Around the Game

Last year, the women's swimming and diving team edged out Illinois for sixth place at Big Ten championships. The Hoosiers look to continue their winning streak against the Fighting Illini in a dual meet at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Counsilman Billingsley Aquatic Center.\n"We're definitely ready for some tough competition," women's swimming coach Dorsey Tierney said. "Illinois has several outstanding individuals. They're very young, but they always swim tough. We have a lot of tired individuals, a lot of tired legs, but one thing the freshmen need to learn how to do is get up and compete against some strong competition when they're a little bit tired."\nTierney said the Hoosiers would try out three 400-yard relay teams against the Fighting Illini to determine who would make up the "A" team for the remainder of the season.\nIn a 186-108 win against Evansville last weekend, senior freestyler Jen Cristy, junior backstroker Susan Woessner and sophomore butterflyer Maggie Helmers each won two events.\nSenior diver Erin Quinn returns to competition this season after sitting out last season as a medical redshirt. She tore a ligament in her elbow during the 1999 NCAA championships, where she garnered All-American status in two events. She placed second in the 1- and 3-meter boards against Evansville.\nThe men's swimming and diving team travels to Evanston, Ill., to compete in a dual meet against Northwestern and Minnesota at 2 p.m. Saturday at Norris Aquatics Center. IU did not face either team during last year's regular season.\nThe Golden Gophers finished seventh at the NCAA championships last season and second in the Big Ten. The Wildcats placed ninth in the conference last season while the Hoosiers finished fourth.\nMinnesota might be without four swimmers, including senior backstroker Alex Massura from Brazil, who is resting after the Olympics, IU senior backstroker Will Bernhardt said.\n"They're shooting for winning, and I guess they have a lot of guys gone after the Olympics," Bernhardt said. "They're a tough team even if they have those four guys."\nSophomore Eric Robson, the reigning Big Ten platform champion, will face Minnesota senior Dan Croaston, the 3-meter champion in diving. IU senior and 1-meter Big Ten champion Tom Davidson is nursing an injury. Sophomore Adam Hazes and freshman Brian Metzler will not compete in diving due to injuries.\nThe field hockey team ends its inaugural regular season Sunday afternoon as the Hoosiers travel to East Lansing, Mich. for a battle with 19th-ranked Michigan State.\nCoach Amy Robertson has said all-season the team would run into its share of challenges, with Sunday being no different. The Hoosiers are 1-10 going into their final contest.\n"Michigan State (is a) good team that (has) fallen short of their potential and will pose very tough end-of-the-season competition for us," Roberston said. "We want to show (The Spartans) that we have a very disciplined defense that can step up and mount a counterattack with some good speed. \n"We have struggled to get to the last step of our offense which would be drawing penalty corners and getting shots off on goal. This will continue to be a focus for us this week. We still have some unfinished business left for this new program in its first season."\nThe Hoosiers enter Sunday's finale off the heels of a 8-0 loss to interstate rival Ball State. In the loss, they were outshot 42-0.\nThe Spartans have struggled so far this season, compiling a 10-7 record, 1-3 in conference play. They face the conference's top team, Michigan, today in Ann Arbor, Mich.\nMichigan State beat Ball State two weeks ago, 3-2 in East Lansing.\nAfter Sunday, the Hoosiers will prepare for the Big Ten tournament at Ann Arbor next weekend.