Freshman leading the way for IU with goal scoring

The IU women's field hockey team enters this weekend's Big Ten tournament with its best record in school history, 8-9. One of the reasons for the Hoosiers' improvement this year has been simple; they have done a much better job at putting the ball in the back of the net.\nLast year the team totaled 22 goals for the entire season. Entering this weekend's tournament, the Hoosiers have already scored 31 goals. \nOne player that has led the offensive charge for the Hoosiers is freshman forward Lydia Schrott. Schrott enters the weekend tied for the team lead with six goals and leads the team with three assists. Included in the six goals this year is last weekend's game winner over the No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes. Although she has already set the record for most points in a season by a Hoosier, Schrott believes her teammates have set her up well for several of her scores.\n"Like for me, it's not that I'm doing that much," Schrott said. "Basically, it's like (junior) Kayla (Bashore) or (sophomore) Mallory (Reabold) makes an amazing play, and so it seems that I'm at the right place at the right time, and it's not something spectacular all the time."\nIU coach Amy Robertson has been extremely impressed with the sudden impact of her freshman forward.\n"I knew Lydia was a very talented field hockey player," Robertson said. "I knew she was an all-around type of player, but I was very pleasantly surprised about her level of performances and how consistent she has been as a freshman. It's been really awesome." \nSchrott was recruited by the Hoosiers' assistant coach Gina Lucido. Lucido agrees with Robertson, as she also is pleasantly surprised with Schrott's play as a freshman.\n"I would say she has definitely been a pleasant surprise in the measure that she has impacted this team and this conference," Lucido said. "We knew how talented she was, and the potential she had, but sometimes the level of competition is difficult. But she has embraced fully everything that has been thrown at her. She is a fighter. She is skilled, and I have never seen anyone with a more competitive desire to win and have such a high work rate."\nSchrott and the rest of the Hoosiers will hope to keep the offense going this weekend, as they will face off against the No. 6 Michigan State Spartans in the first round of the Big Ten tournament. \n-- Contact staff writer Andrew Rosen at ajrosen@indiana.edu.