IU counts on defense to win tourney championship

With parents in attendance, Carrie DeFreece showed why she is a team leader.\nThe weekend of Parents' Day at Bill Armstrong Stadium, the senior midfielder/forward and co-captain from Olathe, Kan., scored all three goals for the IU women's soccer team as the Hoosiers defeated Northern Arizona University 1-0 and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 2-0 to win the Old National Bank Hoosier Classic Championship.\n"They're an awesome set of parents, and my little brother, Sam," DeFreece said. "They've made it to every game so far, and I think they're going to get to them every weekend, but it means a lot for them to be here with me and just watch what they've contributed to."\nIU began the tournament Friday night against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks, a team coached by former IU men's goaltender Andre Luciano. The game was scoreless going into halftime, but the momentum was clearly in the Hoosiers' favor as they out-shot the Lumberjacks 10-2.\nDeFreece broke the tie around three minutes into the second half when she blasted a shot from the right corner of the box into the top left corner of the net above Lumberjacks goaltender Elizabeth Winkelblec for an unassisted goal, her first of the season. The goal proved to be all the Hoosiers needed for the victory as the IU defense shut down the Lumberjacks' attack, allowing only one more shot in the second half.\nDeFreece proved to be the star once again Sunday against the Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers when junior defender Jenna Babcock found an open DeFreece making a run for the net, giving the senior a one-on-one opportunity against Panthers goaltender Erin Kane. After Kane misjudged the dive, DeFreece easily put the ball in the net for a goal in the 13th minute.\nJust past 10 minutes after her second goal of the weekend, DeFreece found herself in the right position once again. A shot by senior defender Lauren Lamping hit off the top cross bar right into the path of DeFreece, who once again had a one-on-one chance against Kane. Just like the first round, DeFreece got the goal.\n"It definitely was a case of being at the right spot at the right time," said DeFreece, who was named the offensive MVP of the tournament. "Jenna (Babcock) and I made eye contact before the first goal, and I knew she was going to play it there, and she played a great ball. Then Lamping's shot was good, and I've just always been taught to follow it up, so that's what I did."\nIU coach Mick Lyon said he was pleased to see a successful weekend for DeFreece, who he said is the type of person for whom you want good things to happen.\n"She is always recognized by her teammates, other teams and spectators as one of the hardest-working players on the field," Lyon said. "For that hundred pounds of body she's got, she packs a punch."\nOnce again the Hoosier defense was able to shut down the Panthers' offensive attack, and junior goaltender Stacey Van Boxmeer made some key saves to secure IU's second shutout of the weekend and third shutout in a row. \nAll four defensive starters -- Babcock, Lamping and freshmen Kelly Lawrence and Jessica Boots -- were named to the all-tournament team.\n"It's surprising," Boots said about all four defenders being honored. "But we've been working hard at it. In practice coach has been really harping on us, so we finally got it together."\nIn addition to the four defenders, Van Boxmeer earned the title of defensive MVP of the tournament.\n"...As all the famous coaches will tell you, you win championships based on defense," Lyon said. "I mean our defense this weekend was spectacular -- that's why you get five of them getting awards. They're a tremendous unit, they were well balanced, they were tough in their tackling."\nSunday's game was Parents' Day for the Hoosiers, so many of the IU players' parents were honored during a halftime ceremony.\n"It's a neat organization as far as the parents' organization of this team," Lyon said. "I think that organization is coming on as strong as the team. They are a well-oiled machine in their tailgating, their organization, attending games, basically just putting themselves out there saying to the coaches when we travel, 'Hey, we're there for anything extra that you need; we're there to support the team.'"\nThe Hoosiers play again Friday and Saturday when they travel to North Carolina to take on the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and the University of Northa Carolina-Greensboro.