Big weekend ahead for No. 11 Hoosiers

No matter the outcome of this weekend's doubleheader, it will be an emotional one for the Hoosiers.\nSunday's game against Michigan will be the last home game the IU field hockey senior class will play at Mellencamp Pavilion.\n"It's sad," All-American senior forward Lydia Schrott said. "It will be exciting to play at Mellencamp for the last time, but it's sad to look back on all of it and see how fast it's gone."\nBesides Schrott, it will be the last home game for seniors April Levins, Morgan Miller and Rachel Telian. The first year the four played for the Hoosiers, the team finished 1-5 in the Big Ten. Fast-forward to 2006, and this senior class, along with the rest of the squad, finds itself ranked eleventh in the nation.\n"They came in and really helped turn things around," IU coach Amy Robertson said of the seniors. "Not because they are just talented, but because they are really hard workers and have a competitive fire in them."\nBesides Sunday's game being her last at Mellencamp Pavilion, Telian has another reason the game against the Wolverines is special to her -- she is from Ann Arbor.\n"I always have a little extra energy for Michigan," Telian said. "I just want to enjoy the game and take everything in."\nBefore the No. 11 Hoosiers (12-2, Big Ten 3-0) take on the No. 20 Wolverines (8-7, 2-1) Sunday, they will square off against Northeastern University (7-6) Saturday at 1 p.m. The back-to-back games present a challenge for the Hoosiers, but it's one for which they believe they are prepared.\n"It'll be tough, but it's the end of the season so we're pretty fit," Schrott said. \nIn order to prepare for this weekend's games, the Hoosiers worked on conditioning Tuesday, running around and up and down the stairs at Memorial Stadium.\n"We're trying to get ready for this weekend's games and the Big Ten tournament, so we have to stay on top of our fitness," Robertson said.\nAfter falling to the No. 13 Louisville Cardinals Friday 2-0, the Hoosiers were able to rebound two days later in a landslide victory over the Lindenwood Lions, 9-0. The Hoosiers hope for more scoring like the Lindenwood contest, so they've been working on that element in practice.\n"We sometimes get the ball but don't capitalize or get anything positive in the circle," Schrott said. "We're finally at where we can get the ball in the circle, but we need to get a result in either a corner or a goal."\nRobertson said the Hoosiers were able to penetrate the Cardinals' defense Friday but weren't able to get good shots or goal opportunities.\n"We're working on that and just doing some game situations and different drills. Time goes on, and you just need to revisit some old concepts," she said.\nOne thing the Hoosiers haven't had to work on all season is their team chemistry. Robertson and her players said since the beginning of the season the team genuinely gets along.\n"Our chemistry is really unique, especially in the Big Ten," Schrott said. "You hear stories about other teams that don't get along, but we don't do that."\nTelian said the closeness of the team translates to success on the field, noting that the players know each other so well that they have trust and confidence in one another.\n"It's hard for a team not to get along when they are made up of good people," Robertson said.\nRobertson and her squad face two tough opponents that have had success this season. That is exactly where the Hoosiers' attention remains instead of on other distractions.\n"We're more focused for the games rather than the fact that it's our last weekend here," Schrott said.