Hoosier to miss season

All-American, All-Big Ten, U.S. Under-21 participant, second all-time leading scorer, all-time assists leader and team co-captain Kayla Bashore will not be playing this year for the Hoosiers.\nThe acclaimed field hockey star will be redshirting for the season as she prepares to take the MCAT test for entrance into medical school. \n"It feels like the right thing to do. This year has already taught me a lot," Bashore said of her season on the sidelines. \nIU coach Amy Robertson said Bashore's skills and determination set her apart. \n"Kayla has extraordinary field hockey ability," Robertson said in a statement prior to the season. "It is rare to have a player with so much natural talent who is constantly looking for more ways to improve and ways to raise the level of the team." \nSince her freshman year in 2001, the program's second season, she had not missed a start. Not playing in Saturday's loss to the California Golden Bears broke a streak of 54-straight starts for the midfielder.\nFellow teammate senior Ryan Woolsey said she feels Bashore still fills an important role -- now acting as an assistant coach. \n"She's filling a different role, but it's equally as important," Woolsey said. \nWoolsey redshirted last season because of injury. When asked to give Bashore advice, she said the main key was to be patient.\nBut both the team and coach remain optimistic. Robertson credits Bashore as being a top player, but also sees an opportunity for her team to play as a complete-team.\n"Because (Kayla) is at a level a bit higher than most players in college, the team relies on her sometimes more than they should," Robertson said. \nShe also added that other players like Leslie Wiler have continued to show on-field leadership, which lightens the absence of a seasoned team leader.\nBashore herself believes this year will be a great season for the Hoosiers. \n"Our team is much better than some people believe we are," she said with confidence. "The people on the field (for IU) have so much experience. With the talent we have, we still haven't peaked yet. As we go on in the season, we are going to get better and better. We're going to be dynamite."\nBashore's field hockey career has not gone unnoticed and has been matched in the classroom. In 2002, she received the Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship & Leadership Award. For three straight years, she has been selected to the National Field Hockey Coaches' Association Division I National Academic Squad. Similarly, in 2003, she received academic All-Big Ten honors.\nHer honors do not end there. As well as receiving Alpha Beta honors her freshman and sophomore years, Bashore has a Balfour Award for distinguishing one's self in sports and academics. \nHer freshman year, Bashore received second team All-Big Ten as well as second team NFHCA All-Region honors. She also received first team All-Big Ten and second team NFHCA All-Region honors her sophomore year. She finished second in points that year with nine.\n-- Contact staff writer Sam Nissen at scnissen@indiana.edu.