were Malia Fujisawa and Elle Hempt, each recording a defensive save.

"After the first goal, we learned as a defensive unit what the team was doing," said junior defender and team captain Elle Hempt. "We learned that we needed to step up on the sides for interceptions. We played smart, utilized our links and outside midfielders to shut down their attack."

Wake Forest opened with an early goal in the fifth minute, and doubled their efforts in the 45^th minute for their 2-0 lead. The Hoosiers cut into the score sheet with Kate Barber's fourth goal of the year, assisted by Taylor Pearson.

The Hoosiers attempted eight shots in the game, led by Barber and Pearson with two apiece. On defense, the Hoosiers were able to thwart Wake Forest's seven attack penalty corners.

"Our defense did a great job of stepping up and playing aggressive, looking for intercepts and putting their forward group under pressure," Janney said. "Our opponents had some great shots, but our defense played with urgency and made some huge stops to keep them off the board in the middle of the game."

How it Happened:
Wake Forest took the lead in the fifth minute of play with a goal from Madi Julius. The Hoosiers looked to have an equalizer four minutes later, but Maddie Latino's shot traveled wide of the post.

Kelsey Giese took a look at goal following a series of attacks by Wake Forest. The freshman wound up for a shot in the 16^th minute of play, but goalkeeper Cat O'Connor made the save.

The Hoosiers dug in on the defensive end after conceding the opening goal. The Demon Deacons looked to double their lead in the 21^st minute on the shot by Emily Conroe. Rother denied the attempt for her fourth save of the first half. Fujisawa turned away another attempt by Conroe in the 28th minute with a defensive save.

Indiana earned another great scoring opportunity with five minutes remaining in the half. Barber lined up the straight shot on a Hoosier penalty corner, and the ensuing attempt landed just off target.

A quick meeting at halftime fired the Hoosiers out of a slingshot to start the second half. Hempt placed a shot on frame to disrupt the Wake Forest defense and earn a penalty corner for Indiana. On the other end, Hempt preserved the score tally with a defensive save on a Demon Deacon penalty corner.

Wake Forest took a 2-0 lead after 45 minutes with a goal from Nicola Pluta. Rother made the save on the direct shot attempt, but the ball bounced off of her pads into the back of the cage.

The contest opened up after Indiana's timeout midway through the second half. Morgan Dye fired a shot attempt in minute 55, but O'Connor saved it. The other way, Rother made her fifth save of the game on a Demon Deacon penalty corner.

Pearson slugged two shot attempts on the Hoosiers' next possession. Her first attempt went wide, and O'Connor blocked her second shot on the ensuing penalty corner. Wake Forest attempted a counter-attack in the 60^th minute, but Rother denied both shots from Julius.

The Hoosiers entered the scoring column in the 65^th minute of the game after Barber converted her chance. Barber left a pass for Pearson, and Pearson returned service on a give-and-go play five yards from the goal. Barber's fourth goal of the season cut the deficit to 2-1.

Up Next: Indiana (1-2, 0-0 Big Ten) vs. UC Davis (1-1, 0-0 NorPac)
Monday, September 5 • 1:00 p.m. ET • Buckeye Varsity Field • Columbus, OH
Live Stats

It will be a quick turnaround for the Hoosiers tomorrow, as Indiana retakes the turf on Labor Day to face the UC Davis Aggies. The Aggies and Hoosiers share a common opponent in the Ohio Bobcats, which UC Davis defeated 3-0 in Athens to start the weekend. Indiana has won all three of their meetings against UC Davis, most recently with a 5-1 score line at the IU Field Hockey Complex in 2014.

"We learned a lot from today's game. It's so nice to see improvement from each game that we've played," Janney said. "We had a pretty big jump from last weekend in the way we're passing the ball and defending as a team. We want to make sure the things that worked well for us today carry into tomorrow's game, focusing on our successes while creating more shot attempts and attack penalty corners."