Hoosiers begin play in Big Ten Tournament

The regular season is in the books for the IU field hockey team. \nWhile an 8-9 overall record and a 1-5 mark in the Big Ten is not what the Hoosiers envisioned, the Big Ten Tournament offers a chance to end the season on a high note. \nNo. 6 seed IU will begin the tournament with a first round matchup against No. 3 seed Iowa today at North Turf Field in Columbus, Ohio. \n“This is a whole new season for us,” junior forward Katie Kiper said. “The records don’t matter except for seeding. It’s going to be a battle and anyone can win.”\nIU will be in for a tough test against the Hawkeyes, last year’s tournament champions. In their game this year, Iowa outlasted the Hoosiers with a 2-1 overtime win. \n“I feel pretty good about how we match up with Iowa,” IU coach Amy Robertson said. “They are a team that really outlets well, but I think we press up field pretty well. Their big strength is their attacking corners. We have one of the best goalkeepers in the country (senior Haley Exner) though, and I think they will have a hard time scoring on our defense.”\nAfter playing Iowa tight in their earlier contest, IU feels confident this time around. \n“They are a tough team and we played them toe-to-toe,” junior back Danitra Castro said. “We definitely feel that we can beat them and I think we are more prepared after the first game.”\nAfter a busy stretch last week, including four games in eight days, the Hoosiers are still trying to regain their fresh legs.\n“I think we’re headed there,” Robertson said. “Our bodies are still in recovery a little bit. I think once the games start we’ll be ready. The fitness aspect of our season is all behind us.”\nThe Hoosiers underwent a rough Big Ten regular season, but their 1-5 conference mark was a bit misleading. They lost three games by one goal, including two in overtime. Their other two losses were by two goals. \n“I think when we look back on the season, we’ll see that we played close and competed with all the teams,” Robertson said. “I think some of our losses were because of inexperience. But I think now we know we can do it.”\nIf nothing else, IU’s struggles in the Big Ten will leave the team hungry for success in the tournament. \n“I think we are unsatisfied with how we finished,” Robertson said. “I think that will fire us up. This is what matters for us, because this is our chance to get into the NCAA tournament.”\nIU has shown marked improvement over the course of the year and hopes it will continue in the tournament.\n“All the teams will be together, and it will be a chance to showcase our progress,” Castro said. “We want to get to the big show.”