Women's soccer team battles to tie in double overtime game

Regulation and double overtime play weren't enough to determine a winner in the IU-Michigan State women's soccer game Sunday afternoon at Bill Armstrong Stadium.\nThe game was a physical one with the teams combining for 51 fouls. Michigan State set a school record for most fouls in a game with 27. The Spartans set the previous record last year when they faced-off against the Hoosiers, playing to a 0-0 double overtime tie. \nDespite the physical play, coach Joe Kelley said there are no hard feelings between the teams.\n"It's just two physical teams," he said. "Part of it was that we played 120 minutes. But still, it's just two teams that went really hard. It's a typical Big Ten game."\nThe defense allowed Michigan State eight shots, of which three were on goal. Senior goalkeeper Chrissy Heubi, who made all three saves for the Hoosiers, said the backfield controlled the tempo of the game.\n"We were a lot more organized," she said. "Everyone worked really hard today. It's too bad we had to get a tie. I don't think it shows how well we played."\nThe Spartans' goalie, Sara Kloosterman, had to make twice as many saves as Heubi.\n"That just shows our defense worked really well," Heubi said. "We shut them down, pretty much. Only one of those saves was really a save. The rest were just pick-ups."\nKelley said he was also very impressed with his backfield.\n"The back four right now -- (freshman back Erin) Hesselbach, (freshman back) Carly Everett, (junior midfielder) Stacey Peterson, (sophomore back) Dana Philp -- really did great. (Senior back) Jena (Kluska) played like she played in the past. She was fighting people; she was challenging them. This was Jena's best game." \nThe IU offense was a story of missed opportunities. IU tallied 11 shots and three corner kicks in 120 minutes of play. \n"I think we could've got in and got better chances," junior forward Whitney Butler said. "We were around the ball and we worked with it up there, but we just had to capitalize. We had to play a little smarter up top. But I think overall, as a team effort, we dominated the game."\nMichigan State also had some missed opportunities with seven corner kicks in the game, several coming in the last minutes of the second overtime.\nThe injury-plagued Hoosiers received bad news when team leader, junior midfielder Kelly Kram became sick Friday and wasn't expected to play Sunday. A last minute talk convinced Kelley to put her into the line-up. \n"We weren't planning on using her at all," Kelley said. "She said, 'I could go a little bit,' and she ended up going more than a little bit. That's just a testimony to her guts."\nKram wasn't the only Hoosier to play less than 100 percent. Sophomore forward Kate Kastl played most of the game despite missing the last three games with injuries. \n"Kastl played most of the game and we weren't planning on playing her," Kelley said. "Yet, because of her speed we needed her. But they didn't know she couldn't kick with her right foot. She can only turn with her left foot. The fact she couldn't shoot with her right foot was interesting, but we needed her out there."\nKelley said he was also impressed with the teams' play, although his team lacked five starters.\n"We did well," he said. "This team, they just had to hang in there and I know they will. (Sophomore forward Kristen) Sprunger's stress fracture is acting up again and she's very hobbled right now. So even though they're playing, they're still a little bit hobbled. I thought they did really well. We fought really well today."\nComing out with a tie was not the result the Hoosiers wanted, but they said they still feel confident about their performances and look to keep up the motivation in the upcoming games.\n"This team's very good," Kelley said. "You look at another team that has five to six starters out at a time and do what we're doing right now; that's pretty awesome"