Field Hockey Hoosiers Head West

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana's field hockey team is amidst a five-game road stretch, with four of those opponents ranked in the national top 25. This weekend they'll flip the map from a two-game weekend in New Jersey and head west, facing No. 24 Iowa at Grant field on the Big Ten Network before meeting Saint Louis on Sunday.

The Hoosiers have played some airtight games with the Hawkeyes under head coach Amanda Janney, and both teams enter Friday's game seeking their first Big Ten win. That clash is set for a 4:00 p.m. ET start live on the Big Ten Network.

"We know it's going to be a tough game," Janney said. "They're similar to us in that new players are providing big sparks, and we're both still hungry for a Big Ten win, so we know the importance of the game this weekend."

Corner Hits:
Back from Jersey
The Hoosiers return to the road after a tough weekend in New Jersey, dropping contests against No. 23 Rutgers and in overtime to No. 25 Monmouth. Claire Woods netted her first goal of the season against the Hawks. Katie Johnson stopped 19 shots over the weekend, including a season-high 11 saves versus the Scarlet Knights.

"I'm feeling a lot better," Woods said after scoring her first goal since returning from injury last year. "Freshman year can be such a scary experience in those few minutes you get, so now I'm feeling more confident. It's great to be out there, I love the team, and their support helped me through my recovery."

Latino en Fuego
As Maddie Latino goes, so go the Hoosiers in the 2017 season. The senior forward leads Indiana's scoring tally and has provided four-of-five game-winning goals (1st - Big Ten), a new personal season high. Latino keeps climbing the record books, as her eight career game-winners is third-highest in program history and the most by any Hoosier in five years.

Hanging with the Hawkeyes on BTN
Coach Janney makes her first visit to Grant Field on Friday afternoon when the Hoosiers take on No. 24 Iowa on the Big Ten Network. The Hoosiers split results in their last two games at home, with Iowa winning 2-1 in overtime last season. Both teams graduated their top scorers from last season (Natalie Cafone [IOWA] 20, Kate Barber [IU] 18), but the search for goals will be on as both teams battle for their first Big Ten victory.

"Iowa has a long standing tradition as a hard-nosed, well-coached team," Janney said. "We expect them to be very disciplined and work hard throughout the 70 minutes."

The Hawkeyes hold a 15-5 lead in the all-time series, taking six of the last nine meetings. Indiana seeks their first win at Grant Field since 2009.

Gateway Homecoming
Two IU upperclassmen expect a warm welcome when they face the Saint Louis Billikens in The Gateway City. Senior Abby Urbanek (Edwardsville, Ill.) will play her final career game on her hometown turf, while junior Claire Woods (St. Louis) makes the first on-field homecoming appearance of her career. Both Hoosiers grew up playing on the turf at Sportport International for Gateway Field Hockey Club.

"It's a really exciting and emotional weekend because I started playing field hockey on that field," said Urbanek. "It's going to be awesome having all of my family, friends, and former coaches there. I have a lot of happy memories from playing in St. Louis, so I'm glad to be playing there one last time."

Indiana has a 7-2 series lead since their first encounter in 2000, winning the last eight games against the Billikens.

Worth Noting...
• Indiana meets a seventh ranked opponent through 11 games when they face No. 24 Iowa on Friday.
• Maddie Latino (6 – 7^th) and Ciara Girouard (5 – 12^th) rank top-15 in scoring amongst the Big Ten.
• Indiana is ranked at No. 34 in the second NCAA RPI poll.
• Up Next: Indiana splits their weekend schedule for the first time this season, starting with an October 6 game at No. 10 Northwestern (7-4) before facing Ohio (2-8) in Bloomington on Sunday, October 8.

Follow Indiana Field Hockey on Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter.

#GoIU

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kate Barber

Ciara Girouard

Katie Johnson

Maddie Latino

Abby Urbanek

Claire Woods