Hoosiers split games in road trip to Columbus

After a 2-1 loss to Ohio State in Columbus on Friday, the IU field hockey team responded quickly with an 8-0 win over Missouri State on Saturday. \nThe Hoosiers had little time to dwell on the defeat and showed no ill-effect in their dominant victory less than 24 hours later.\n“I think we responded really well to the disappointment we felt after the loss to Ohio State,” IU coach Amy Robertson said. “We made the right changes and overall it was really positive. I was proud of how we approached the game.”\nIU came out firing against Missouri State, outshooting the Bears 16-3 in the first half and 27-8 for the game. \nSophomore forward Haley Funk led the offense for the Hoosiers, recording her first career hat trick. \n“It was a good feeling being able to score those goals,” she said. “It was just nice to see us pick up our play after Friday.”\nSenior midfielder Margie Stoll recorded her first career goal, and senior forward Kate O'Connell scored her sixth goal of the season. Sisters Katie and Kelsey Kiper also found the back of the net, and junior back Danitra Castro put in a penalty stroke to round out the scoring for the Hoosiers. \n“We were able to develop good opportunities that led to goals,” Robertson said. “I thought we came out focused, and our tempo and intensity was high for the full 70 minutes. We played almost everybody, and some different players made contributions.”\nOne of those players was junior goalkeeper Jobi Manson, who replaced starter Haley Exner in the second half. Manson made the most of her playing time, making two key second-half saves.\n“It felt great to get in the game and prove what I can do to the team,” Manson said. “As a backup, you work hard in practice and put in a lot of time on and off the field, so it was really refreshing to be able to play like that in a game.”\nIn their Big Ten opener against Ohio State, the Hoosiers came out a little flat, and the Buckeyes made them pay. \n“Ohio State capitalized on their opportunities,” Robertson said. “It was frustrating because we didn’t really click out there. I thought it was the first time we didn’t play and progress from the previous game.”\nIU outshot Ohio State 9-8 for the game but managed only one shot in the second half. Sophomore Meg O’Connell was the lone scorer for the Hoosiers, recording her third goal of \nthe season. \nDespite the slow start in Big Ten play, Robertson isn’t overly concerned.\n“In the Big Ten there isn’t one team who is going to dominate,” she said. “There is great competition and it brings out the best in each other. It isn’t one game that will make the difference. We just have to focus on making IU better. We’re not going to change our style of play because of our opponents.”