IU focuses on getting better shots, more goals this weekend

Thirty-eight shots. One goal.\nThat was the story last weekend for the IU women's soccer team, which dropped two matches in the Wisconsin Tournament against the University of California and Creighton University. In preparation for this weekend's games against two Big 12 opponents, the Hoosiers are trying to focus more on the positive aspect of those 38 attempted shots.\n"This week it's been kind of optimistic," senior midfielder Ali Brown said about practice, "because we've had some really good play in the tournament this past weekend, and we know what we're capable of. So we're kind of just ready to go out and prove that we can score goals."\nThe Hoosiers (0-2) will get that chance twice this weekend with a game Friday against Baylor at Lawrence Park in Indianapolis and again Saturday night against Texas Tech at Bill Armstrong Stadium. Both games will be at 7 p.m. and are part of the Big Ten-Big 12 Challenge.\n"It's still pretty early in the season," said junior midfielder Beverly Markwort. "So we're not really frustrated. We know what we're capable of. I think practice has been pretty intense because we're right there. We're about to score a lot of goals."\nIU coach Mick Lyon said his players' attitudes this week were top-notch. He said he feels that to score more goals, the team needs to be more focused in the game and not accept shots that go over the crossbar.\n"We've cut out things like saying, 'Hey, nice effort.' It's not," Lyon said. "The only good effort is one that hits the frame, that's got a chance of going in."\nBrown said that much of the key of turning the shots into goals lies in the players' confidence.\n"I know, myself included, I get the ball, and I just kind of forgot what I've been doing the past 10 years of my life," Brown said. "We don't think twice when we score goals in practice -- same way in the game. We got to just take the initiative and put it on frame and just put it away."\nLyon said he felt the Hoosiers had plenty of opportunities to score more goals during the weekend. He cited shots by Brown, senior midfielder Carrie DeFreece, junior forward Lindsay McCarthy and senior forward Megan Pipkens, as well as a shot by freshman forward Kristin Arnold that went off the crossbar. \n"It's tough," Lyon said. "The game can be unlucky. But we had those chances, so we're going to take those kinds of opportunities and turn them into goals."\nIn addition to working on converting more opportunities into goals, the coach also said the Hoosiers are working on making adjustments to a defense that saw two different styles of offensive play last weekend.\n"We're just really working to solidify our unit at the back," Lyon said about the IU defense, which currently has six players in its rotation. "I think if we get that solid, with the goalkeeper (junior Stacey) Van Boxmeer behind that's spectacular right now, then we're going to be solid. If you got a solid defense, you got a chance of winning games"