Hoosiers Shut Out Ohio State, 3-0

Friday, October 16

Columbus, OH

3:00 PM

Indiana University

(7-7, 3-2)

Ohio State

(7-6, 3-2)

Indiana

Ohio State

10/16/2015 10:19:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

Indiana earns their first shutout win against the Buckeyes in program history

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – For the Hoosiers, Friday's 3-0 win against Ohio State did more than break a three-game losing streak.

The win was Indiana's first shutout victory of the season, and their first shutout against Ohio State in program history. Furthermore, the win was Indiana's third in the Big Ten this year, their highest mark since the 2009 season.

"It was so important for this team, especially for the upperclassmen," said senior forward Rachel Stauffer. "This is the most we've won in the Big Ten in our careers; we've never had a season like this."

In addition to being a landmark win for Indiana's season, the win was the Hoosiers' first road victory since their trip to Pacifc on September 5. This was not lost on senior forward Nicole Volgraf, who saw this as a prominent step towards becoming a complete team.

"The most important part is that, not only did we break a losing streak, but we also played well on the road and we've been struggling with that," Volgraf said. "It's so important that we proved to ourselves how well we can play on the road. It showed that we can get off the bus and get right to business, wherever we are."

The Hoosiers broke the 0-0 tie in the 17^th minute of play, on their first penalty corner opportunity of the contest. Maddie Latino inserted to Stauffer, who left the ball perfectly for Kate Barber. Barber rifled a low strike past one of the best keepers in the Big Ten for Indiana's early 1-0 lead.

Indiana's second goal didn't come until early in the second half, but the setup was in similar fashion to the first. Barber lined up for another penalty corner, and took the shot upon insertion. Ohio State's keeper made the initial save, parrying the shot outward towards her back line. Barber had the presence of mind to intercept the clearance and take a second opportunity at goal, which she sent between the keeper's legs for a 2-0 lead.

There's no such thing as a sure thing in field hockey, but Barber's shot from a penalty corner is as close as one can get to that mark.

"Her straight shot is simply phenomenal. It's hard to stop, even if the defense knows it's coming," head coach Amanda Janney said of her junior captain. "It's a go-to play for us that we're really confident in using. Kate Barber is a player who works so hard in the backfield, and doesn't always get the recognition for the amazing games she plays every time she takes the field."

The Hoosiers didn't hesitate to grab their third and final goal of the afternoon, striking less than a minute after Barber's second score. Claire Woods broke away on the counter-attack, and then sent the play to Stauffer on the fast break. Stauffer gathered the pass and poked her shot with precision.

"I think it goes to show that, when the opportunities come to us, we focus on execution," Stauffer said regarding her goal and the team's approach to creating chances. "Claire gave a really good ball, and we took care to deliver on the opportunity."

While the Hoosiers pushed all the right buttons on offense, a shutout win cannot happen without a superlative defensive performance. The Indiana back line shut down one of the most dynamic offenses in the Big Ten, and it took everyone's best effort to do so. Sydney Supica intercepted many of the Buckeyes' entry passes. Malia Fujisawa handled players on the wing and coolly cleared the ball up field. Kate Barber anchored the back line and proved to be a crucial aspect of the transition offense. Nora Aucker provided a clutch performance in relief of the other three defenders, and made a handful of nice plays on top of that.

Behind them, Indiana's goalkeeping corps played exceptionally. Noëlle Rother recorded eight saves, including several where she was the last line of defense. Katie Johnson closed the shutout with a smart performance, to her credit. Johnson, according to coach Janney, has been working hard behind the scenes, and expedited Rother's transition to the American game.

"Our goalkeeping unit has been working hard," Janney said. "I'm happy for our goalie coach, Ayla Halus, for getting their first shutout this season."

During their losing streak, and even with the overtime win against Kent State, the Hoosiers didn't believe that the results aligned with how good the team is and how well they were playing. A shutout win that featured two scores in as many minutes is, according to Janney, the result that the team deserved.

"This 3-0 win is such a phenomenal hockey score for us, to get that many goals against a talented team, and to get a shutout and have the defense do their job in terms of preventing scores from the other team," Janney remarked. "This is right on par with where we need to be."

The Hoosiers return home with their first away Big Ten win of the season. They'll look to use that momentum as they prepare for Penn State this Sunday. If they play like they did at Ohio State, they'll be in a good position to hit another landmark this season.

"Our class has never beaten Penn State, so it's an important game for us," Stauffer said. "We really want that win."

Janney is thrilled with the result, but quickly went to work on preparing for Sunday's noon game against Penn State. The head coach acknowledges the momentum gained from such a big win, but doesn't want it to be the only thing they lean on in tough home contest.

"It's really big for us to have the confidence to know that we play so well against tough teams," Janney said. "It helps us as we're going against Penn State, one of the best teams in the nation. They're known for always being a hard-working, hustling team, so we know that will be a battle on Sunday, but we feel confident in how well we're playing right now."