Hoosiers Fall 2-1 to California

Monday, September 7

Davis, CA

3:00 PM

Indiana University

(2-3)

California

(3-2)

Indiana

California

9/7/2015 7:24:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

Kaste nets her first goal of the season in IU's final road game before their home opener

DAVIS, Calif. – The Indiana field hockey team concluded their three-game road trip in California with a 2-1 loss to the California Golden Bears on Sunday afternoon. The Hoosiers totaled more shots on target than Cal, but the score line tipped against their favor.

"We had a lot of great attacking chances today, but struggled to finish," said Indiana head coach Amanda Janney. "It was a good lesson for our team that if we don't score early in the game, it becomes an uphill battle."

Freshman Charlie Kaste scored the first goal of her Indiana career, an opportunistic finish off of a deflected save. Rachel Stauffer put together a strong attacking effort, firing two shots on target.

The Hoosiers conceded Cal's first goal just as both teams were settling into the game. Cal's Clara Goni sent a shot towards Indiana keeper Noëlle Rother, who parried the initial attack. California forward Sydney Earle recovered the loose deflection and tapped it into the back of the net in the sixth minute of play.

Indiana increased the pressure in response, taking eight shots in the final 30 minutes of the half. Nonetheless, Indiana trailed 1-0 at the break.

Cal doubled their lead six minutes into the second half, a score by Nicole Henriksson. Kaste's score cut California's lead in half with ten minutes remaining, but Indiana couldn't find another goal before full time.

"Overall, team is playing good hockey, and we're improving every game," Janney said about her teams strong showings this past weekend. "It's disappointing to see our game results not reflect our increasing level of play."

Other notable Hoosier performances include Maddie Latino, who launched two shots and one on target in the second half. On defense, Indiana center back Sydney Supica concluded her weekend with another strong defensive showing, a great step forward for the senior returning from an injury in the preseason. "Sydney is playing well for us and acclimating into the fold of the team, which is encouraging," Janney said.

Kaste's goal was a sample of the development of Indiana's newcomers and underclassmen. Despite the unfavorable results, Janney likes what she's seen from this team and their trajectory headed into the beginning of their home schedule.

"We have a lot of players stepping up for us, which is a great sign that we'll have success with them in their first year with the team," said Janney. "We're happy with how we are playing at this stage in the season."

Indiana returns to Bloomington for their first home game of the 2015 season on Friday, September 11. The Hoosiers will take on the Miami University Redhawks at 3:00 p.m. E.T. at the IU Field Hockey Complex. Coach Janney is ready to show the fans how far this team has come just five games into the season.

"We are excited about playing at home on our turf and in front of our fans," Janney said. "We're getting better and better, and we'll be ready to go for Friday's game."