Indiana University
Ohio State
Hoosiers Face Big Ten Weekend at Ohio State, Home vs Penn State
10/14/2015 2:17:00 PM | Field Hockey
Indiana seeks their third Big Ten win for the first time since the 2009 season
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana returns to their Big Ten schedule this coming weekend with a road game against Ohio State and a home matchup against Penn State. The Hoosiers suffered two losses last weekend in an overtime road contest against Michigan State and a home game against the No. 1 Syracuse Orange.
The Hoosiers had strong performances in those contests, and look to return to their winning ways this coming weekend. Indiana's home game against Penn State on Sunday, October 18 will be their second-to-last home game of the regular season. Sunday's home game against Penn State will broadcast online at BTN2Go.com.
HOOSIER NOTABLES:
Return to the Road
Indiana faces a tough Big Ten slate this coming weekend. Up first, the Hoosiers travel to Columbus to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes on Friday, October 16. Following that, Indiana returns home for a matchup against the Penn State Nittany Lions. The Hoosiers will seek their third Big Ten win for the first time since the 2009 season this weekend, effectively securing an invitation to the 2015 Big Ten Tournament.
A New Season, A New Era
Indiana Field Hockey welcomes two new coaches to the Hoosier family. Head coach Amanda Janney enters her first season as the head coach of the Hoosiers. She is joined by first-year assistant coach Ayla Halus. The Hoosiers return 13 letterwinners from their 2014 campaign, including 2015 Preseason All-Big Ten selections Kate Barber, Karen Lorite, and Nicole Volgraf.
Overtime At East Lansing
Most recently, the Hoosiers traveled to East Lansing to take on the Michigan State Spartans. The Hoosiers came back from a one-goal deficit in the second half to force overtime, but the Spartans answered with the game-winning goal in sudden-death overtime. Indiana sophomore Maddie Latino continued her scoring ways with two goals. Freshman Claire Woods served an excellent assist on Latino's second goal.
Facing Top-Ranked Syracuse
Last weekend, Indiana squared off against the No. 1 Syracuse Orange in Bloomington. The Hoosiers faced a 2-0 deficit heading into the second half, but pulled within one score on a penalty corner goal by Maddie Latino. Syracuse notched an insurance goal late in the contest, and the Hoosiers fell, 3-1.
On The Road at Ohio State
The first challenge for Indiana this weekend will be a road game at Ohio State. The Buckeyes are currently one of the top teams in the Big Ten with a 3-1 conference record with wins over Michigan State, Penn State, and Rutgers. Indiana will face Buckeye keeper Liz Tamburro, who leads the Big Ten in saves (72). Indiana is 5-11 all-time against the Buckeyes, their most recent win coming in 2013.
Playing Penn State
The Hoosiers will follow their game at Ohio State with a home contest against the Penn State Nittany Lions. Penn State is currently 1-3 in conference play, their lone win coming against Michigan State. The Hoosier defense will go against the three-pronged attack of Brooke Birosik, Stephanie Hussey, and Aurelia Meijer, who have combined for 13 goals and seven assists this season. On offense, they will face one of the top keepers in the Big Ten, Jenny Rizzo, who has 60 saves this season (4th-Big Ten). The Hoosiers seek their first win over Penn State since 2009, and their fourth win over the Nittany Lions in program history.
Of Note...
- The Hoosiers currently rank #29 in the FieldHockeyCorner.com ACR polls, and currently sit at #29 in the NCAA RPI rankings.
- Kate Barber, Karen Lorite and Nicole Volgraf were named to the 2015 Big Ten Players to Watch List.
- Sophomore Maddie Latino leads all Hoosiers in scoring this season. The attacking midfielder has nine goals and five assists to her name through thirteen games, accounting for over 25% of Indiana's total points.
- Noëlle Rother ranks third in the Big Ten in saves (60).
- Kate Barber and Karen Lorite are having solid seasons on the attack as well. The two have combined for nine goals and nine assists, accounting for over a third of the Hoosiers' offensive output.
- Sydney Supica recorded three defensive saves against Syracuse, the highest single-game total in the Big Ten this season.
