IU Coach Amanda Janney considers senior midfielder Morgan Dye to be the fastest player in the Big Ten conference.
Every time IU has to defend a penalty corner, Dye is there, side-by-side with IU’s defensive unit, ready to sprint as fast as she can to obstruct any shot opportunity opponent teams have.
Dye’s efforts have contributed to the Hoosiers becoming a compact team that does not allow many goals off penalty corners.
“I try to just relax and think about kind of what we have been going over,” Dye said about the moments prior to defending penalty corners. “What they could be doing, how to read the play and just go all out.”
In the last four games IU has defended 40 penalty corners and only allowed two goals off them. Both came against Miami in its 3-2 overtime defeat Oct. 2.
But it is not only her defensive game that makes her important in Janney’s lineup, as she also contributes on offense.
Dye has registered five goals and three assists in 52 career games during her first three years in Bloomington and established herself as a fundamental player.
“We think Morgan is one of the fastest players in the nation,” IU Coach Amanda Janney said. “I think just her fitness and all the hard work she does in the summer to prepare shows in our gameplay and she just has that determination out there.”
Janney also said Dye forms part of the senior leadership that knows the importance of each game and moment of the season. She said Dye adds that spark IU needs when generating offensive plays.
Dye is also one of the players on IU’s current roster who experienced first-hand the transition from former IU Coach Amy Robertson to Janney. Dye said the team’s adjusting cycle is complete and that now they have new team objectives.
“I think just going out on a higher note than last year,” Dye said. “I mean, last year was such a crucial season, a turnaround season for the program, but I just want prove to everyone that that is not a fluke.”
The field is not the only place where Dye gives her all though. She was given the Academic All-Big Ten award as a sophomore and junior and also received the Jack D. Tichenor Award as a junior.
The Jack D. Tichenor Award is given by IU to the female student-athlete with the highest grade-point average.
Now in her final year, Dye has started in every match for the Hoosiers, netting two goals and tallying two assists so far this season. She said she believes the Hoosiers are capable of not only doing well in the Big Ten tournament but also winning it.
Janney said Dye is completely capable of leading the team to become Big Ten Champions and demonstrates it against strong opponents in the Hoosier schedule.
“Morgan needs to stick to her game,” Janney said. “She does a great job to eliminate and give us numbers on the tack, she finds these opportunities to keep creating and creating those attacking opportunities, so she just needs to stick to her game plan and execute under high pressure.”
