Hoosiers Take No. 8 Louisville to the Wire, Fall 2-1

Friday, August 24

Bloomington, IN

3 PM

Indiana University

(0-1)

Louisville

(1-0)

Louisville

Indiana

Hoosiers Take No. 8 Louisville to the Wire, Fall 2-1

8/24/2018 8:45:00 PM | Field Hockey

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Indiana returns to action Sunday at Ball State

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana embarked on the 2018 season in dramatic fashion, an airtight rivalry clash with No. 8 Louisville at the IU Field Hockey Complex on Friday afternoon. The Hoosiers (0-1) took the Cardinals (1-0) to the bitter end, when Louisville scored the game-winner on a corner with no time left on the clock.

"It was a tough battle, which is just the way we like it," Indiana head coach Amanda Janney Misselhorn said. "We're really pleased with the experience of our upperclassmen. Our backfield is stacked with experience, and that showed against Louisville's speed. I think a lot of positives came out of this game and we have a lot to build from the play today."

Senior Claire Woods opened the Hoosiers' scoring for the 2018 season with a 28^th-minute sweep to tie the game at 1-1, set up by a stunning play from freshman Hailey Couch. A Louisville clearance attempt caught Couch's midair intercept deep in the IU offensive third and, following a speedy breakaway, the freshman forward left a pass for Woods' windup.

"Hailey played great defense because our midfielders released her to go forward and she beat her mark. I just tried to get up there and stay with her," Woods said after the game. "She made a great move and dished it off, and I was wide open. The goal was a great team effort because even if I missed, someone was there for the rebound."

The Hoosiers gained some choice opportunities on the attack from Woods, Couch, and Ciara Girouard, but the biggest takeaway was how tall Indiana stood on the defensive end. The backline of Elle Hempt, Kelsey Giese, and Nora Aucker stuffed a majority of Louisville's attacking chances with help from a handful of shutdown plays in the field by Taylor Swope. As a team, Indiana blocked six Louisville shots inside the circle.

Against the eighth-ranked team in the nation, Indiana didn't look overmatched. At times they even dominated the play in the midfield and didn't let the Cards get into rhythm.

"I really thought we had great defensive battles," Janney Misselhorn continued. "Players like Andi Jackson and Hanna Zarrilli were playing physically, yet making clean tackles, and I thought we won most of the 50-50 balls. Those are things we try to mimic in the preseason, so it's a good sign to see those things happen in a big game like this."

In addition to Couch, who picked up her first career point on the assist to Woods, two additional Hoosier newcomers earned starting roles in their career debuts. Jessica McGivern played a positive role in the Hoosiers' midfield play and Shelby Querry packed the space between the pipes.

Querry made four saves in her debut and did well to thwart a Louisville attack that created 16 shots. Hempt provided aid with her first defensive save of the year.

"She looked calm and collected in there," Janney Misselhorn said of Querry, the redshirt freshman goalkeeper. "She was able to make a lot of saves, but her positioning and composure looked great back there."

Up Next: Indiana (0-1) at Ball State (0-1)
Sunday, August 26 • 2:00 p.m. ET • Live Stats
Briner Sports Complex • Muncie, Ind.

A quick two-hour drive is all that separates Indiana from their first road opponent of the season, the Ball State Cardinals. The Hoosiers and Cardinals look forward to playing one another as the only Division-I hockey teams in the state, and the encounter presents a rematch from the preseason.

Indiana aims to close their weekend the way it started: going all-out on every play and using their depth to keep their foot on the gas.

"Keep this tempo up for the rest of the season," said Woods. "This was a great, fast game, and we want to keep that pace for our remaining nonconference games and during Big Ten play."