The IU field hockey team continues its home stand this weekend against Miami University and Ball State University.
The Hoosiers enter the weekend 1-1, after a double overtime match against Drexel University on Sunday, where IU won 4-3 off of a golden goal from senior forward Sheridan Weiss. The win was the first of the season for the Hoosiers after losing to the University of Louisville on Friday.
Miami comes to Bloomington on Friday winless, sitting at 0-2. They fell to No. 22 University at Albany and No. 16 University of Delaware last week. Despite their record, the RedHawks come in with hype and expectations for their season.
In a poll taken by the head coaches of the Mid-American Conference, Miami was chosen to win the regular season conference championship and the conference tournament.
They come off an NCAA Tournament appearance, as well as two straight conference championships, going undefeated in-conference each of the past two seasons.
IU head coach Kayla Bashore said she is looking forward to playing an experienced team with postseason experience.
“It's beneficial to us, so we can start to see the speed and play of what we’ll come against in the Big Ten,” Bashore said. “It’s always a good game between us.”
Miami’s defense last year was stout, keeping 11 clean sheets in its 15 victories, including a 5-0 win against IU.
The key to attacking a defense that tough for Bashore was to convert more opportunities.
“We’ve been focusing on making earlier decisions and picking up our ball speed,” Bashore said. “We had a lot of scoring opportunities in the game against Drexel, but shoring that up and getting results from those opportunities.”
Ball State comes to Bloomington on Sunday having played IU once already this season. In an exhibition Aug. 23, the Hoosiers defeated the Cardinals 3-1. Sophomore forward Hailey Couch, junior midfielder Savannah Bucher and senior midfielder Kelsey Giese all scored goals in their exhibition matchup.
The Cardinals, in the same poll that predicted the RedHawk’s conference championship, chose them for sixth out of seven teams in the Mid-American Conference. The Hoosiers have gotten the best of the Cardinals each of the last five times they’ve faced off, winning every matchup between the two teams since 2013. In those five games, IU has outscored Ball State a combined 16-4.
The Hoosiers kick off their alumni weekend at 3 p.m. Friday against the RedHawks and face off with the Cardinals for the 26th time in team history at 1 p.m. Sunday.
