Hoosiers host Big Ten rival teams

The women's soccer team opens their Big Ten schedule this weekend with a games against Wisconsin and Minnesota. The Wisconsin game is 7 p.m. tonight and the Minnesota game starts at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Both matches will be played at Bill Armstrong Stadium.\nThe showdowns this weekend will give the Hoosiers a sense of how good they are as a team, after going 3-2 in pre-conference play. Coach Mick Lyon, who is coaching in his first Big Ten contest, said he is excited for this opportunity for himself and his team.\n"I'm not nervous, but very excited for this game" Lyon said. "(Wisconsin) Coach (Dean) Duerst is an old friend of mine that I played against, and I look forward to our teams battling each other."\nFreshman defender Ryan Hanley said she is also excited for her first exposure to Big Ten soccer. \n"I'm a bit nervous, but ready to play," she said. "A lot of the upper-classmen have been telling me how exciting a game like this is going to be."\nWisconsin will be traveling to Bloomington with revenge in their sights after a 1-0 loss to the Hoosiers last season. The Badgers entered that game ranked 23rd in the country, but could never rebound from the loss to the Hoosiers and wound up in last place in the Big Ten last season.\nJunior forward Shelly Gruszka scored the game's lone goal last year in Madison, and feels that the Badgers will try to even the score tonight. \n"Wisconsin will be looking for revenge, that's for sure" Gruszka said. "I know some of the players over there and they have been talking about this game for a while."\nGruszka said it is important for the team to win tonight to prove to other Big Ten teams that the Hoosiers are a formidable team in the conference.\n "Wisconsin is going to come out and play us hard," she said, "but it would be huge if we could get a win in our first Big Ten game." \nCoach Lyon said Wisconsin is a good early test for his team because he believes they are a team that the Hoosiers can compete well with.\n"We would love to set the tempo by going 2-0 this weekend, and playing well while winning both games" Lyon said. \nThe last few games between IU and Wisconsin have been extremely close. In the last three games between the squads the series is tied 1-1-1 with two of the games going to double overtime. With this history between the two teams Lyon said it is important for the team to score first and try to maintain that lead in a game that should be a defensive battle.\n"That first goal is always important because not only does it give you the lead, but it helps to give your confidence as well," he said. "That first crack of the net usually elevates the play," \nHanley said the team isn't treating this as just another game, and the coaching staff has let the team know this week how important the Big Ten opener is.\n"The coaches expect more of us for this game," Hanley said. "They've pushed us harder and motivated us, and we're ready to respond."\nDon't forget to listen to the game on 1570 AM, WIUS, Pure Student Radio. You can catch all the action at 7 p.m., with the pre-game beginning at 6:50 p.m.. The game will also be broadcast on www.purestudentradio.com.