Hoosiers hope to fend off Bulldogs

The women's soccer team will face an in-state test 7 p.m. today as Butler makes the trip south from Indianapolis in a nonconference game at Bill Armstrong Stadium.\nButler is a team the Hoosiers will have to be ready to play, junior midfielder Stacey Peterson said.\n"They'll definitely be up for the game," Peterson said. "They're going to be pumped up to play us. "That means we have to be pumped up to play our game too."\nThe Hoosiers have key players who won't wear the Cream and Crimson, as injuries continue to take their toll on the team. Senior starting back Kendal Willis and sophomore forward Kate Kastl will not play against the Bulldogs. Freshman goalie Shaunna Daugherty practiced Tuesday and Wednesday after nursing a quadriceps muscle. Daugherty might play against Butler.\n"We're going to look a lot like we did on Sunday," said coach Joe Kelley, referring to the 3-2 win against Ohio State. "Kendal and Kate may be back this Sunday, but we're definitely hoping for next weekend. We'll work through it."\nSophomore forward Kristen Sprunger, who missed three weeks earlier in the season with a hairline fracture in an ankle, is back in the lineup for the Hoosiers.\n"It's marvelous to be back playing," Sprunger said. "My ankle feels fine. My body is sore from hitting the ground and hitting other people, but my ankle feels great.\n"I'm not worried about it because it's stronger than it was before. The worst thing that happens now is that it breaks and then I'm out for the same amount of time I was before."\nSprunger's return started last weekend coincided with the loss of Kastl. Sprunger should see a lot of action this weekend.\nWithout Willis in the backfield, Kelley said he will rely heavily on junior back Whitney Butler to defend IU's third of the field.\n"I think the good thing about our team is that we have a lot of depth," Butler said. "Kendal plays a key role in our defense and we're going to miss her while she's out, but we have people that can step in for her and not skip a beat." \nThe Bulldogs enter Bloomington in worse physical shape than the Hoosiers. Most of the team came down with food poisoning last weekend and are in the process of recovering.\nCal Polytechnic State University dominated Butler 7-0 Saturday. The Bulldogs (4-3-1) have lost their last three games. The Bulldogs have earned a 5-1-1 record against the Hoosiers in seven regular season meetings. Last year, the teams tied 1-1 in what Kelley described as an ugly game.\n"They're going to be tough," Kelley said. "I think it's a mental thing. We have to come out and do the things that we do. There's nothing strategically different about our game plan. We just have to go out and play the soccer we've been playing."\nThe Hoosiers shutout the Bulldogs last spring in an exhibition match.\nButler boasts the Midwestern Collegiate Conference's two top scorers in sophomore forward Amy Morrison and sophomore midfielder Kara Bryan. Morrison has six goals while Bryan has five. Morrison also leads the MCC in total points through eight games, tallying 15.\nWith the break in conference play, Butler said she doesn't think the Hoosiers should rest tonight with the Michigan State matchup Sunday. \n"We can't look past anyone," Butler said. "We need to try to win every game we can. We need to know what it feels like to win. Every game is important"