Michigan State loss puts conference record at 0-5, leaves team frustrated

The frustration was evident on the faces of the IU field hockey team. \nAs Michigan State players gathered near midfield at the IU Field Hockey Field and sang their fight song to the visiting fans, the Hoosier players trudged back to the bench with heads held low.\nAfter the final whistle following a 2-0 Michigan State victory, the No. 7 Spartans celebrated with their fans. \nWhile Michigan State enjoyed its fourth victory in five Big Ten games, IU was left searching for answers after falling to 0-5 in Big Ten play.\n“This is a hard one for us to take, because we really did a lot of things on the field that we had been working on in practice,” IU coach Amy Robertson said. “At no point in the game did I really feel that we were outplayed by Michigan State.” \nMichigan State wasted little time getting on the scoreboard with a third minute goal by Charlotte van der Laag. The Spartans pushed the lead to 2-0 with a goal in the 30th minute by Amy Schneider off a penalty corner. \n“Michigan State really took advantage of their chances,” \nRobertson said. “They really know how to execute, especially on their penalty corners. They have some tall girls with really long swings, and they are hard to defend.”\nIU had scoring opportunities all game long, including nine second-half shots and 10 penalty corners for the game. But the Hoosiers, who have struggled scoring goals all year long, were shutout for the third consecutive game. \n“We just couldn’t find the goal,” Robertson said. “We had 10 penalty corners on the game and went 0-10. That’s just a mentality that you have to have on the field. No matter what play is called or who is taking the shot, you just have to find a way to create an opportunity and finish with a score.”\nThe Hoosiers have little time to dwell on the loss, as they face Stanford today at the IU Field Hockey Field. \n“We just have to take this loss as motivation and use it for the game against Stanford,” sophomore back Lucy Ireland said.\nThe Michigan State loss was tough, but the Hoosiers believe they have what it takes to be successful.\n“We’re frustrated, but we just have to keep digging deep and playing with heart,” senior back Amanda Oyler said. \nWith a day off between games on Sunday, Robertson said the team will have a light practice with an emphasis on penalty corner execution. \nWhile Robertson and the IU players continue to look for answers that will produce results on the field, they remain focused on the rest of the season.\n“Hopefully we can use this frustration that we feel and turn it into a positive out on the field,” Robertson said. “We only have a few more games in the regular season, and I think we are really motivated.”