Double overtime means disaster for field hockey

Last Friday's match against Michigan State nearly provided the lift the women's field hockey needed to propel the Hoosiers to future success. Searching for the program's first victory in Big Ten play, IU took the No. 6 ranked Spartans to the limit.\nAfter a scoreless first half, the Hoosiers came out more aggressive in the second half. With 27:24 left, Hoosier sophomore Lauren Micka found freshman Kim Nash off of a penalty corner to give the Hoosiers a 1-0 lead. The goal was Nash's fourth on the year and marked the first time the Hoosiers have held a lead in Big Ten play. Keeping the momentum going, junior Erica Nilsson rattled the back of the cage, ripping a shot past Spartan goalie Lauren Hess with 18:31 left in regulation to give the Hoosiers a 2-0 advantage.\nNilsson was ecstatic after the goal and thought it gave the team confidence to be up two goals.\n"I was psyched," she said. "It was great to be up on top 2-0 with a lead."\nBut the highly-ranked Spartans weren't ready to give in to the young and hungry Hoosier squad. Two minutes after Nilsson notched her goal, Michigan State got on the board off a controversial penalty corner. Direct shots off of penalty corners must hit the 18-inch board in the goal and the Spartans' goal was well over the board. But officials declared the goal legal, saying that IU's freshman goalie Katie Kanara lifted her pad above the 18-inch board, deflecting the ball up. Hoosier head coach Amy Robertson and Kanara disputed the goal heavily, but to no avail.\nAfter the game, Kanara described in her mind what happened on the play.\n"When I lie down, my leg pads are at 18 inches," Kanara said. "It wasn't a legal goal. The shot went outside and off of a player's leg and into the goal. But the officials thought it went off my pads."\nThe Spartans tied up the game at 2-2 off of another penalty corner with 2:31 remaining in the second half. Neither team was able to create a scoring threat in the final minutes, sending the game into overtime.\nThe first 15-minute overtime session offered scoring chances for both teams, but Kanara and Michigan State's Hess were up to the challenges. Kanara made two especially great players, turning away Big Ten goals leader senior Bridget Cooper in two one-on-one situations. Cooper got behind the IU defense with three minutes left, and again with 40 seconds left, but Kanara charged Cooper to take away her shooting angles and was able to knock away the ball in both opportunities. Despite the chances, neither team was able to score and the game went to a second 15-minute overtime session.\nThe Spartans took possession of the ball right away in the second overtime and freshman forward Annebet Beerman got a shot off on Kanara. Kanara made the initial save, but the rebound went back to Beerman who made one move around Kanara and shot the ball into the open goal. The goal came just 30 seconds into the second overtime and gave the Spartans a 3-2 victory.\nFollowing the game, the Hoosier players were emotionally devastated.\n"I feel robbed," Nilsson said. "We had it, being up 2-0, and to lose 3-2 is heartbreaking."\nBut Nilsson thought IU played excellent as a team and knew the team had to move on.\n"We came together as a team, it was 100 percent team effort," she said. "The fact that we went up against a No. 6 team and played composed like we were a 10-year program, I think we went out and played awesome and we just need to keep it up. We are a complete team right now, we are united and we are going to take it forward. We are going to win and are excited to keep it going."\nMichigan State head coach Michele Madison said she was not surprised by the Hoosiers play and was especially impressed with Kanara.\n"Our team may have been surprised (by the way IU played), but I wasn't," Madison said. "My hat's off to them, they played a great game. I thought their goalkeeper was superior; she stopped all kinds of shots and even knocked away cross balls where we try to deflect the ball in. That's the sign of a talented goalie."\nRobertson said she was pleased with the way her team competed, but was disappointed with the result.\n"We played our best game," Robertson said. "We frustrated Michigan State, but they are a good team and weren't going to give up. I didn't want to sit back and try to protect our lead, so we continued to attack. It's a let down for us though, because we know that we worked so hard today."\nHoping to keep up their play, but with a different outcome, the Hoosiers traveled to face St. Louis Sunday. IU jumped in front five minutes into the game as sophomore Jaime O'Pray scored with an assist from Nash. St. Louis responded, tying the game off a penalty corner at the 14:52 mark of the first half. Nilsson notched her second goal of the weekend to put the Hoosiers back on top 2-1 with 10 minutes remaining in the first half.\nIn the second half, Nilsson had a chance to score again, this time off a penalty shot. But the St. Louis goalie made a sprawling save to keep the Billikens in the game. With 15 minutes left, St. Louis tied the game at 2-2. Neither team was able to score again in regulation.\nThe first overtime session was similar to the Michigan State game, as both teams had ample opportunities to score. But Kanara and the St. Louis keeper turned away all scoring chances. In the second overtime period, IU had several more chances, but St. Louis got a breakaway with nine minutes left. Kanara once again made the initial save, but St. Louis recovered the rebound and scored to take the 3-2 victory. With the loss the Hoosiers drop to 1-11 on the year.