Rookie tackling the turf, adjusting to new situation

Adjustments to a new team and new region can be tough for some players. But for freshman forward Nikki Orciuch the adjustment from New England high school ball to Big Ten field hockey has been taken in stride with only a few bumps in the road. Orciuch leads Hoosier freshmen and is third on the team with three goals and seven points while recording 15 shots on goal.\nWhile Orciuch has made the transition well, that doesn't mean that she hasn't had to work for it. IU has played one of the toughest schedules in the country this year by competing against six of the Top 20 teams including Top 10 teams Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State. Orciuch said the competition chang has been a big one.\n"When I came here and we would play against Penn State or Michigan State," Orciuch said, "it was unreal because I couldn't believe how talented some girls are out there. It was definitely a whole different level."\nA big transition for most high school field hockey players is the switch from grass to the college turf. Orciuch, who is known for her speed, said the playing-surface switch has been a tough one, but she said her speed has helped the adjustment.\n"For actually having games and practicing on turf, it's a lot different," Orciuch said. "It took me a while to get used to it, but a lot of people say that because of the speed I have its pretty easy to adjust to it."\nAlthough Orciuch is always looking to improve her individual performance, she is more concerned with how her team performs on the field, she said. The West Falmouth, Mass. product said she most enjoys working with her teammates for offensive success.\n"I've always tried to be a team player," Orciuch said. "I love being able to see an open pass and pass it to them. Just communicating and running with the ball and off the ball and getting in an open space for a certain pass or a tip in. Off the ball movement is key."\nSenior forward and co-captain Erica Nilsson said Orciuch provides the team with great speed and playmaking ability and feels they combine well on the attack.\n"I think Nikki's one of the fastest players I've ever played with," Nilsson said. "She has a lot of individual skill and has the ability as an outside forward to take the ball all the way down on her own. She's great at creating plays, and she usually initiates them. And I think we combine well after that."\nOrciuch has scored most of her goals this season off of rebounds, including a game-winning goal off of her own rebounded shot in IU's first ever Big Ten win over Ohio State. She attributes her rebounding success to her determination to score.\n"It's just determination to get something done," she said. "We've always been taught to keep our stick down, and that goes to show that when you keep your stick down something good can come of it."\nAssistant coach Gina Lucido said she thinks Orciuch's play has been an exciting addition to the 4-10 Hoosier squad.\n"I think Nikki plays with a lot of instinct, which is great for our team," Lucido said. "She is very hungry to score, and she brings a huge spark to our attack. And that's been really exciting to see."\nLucido, along with head coach Amy Robertson, were two big contributors in Orciuch's decision to come to IU. Robertson and Lucido's challenge was convincing Orciuch to leave New England. But after the forward got to know the coaching pair and visited with her future teammates, Orciuch said she knew IU was the right fit.\n"First, I wasn't even looking anywhere out of New England because of the distance," Orciuch said. "But when I was recruited by Amy and Gina I loved their personalities. They were the kind of coaches that I wanted to coach me. I visited, and the girls were so nice and friendly. I felt that if I was to come here I would fit in."\nLike most college students, the transition from high school academics to college academics is a big change. Orciuch is no different. She said that although she expected the change in work load, the transition to a different learning style where it is totally up to you has been the biggest adjustment.\n"School-wise I knew that it was going to be all about me," Orciuch said. "That I expected, but you have so much freedom you can decide to do something or not. And you're going to get what grade you deserve."\nOrciuch defines herself as a spontaneous person, but hopes that she will continue to enjoy her college life on and off the field, she said.\n"I'm just enjoying my time and the people around me," she said, "and hopefully it will continue this way"