IU faces tough weekend

The field hockey team heads north this weekend to take part in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge hosted by Syracuse University, the beginning of a six game road trip. They will battle Rutgers on Saturday afternoon and face off against Villanova on Sunday morning. Other teams representing the Big Ten in the tournament are Ohio State and Michigan State.\nAlthough the Hoosiers sit at 1-3, having dropped their last three contests, coach Amy Robertson thinks the team is ready to break out.\n"We've had an extremely good week of practice. Wednesday was perhaps the best practice of the season," Robertson said. "I think this weekend is our weekend."\nIf IU is going to turn its season around, Rutgers might be the team to do it against. The Scarlet Knights have posted an 0-3 record, and like the Hoosiers, have been stymied on offense as of late.\nRobertson foresees it as a battle. \n"Rutgers is a very fast, tough, scrappy and experienced team," Robertson said. "They are hungry for a win just like we are."\nVillanova is a different story. Thus far, they have had a very successful campaign. The Wildcats (2-1) have many returning starters from a team that won the Big East Championship title game last season, including 2001 Big East goalkeeper of the year, Meghan Helwig.\nThe Hoosiers' biggest problem so far has been their inability to put the ball in the net. They have scored only one goal in the past three games. The offensive production must increase this weekend if IU has any hopes of getting back on track.\n Freshman forward Nikki Orciuch believes the offense is coming around.\n"Individually, we have to stay in the game and remain focused," Orciuch said. "But as a team we need to concentrate more on communicating and working together on actually getting to the ball and making the play."\n While the offense has been lacking, the defense has been steady. Senior goalkeeper Molly Pulkrabek, leads the Big Ten in total saves (33) and saves per game with 8.25. \nThe Hoosiers are coming off of a 1-0 loss to UC Berkeley last Sunday in which IU outshot the No. 16 Golden Bears 15-12. Although the Hoosiers need to up their offensive output this weekend, the team also would like to see further improvement in the defense.\nSenior defender Akila Jones believes the key to IU's solid defensive play has been organization. She also thinks the defense will get better.\n"When the defense is organized, it makes things easier on the goalie and the rest of the team," Jones said. "Although we have played well, there is always room for improvement, and we must improve to stay competitive."\nThe Hoosiers will need that improvement this weekend in hopes of a successful road trip. Two victories against tough competition will earn the team some respect and could put the bottom-dwellers in the thick of the Big Ten standings.\nThe Rutgers game begins today at 4 p.m. and the Villanova game starts at 10 a.m Saturday.