Hoosiers Head East for Two Games in Philly

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – After split results in their opening weekend, the Hoosiers head east for their first full road slate of the season: two games in the heart of field hockey country. Indiana sets up for encounters with Villanova and Drexel, two of the "Philadelphia City Six" universities, as they look to complete the first quadrant of their regular season with a winning record.

Building momentum from their shutout win at Ball State last Sunday, the Hoosiers look to their diverse attack and stingy defense to take the turf at The Proving Grounds and Buckley Field in the Cradle of Liberty.

Week 2: The Philadelphia Campaign
Friday, August 31 – Indiana at Villanova – 6:00 p.m. ET – The Proving Grounds
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Sunday, September 2 – Indiana at Drexel – 12:00 p.m. ET – Buckley Field
Follow: Live Stats | Live Stream | @IndianaFH

Corner Hits

Beginning with a Border Battle
Indiana began their season with a dramatic home opener against No. 8 Louisville, pushing the "Battle of the Border" to the final stroke of the clock. After an early 1-0 Cardinals lead, the Hoosiers were quick on the counterattack and tied the contest before halftime. The Cardinals sealed the win on the final play, an untimed penalty corner to leave the state with a 2-1 win.

The IU goal came from a slick intercept by freshman Hailey Couch in her first career start. Couch drove and slipped the assist to Claire Woods, who swept home her first goal of the year.

Blanking Ball State
The Hoosiers rebounded from their home opener with a decisive 2-0 win at Ball State two days later. Indiana's veteran backline and goalkeeping tandem, Shelby Querry and Sachi Ananias, secured the first shutout of the season.

Bente Buwalda scored her first career game-winner in the 14th minute, and Sam Scire sealed the win a minute later with her first goal of the year. Elle Hempt opened her point tally with an assist alongside Andi Jackson, who set her first career point from the central midfield.

We're Coming Home
The weekend in Philadelphia will be a special one for the 14 Hoosiers hailing from Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as they'll get the feel of a home atmosphere away from home. Four freshmen will play their first-ever collegiate games on the East Coast while two IU seniors, Elle Hempt and Nora Aucker, make their final visit to the eastern seaboard.

Catching up with the 'Cats
The Hoosiers made a similar trip to Philadelphia last season and met Villanova's 2017 squad on the end of their trip. The game featured a dramatic back-and-forth that saw Indiana leave the city with a 3-2 win. Ciara Girouard led the Hoosiers with a hat trick, going on to win that week's Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honor.

Quick Jabs...

The game at Drexel is the second-ever between IU and the Dragons, the first coming in the 2013 season. Drexel won that game, 2-0, on neutral turf.
Indiana has won all four encounters with Villanova, the closest being last year's 3-2 result at The Proving Grounds.
Three Indiana freshmen made the first team lineup in their career debuts: Hailey Couch, Jes McGivern, and redshirt freshman Shelby Querry.
This marks the second return to Philadelphia for head coach Amanda Janney Misselhorn since arriving at Indiana in 2015. Janney Misselhorn served as the head coach at Temple, one of the Philadelphia City Six universities, from 2005-14.

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Players Mentioned

Bente Buwalda

Hailey Couch

Ciara Girouard

Elle Hempt

Shelby Querry

Sam Scire