Hoosiers struggle to score, drop two

While searching for their first victory of the year, the IU field hockey team was unsuccessful. They lost to the University of Massachusetts and the University of Michigan in weekend competition. The match against UMass was the Hoosiers' last before opening Big Ten conference play against the Wolverines Sunday.\nThe Hoosiers battled UMass Saturday and fell to the Minutewomen 4-1, moving UMass to 2-3 on the season. Junior Molly Pulkrabek faced heavy pressure early in the game as the Hoosiers allowed the Minutewomen to get off 11 shots in the first half. Three of those shots found the back of the net, giving UMass an early 3-0 lead. The Hoosiers then began to settle in and found an offensive rhythm as freshman midfielder Kimberly Nash scored IU's lone goal with 5:10 left to play in the half. The goal was Nash's first in her early Hoosier career.\nIU took the momentum of Nash's goal into the half, but couldn't convert on their early offensive chances in the second half. The score remained 3-1 until UMass senior Anke Breummer scored off a penalty corner, giving her a hat trick. All three of Breummer's goals came off of penalty corners.\nPenalty corners and shots plagued the Hoosiers as the Minutewomen outshot IU 27-6 and amassed 15 more penalty corners than the Hoosiers. Pulkrabek was able to tie a career high in saves, blocking 12 shots in the game.\nIn their Big Ten opener, the Hoosiers lost to Michigan 10-1. Michigan's offensive attack overpowered IU as they got off 38 shots and 16 penalty corners, while IU only recorded two shots and was unable to get a penalty corner.\nThe Wolverines got on the scoreboard just 48 seconds into the match and again 5:33 into the first half. The Hoosiers responded as freshman forward Ryan Woolsey found the back of the net with 22:04 left in the half. Now in their second year, the goal was the Hoosiers first in Big Ten competition. It was Woolsey's first career goal.\nMichigan continued its scoring as they scored five more goals in the first half to create a 7-1 deficit for the Hoosiers. The Wolverines put three more goals on the scoreboard in the second half. Michigan sophomore Stephanie Johnson recorded a hat trick with a penalty stroke nine minutes into the second half.\nThe No. 4 ranked Wolverines improved their record to 6-2 while the Hoosiers fell to 0-6.\nThe Hoosiers face Ball State 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Mellencamp Pavilion.