Hoosiers split weekend Michigan matchups

With the IU women's soccer team's conference schedule in full swing, the Hoosiers split a pair of games from the Big Ten's two schools representing the state of Michigan.\nIU beat Michigan State 3-0 Friday, but suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 loss Sunday to Michigan.\nThe Hoosiers, recovering from a 5-2 beating at the hands of Wisconsin, meant business Friday night, and came out with an intensity that is normally seen in championship games.\n"We changed some things in training and I told them to play hard from the very first touch, to train their mind to play that way," IU coach Mick Lyon said, "So the biggest thing we changed was their mental part of the game."\nIf great minds think alike, then great athletes must play alike. IU forwards sophomore Carrie DeFreece and freshman Kristin Radcliffe scored two early first-half goals that were almost mirror images of each other, en route to what would be a 3-0 win against the Spartans. \nDeFreece beat two Spartan defenders off a break and fired a bending shot from just inside the penalty box. That shot, the first IU goal of the weekend, barely got past the outstretched arm of Michigan State goalkeeper Erin Carlson in the 11th minute.\n"Scoring the first goal (Friday night) was really great, especially after last week," DeFreece said. "It was a great flick by Radcliffe and I tried to work hard and get something on the shot. Everyone worked really hard tonight and stayed focused -- it was really exciting to play."\nSimilarly, Radcliffe received a pass from sophomore Ali Brown only mere minutes later and dribbled around two Michigan State defenders just inside the box, managing to get off another wide bending shot that somehow evaded the arms of Carlson.\nA second half goal courtesy of midfielder Kristen Zmijewski put the final nail into the Michigan State coffin after she easily tucked the ball under Carlson to score IU's third goal of the game. \nIn IU's second game Sunday, Michigan came right out and showed they meant business when junior forward Therese Heaton scored an unassisted goal 1 minute and 46 seconds into the game. \nThe Michigan goal hit the Hoosiers like a double shot of espresso. IU immediately picked up the pace of the game, led in all statistical categories and rarely allowed the Wolverines into the Hoosier defensive third.\nEven though IU out-shot the Wolverines 10-8 with a 9-2 advantage on corner kicks, the Hoosiers just could not get a shot to find the back of the net, and the 17 IU fouls were clear evidence of the team's frustration.\n"It was definitely a rough game today," Zmijewski said, "We dominated the game and it was just frustrating to get all those shots and not have anything to show for it. It was just a physical game. We had some blatant fouls that we should have held ourselves back from."\n-- Contact staff writer John Fischer at jbfische@indiana.edu.