Big Ten rivals on the horizon

Competing in the Big Ten Conference makes it difficult for a team to ever relax after receiving an accolade. After being ranked 8th in the Great Lakes Region by Soccer Buzz magazine and on the cusp of a national top 25 ranking, the Hoosiers face their most difficult task of the season this weekend. Tonight the Hoosiers battle Penn State in Happy Valley, and then battle Ohio State in Columbus on Sunday.\nThis is an early season road trip that can define the team's success this season. It won't be easy for the Hoosiers, beginning tonight when they battle the defending Big Ten champs and 13th ranked (NSCAA) Nittany Lions. The Hoosiers enter the weekend on a four game unbeaten streak.\nPenn State is a perfect 9-0 against the Hoosiers in the regular season, outscoring IU 24-10 in those battles. The Nittany Lions have two dynamic strikers in reigning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, Heidi Drummond, and Christie Welsh, the Player of the Year in the conference last season. All these accolades do not scare Coach Mick Lyon.\n"We worry about the numbers on the back when practicing our defensive match-ups, not the last names" Lyon said. "That takes away some of the mystique."\nThe team knows it has a daunting task ahead of them tonight. Last year Penn State beat the Hoosiers 4-1, a loss that damaged the Hoosiers and lead to a devastating late season losing streak. The Hoosiers have revenge on their mind this year.\n"In previous years they have obviously done well against us," sophomore midfielder Kim Grodek said. "We have to come out and play hard, and we have last year's game as a good motivating factor for us."\nJunior defender Erin Hesselbach knows the Hoosiers need to have a strong game defensively if they are to defeat Penn State. "We have to play as one defense to be successful" Hesselbach said. "We need to tackle hard when we get the chance, block some shots and play really hard."\nThe coaching staff has worked on a defensive scheme to try and shut down a Penn State squad that has registered 19 goals in only seven games this year. Junior goalkeeper Shaunna Daugherty is leading the Big Ten with 14 saves, however the team needs to try and prevent shots on goal to be successful.\n"We have to be more conservative, tighten down, and have detailed defensive assignments," Lyon said. "I am looking forward to seeing how detailed and professional we can be against them."\nIn order to be viewed as a serious contender in the Big Ten, the team knows they need to have a strong showing against this perennial conference power. "We think we are a good team, so we have to go out there and prove it this weekend," Hesselbach said. \nGrodek said he likes the Hoosiers' chances this weekend. "If we do what we've been working on in practice and concentrate, we have a good chance," he said.\nLyon knows this is his first chance for his team to make a huge splash in the Big Ten this season. Although the Hoosiers battle Penn State tonight, he knows a dangerous Ohio State team waits in the wings for Sunday. "I'm looking for two good results this weekend," Lyon said.\nThere is no debating this weekend will tell a lot about these new look Hoosiers. However, Lyon summed it all up with one sentence.\n"We will truly learn a lot about ourselves by playing Penn State and Ohio State this weekend," he said.