Field hockey looks to use confidence boost against Redhawks

Last season, the IU field hockey team won one Big Ten conference game – a Senior Day victory against last-place Northwestern.

While it took four conference games this season to get a win, IU coach Amy Robertson said the Hoosiers’ 2-1 victory against Michigan last Sunday injected the team with much-needed energy.

Now as the Hoosiers prepare for a game against Miami (Ohio) at 3 p.m. Friday in Bloomington, Robertson is hoping the team will use the boost from this past weekend.

“For lack of a better word, we got our ‘mojo’ back,” she said. “The fight was in us, the unity of the team was there and just a sort of grit in our defense that we haven’t had before.”

The Hoosiers (7-6, 1-3) struggled in early conference play, allowing 20 goals in three games. The offense had struggled before Michigan as well, scoring only three goals in its past four games. The first half against the Wolverines was more of the same, as Michigan took a 1-0 lead.

However, the Hoosiers played a near-flawless second half, scoring two goals and shutting out Michigan, which was 2-0 in Big Ten play prior to the contest.

Junior forward Alina Valenti, who scored the game-winner Sunday, said she hopes the IU team that had a stifling defense and a frenetic offense in that second half would play this Friday.

“We’re looking to accomplish the same thing like we did on Sunday,” Valenti said. “Come out with a lot of energy and a lot of fire and just keep up that fight.”

That energy was evident even in practice this week, as Robertson said Tuesday afternoon’s scrimmage was the team’s best all season. Valenti added she thought the team showed more mental toughness as a direct result of the win.

IU will try to channel that energy against Miami (Ohio). The Redhawks (9-5) lost 3-1 to Ohio State on Wednesday, a more respectable score than Ohio State’s 5-0 drubbing of the Hoosiers on Oct. 10.

“They always play a great game against us, and I think they’ll be very motivated to steal one from us at our home,” Robertson said. “They’ve had a lot of success, and their confidence is high. I think they are a very good team, and that they could compete with anyone in the Big Ten.”

While Miami (Ohio) provides IU a second non-conference game in its last four contests, the Hoosiers are starting to look toward the Big Ten tournament that they will host in three weeks. Sophomore forward Lena Grote said the team’s four remaining regular-season games are all direct preparation for the tournament.

“As a young team, we’ve been taking every game as a learning tool toward the Big Ten tournament,” she said, “because our goal is always to be Big Ten champions.”

Robertson added she was confident in her team’s direction heading into the final weeks.

“We’re starting to peak, and this is a good time to start to peak,” she said.