Hoosiers looking to build momentum from recent losses

Despite two losses this past weekend, the IU field hockey players do not want to talk about a rebound.

In fact, senior Danitra Castro feels just the opposite about close losses to Ohio and now-No. 1 Wake Forest.

“I wouldn’t call it a rebound so much as it would be a stepping stone,” Castro said. “Different things of what we’ve been working on in practice really showed (last weekend). With momentum like that, you can’t go back.”

The Hoosiers (3-3) play at 5 p.m. today in Oxford, Ohio, against the Pacific Tigers (1-4).

Although IU fell 2-1 to Wake Forest this past Sunday, the team feels it can use that “momentum” of staying close with the top-ranked school and take it into their upcoming game. IU held a 1-0 lead against the Demon Deacons before surrendering two goals after the intermission.

Despite another 2-1 loss to Ohio in overtime the previous day, some team members felt they played better this past weekend than two weekends ago when they won two games by a combined 9-1 score.

“It was definitely a big step from the previous weekend,” freshman forward Jaclyn Zamudio said. “We came out so much stronger, even though the scoreboard didn’t show it. We’re just going to keep raising the bar.”

Sophomore forward Katie Griswold echoed Zamudio’s sentiments.

“We gained a lot of ground as a team, and I thought we definitely got better,” she said.

For Castro, Griswold and Zamudio, the Pacific game also provides their lone opportunity to play against a school from their home state of California. Each mentioned they had some contact with Pacific in the recruiting process before choosing IU.

“It’s just always nice to see California teams come this way,” Castro said.

Zamudio said it is an “added incentive” for the Hoosiers to win.

The players were not too familiar with the Tigers, although the Hoosiers beat them 2-1 in their season opener last season. Nevertheless, IU has to be ready.

“They’re really scrappy, and they’re coached well,” Castro said. “They’re going to come at us really strong.”

Pacific is the team’s seventh of eight consecutive road games. On Saturday, IU faces Ball State in Muncie before opening its home season against No. 6 Iowa on Sept. 26.