Women's soccer team tries to end losing streak

The women's soccer team has won only one Big Ten game so far this season. It hasn't even won a conference game at home. It has been outscored 12-4 while only scoring one goal in five conference home games. It has had many injuries. \nYet, the Hoosiers' frustration levels have remained fairly low.\n"As an athlete and a competitor, you have to always regroup and focus on the new opponent and new objective," coach Joe Kelley said. "That's what we have to do with them this week."\nThe Hoosiers have played some of their best soccer during this recent home stretch, even though they have only been victorious once in their past four games, Kelley said. He added that the 2-1 overtime loss to Wisconsin at home was the best game his team has played all season.\nSo far, playing the entire 90 minutes and finishing the game has been IU's biggest challenge. With the Hoosiers' injury troubles, players who have been spending time on the injured list have been struggling to keep up the pace for the whole the game.\n"That shows a little bit in our finishing," Kelley said. "It's not so much that (the players who are returning from injuries) can't play in games -- which they come back and do really well -- it's the practice time they're missing. It shows often in that last touch, that last little finesse shot."\nTo battle the recent string of bad luck, IU has made drastic changes in its lineup. The moves include making junior starting back Whitney Butler a forward and having two freshmen, Carly Everett and Erin Hesselbach, starting in the backfield.\n"We've completely switched our formation on the field," sophomore Dana Philp said. "I think it helps our performance because it plays to our strengths having three people up top and our width coming from the back."\nPhilp also mentioned team support is strong to help with the on-field transitions.\n"Everyone on the team supports each other," Philp said. "I don't think the support is any different toward a starter and a nonstarter. Everyone just wants you to do well on the field, so they encourage you."\nTo get back to winning, Kelley said he sees opportunities for each position on the field to improve, from the backs to the forwards. But Kelley said drastic changes are not needed because the team is so close to winning.\n"That's the thing; we need to get that last touch to put it away," Kelley said. "It does make it more frustrating, but on the reverse hand you can say, 'Whoa! Look how good we're doing.' It's just one more thing. One more thing."\nKelley said the Hoosiers need every player to play hard to advance to the Big Ten tournament.\n"This team is like any other team," Everett said. "When you're needed, you step it up. It's not a matter of growing up, it's a matter of being a team player and giving it 100 percent all the time."\nTo make the Big Ten tournament, IU will have to do it on the road against Illinois, Iowa and Purdue. But Kelley said it couldn't be much harder than at home.\n"A hockey coach once said something -- after they had lost some important games on the road and they had lost some important games at home -- that it was his fault because he couldn\'t find anywhere else to schedule them," Kelley said. "Playing away from home, we should do just as well. That\'s something we can definitely do and overcome"