Hoosiers Fall to No. 6 Maryland, 1-0, in Overtime

Friday, October 23

College Park, MD

6:00 PM

Indiana University

(8-8, 4-3)

Maryland

(14-3, 7-0)

OT 3

Indiana

Maryland

Hoosiers Fall to No. 6 Maryland, 1-0, in Overtime

10/23/2015 9:56:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

Rother's sixteen-save game marks the second-most in IU history, highlighting a valiant Indiana defensive performance

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Throughout the 2015 season, the Indiana field hockey team have proven they can play with the best teams in the nation.

Tonight was no exception.

The Hoosiers (8-8, 4-3 Big Ten) took on the No. 6 Maryland Terrapins (14-3, 7-0 Big Ten) in a Big Ten showdown on Friday night. Both defenses held strong through the 70 minutes of regulation, forcing a 0-0 scoreless draw and a sudden-victory overtime period. In the eighth minute of overtime, Maryland forward Anna Dessoye scored the lone goal of the contest, securing a 1-0 win in favor of the home team.

"Maryland is one of the best teams in the Big Ten, and one of the best in the country," said Indiana head coach Amanda Janney. "For us to play that strongly and shut them out for 70 minutes was exceptional. Our confidence in our defense continues to grow."

Noëlle Rother was the most outstanding player on the turf in Friday's contest. Indiana's freshman goalkeeper recorded 16 saves, tying the second-highest game total in IU history. Rother totaled more saves than any Indiana keeper in the last ten seasons, and continued to prove that she is one of the best in the Big Ten.

Rother earned her team's trust back in preseason practices, but her performances since Indiana's game against No. 1 Syracuse have taken that trust to a new level.

"It's incredible to watch," defender Malia Fujisawa said, regarding Indiana's freshman keeper. "Noëlle is such a talented player. She knows the game so well, reads her opponents, and uses every part of her body to make the save. From her first day with us to today, she has improved beyond our expectations."

The Hoosiers had a slight edge in this contest after the first half. The Indiana defense looked calm and poised against a high-speed Maryland attack, and held the Terps to just one penalty corner in the first 35 minutes.

"Our tackles and intercepts were really good today against a great offense," Janney said of Indiana's ability to stop Maryland's attack. "Our approach didn't change—it was the same as we've done all season, but we had great execution today."

Indiana had three chances on goal in the first half from the penalty corner. The first came in the 11^th minute, a blocked shot by Mollie Getzfread. The other two occurred in the final seconds of the first half, but successive shots by Nora Aucker and Kate Barber missed the back of the goal.

The second half was another valiant defensive performance by the Hoosiers from front to back. Maryland went all-out on the attack, attempting 19 shots and earning 11 penalty corners, but Indiana refused to concede a goal. Rother made 11 saves in the half, in addition to a couple of defensive saves by Malia Fujisawa and Sydney Supica.

On the other end, Indiana turned up the pressure on Maryland's defense. The Hoosiers were patient on the ball, keeping possession and building up play through the midfield. They were also able to use Maryland's offensive aggression against the Terps, turning defensive stops into counterattacks.

"Our attack in the second half was strong," Janney said. "The passing game was great, and I was proud of our team to get opportunities in the second half. We had Maryland on their heels during the final 35 minutes."

The second half drew to a close at 0-0, forcing a sudden-victory overtime period. Both sides dropped to seven-on-seven, and Indiana surged on the attack. The Hoosiers earned two penalty corners and three shots in a span of three minutes at the start of overtime. Maryland found the game-winner three minutes later.

Although the result didn't go their way, the Hoosiers played a level contest against the top-ranked team in the Big Ten. Having a game like this near the end of the season helps the Hoosiers' preparation for the Big Ten Tournament, along with building confidence and momentum heading into the postseason.

"Although we lost tonight, the way we played shows how far we have come," Fujisawa said. "Taking Maryland to overtime shows how much this team has grown in such a short period of time. We took one of the best teams in the nation to the wire, and we have confidence that we can beat anybody heading into the Big Ten Tournament."

Next: Indiana (8-8, 4-3) at American (9-6, 4-1) | Sunday, October 25 | 12:00 PM
Before closing their regular season at home, Indiana faces one final road game on Sunday, October 25 against American University. The game is set to begin at 12:00 pm, and will broadcast online via the Patriot League Network.

"We had a strong game against Maryland, and we had great play from every position tonight," Janney said. "They're one of the fastest teams, with some of the most talented players in the nation, and we put ourselves in a situation to win. We want to bring the same speed of play and carry that intensity into the next game and our game at home against Rutgers."