Hoosiers can't make it 2 in a row

As the clock struck midnight on the IU field hockey team Tuesday, the young Hoosiers were faced with an important lesson: Success doesn't come overnight. Although IU is much deeper and more talented than in 2001, the Hoosiers could not follow up their season opening win. They lost to Maine 2-1.\nWhile the Hoosiers (1-1) could not pull out the victory, coach Amy Robertson did find several positives to take out of Tuesday's game.\n"We had a pretty good performance today," Robertson said. "We executed our game plan and we played Maine very evenly. We recognized open spaces today and moved the ball really well, but we just didn't always have an attacking mentality. The outcome could have gone either way, but we just narrowly missed some opportunities."\nUnlike their first game, the Hoosiers came out firing with eight penalty corners and five shots in the first half, but IU was unable to capitalize on its opportunities. The visiting Black Bears (2-1) took advantage of the Hoosier's difficulties when senior Tara Bedard and Amie Dubois assisted Karyn Magno to put Maine up 1-0 with just over three minutes left in the first half. The Black Bears took their one goal lead into the intermission.\nFollowing half time, IU came out like a ball of fire with freshman Lesley Wiler scoring the first goal of her career only 42 seconds into the second half. Maine junior goalkeeper Jaye Lance blocked Wiler's first shot, but Wiler got the rebound and buried it into the back of the net to even the tally at 1-1.\n"It was a penalty corner," Robertson said, "and the rebound came out and Lesley was there. That's her first goal ever. She has a lot of talent. She just needs more confidence."\nAfter Wiler's goal, the momentum appeared to be on the Hoosiers side. But the experienced Maine squad regained their composure and the momentum with a scrappy, defensive style. And with 8:12 left to play, senior Kristy Ferran found Bedard for her fourth goal of the season and a Black Bear lead, 2-1.\nWhile IU continued to fight, they were not able to overcome the scrappy Bears.\n"They are very good, and they're much more experienced than we are. They were very scrappy, and they had a presence and confidence in getting it done," Robertson said.\nSophomore forward Ryan Woolsey agrees.\n"Ultimately, they had a lot more experience, and they wanted it more at the end of the game," Woolsey said. "They just played a lot better."\nA big hope for the Hoosiers Tuesday was carrying over their offensive production from last week's season-opening win into Tuesday's match. But, Maine proved much more resilient.\n"Maine kept their composure in the box and got the ball and pushed it out quickly. They also recovered very well on defense," Woolsey said.\nWhile the Hoosiers lost, Amy Robertson feels her team showed marked improvement from Saturday.\n"In the first game we didn't execute half as well as we did today. We just need more confidence and more urgency in transition back to defense," Robertson said.\nMaine coach Terry Kix agrees. \n"I have great respect for Indiana," Kix said in a statement. "Coach Robertson's done a wonderful job with a young program. They are going to upset some people and they'll be a force to be reckoned with in the future"