The Hoosiers won’t return players responsible for 59 percent of IU’s record-setting 132 points last season due to graduation and season-ending injury .
Among those who graduated are Lisa Nouanesengsy, who finished with the sixth-most goals in program history, and Rebecca Candler, who finished second in career ?assists .
With change at the attacking end of the field, IU Coach Amy Berbary has looked for new scoring options in the attacking third of the field in the team’s limited field time .
In IU’s 1-0 preseason victory against Louisville last Saturday , IU’s two available lead returning goal scorers from last season provided the offensive spark IU will likely rely on in its 2014 campaign.
Senior midfielder Jordan Woolums dribbled her way around a pair of Louisville defenders outside the box along the goal line, drawing the Cardinal goalkeeper forward. With the keeper out of place, Woolums sent a cross into the box to fellow senior midfielder Abby Smith, who finished for the game’s lone goal in the 80th minute .
“I just think on the goal Jordan was amazing,” Smith said . “She beat, I don’t know, two or three players at least and just played me the perfect ball.”
Although the preseason match kept no official stats, Berbary said she was pleased with the way her team executed on the concepts the coaching staff has been teaching during preseason camp .
Smith said the IU offense will have more of an opportunity to interchange because the team doesn’t necessarily have a target forward like it has in recent years .
Berbary utilized most of her bench during the game, including a number of freshmen who saw time playing various positions on the field because the players are still working on finalizing positions for the regular season .
Play was a bit sloppy in the opening half, as players from both sides got adjusted to playing against another team in a simulated game. Neither team was able to dominate possession or put a persistent scoring threat together.
But when asked about her younger players, Berbary rattled off a laundry list of names of players she was impressed with in both the game and preseason practice . IU’s second-year coach wouldn’t comment on starting lineups, but hinted that IU will rely on a number of younger players this season .
“We have a lot of new people, a lot of nerves,” Berbary said . “Probably the first 20 minutes we couldn’t settle down . . . I think after halftime we really settled in and played the way we wanted to play in the second half.”
The Hoosiers have now turned their focus to a pair of games this weekend. IU will start the regular season at 7 p.m. Friday against Indiana State at Bill Armstrong ?Stadium.
“I think this gave us a good picture,” Berbary said . “It gave us a few things that we thought maybe we had covered that we need to continue to go through before Friday.”
