Big Ten Network : Indiana Top Stories

No. 24 Wisconsin holds off late Indiana rally

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 09:06:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Wisconsin followed the same old script to grind down Indiana. John Clay ran for 134 yards and a touchdown, Montee Ball scored two TDs and the Badgers held off the Hoosiers' fourth-quarter rally for a 31-28 victory Saturday. The Badgers (7-2, 4-2 Big Ten) have now won two straight and still have not lost to an unranked team this season. Indiana's fading bowl hopes took another hit. The Hoosiers (4-6, 1-5) must now win their final two games -- at No. 11 Penn State and home against rival Purdue -- to become eligible. They have lost three straight and six of seven. A year after having three 100-yard runners and 441 yards on the ground in Bloomington, Wisconsin went right back to work. Clay produced all of his numbers in the first half, when the Badgers ran for 196 yards. Clay didn't touch the ball in the second half, working out on a bike on the sideline, despite needing 27 yards to become the Big Ten's first 1,000-yard runner this season. Instead, Ball took over the workload. He finished with 27 carries for 115 yards and his 3-yard TD run with 8:18 to go was the decisive score. Wisconsin finished with 294 yards on the ground -- giving them 735 yards rushing in the last two games against Indiana. Quarterback Scott Tolzien was 11 of 20 for 194 yards with one TD, and Nick Toon caught five passes for 123 yards. But somehow Indiana continued to hang around. After trailing 24-14 at halftime, Terrance Turner caught a 6-yard TD pass to make it 24-21 early in the fourth quarter. It became the first official touchdown of Turner's career after he had one taken away by replay last week at Iowa. Bell answered with his second scoring run Saturday to make it 31-21, and then Indiana closed to 31-28 when Trea Burgess scored on a 2-yard TD run with 4:02 to go. But Indiana kicked deep and never got the ball back. Ben Chappell was 25 of 35 for 323 yards with three TDs and one interception for Indiana. Tandon Doss caught six passes for 92 yards and two TDs, and the Hoosiers lost top running back Darius Willis with what appeared to be a right leg injury early in the second half. Wisconsin played most of the game without starting right tackle John Oglesby after he appeared to hurt his left leg.

Crean knows how, but can't say when

Tom Noie — Sat, 7 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

BRISTOL - Picking up the pieces of the Indiana University men's basketball program was never so painful for coach Tom Crean than during two days last November in paradise. A proven winner who averaged 20 victories a season during his nine years at Marquette, Crean knew it would be a rough ride during his first year at Indiana, a program sent spinning from the dialing indiscretions of former coach Kelvin Sampson. But Crean didn't know how rocky a road it would be until after Indiana's first two games in the 2008 EA Sports Maui Invitational. The Hoosiers, who returned only two players after an offseason roster implosion was ignited by Sampson's wrongdoings, endured a 38-point dismantling at the hands of a veteran Notre Dame squad. The following morning, in a game that tipped when many college kids are still in bed, Indiana lost to Saint Joseph's, Pa. - by 36. The losses were early indications that it would be a long winter in Bloomington. The Hoosiers could play with an effort and energy that few teams might match, but when it came time for basketball talent to take over, it couldn't. "The lowest point for me was Maui," Crean said Monday during a fundraiser at Elcona Country Club for Camouflage Kids, an organization spearheaded by Jeff Nix, his good friend and former Notre Dame assistant coach. "We just got absolutely throttled by Notre Dame. Where it hit me was the Saint Joe's game because we were never in it." On the day it seemed so bleak, a sliver of sunshine arrived. Soon after the loss to Saint Joe's, the NCAA released its final ruling on the entire Sampson affair. It spared the school additional losses of scholarships (Indiana eliminated one scholarship on its own), avoided any ban of post-season and kept all of its television appearances in check. Crean received word of the judgment while the team bus was en route to the Lahaina Civic Center for the Saint Joe's game. Hours later, he stood alone in an arena parking lot. A lava field sat over one shoulder, the gleaming waters of the Pacific Ocean over the other. The Indiana coaching staff huddled nearby, unwilling or maybe even unsure of how to approach the boss as he digested the documents. Once he had finished, Crean, and Indiana University basketball, finally moved forward. "There were other tough points, but that was probably a turning point in a sense because there was so much waiting, holding your breath, anguish of what's next," Crean said. "And we got through it." Coming off a year in which Indiana finished 6-25 - the worst record in school history - and 1-17 in the Big Ten, Crean added 11 new players who are either freshmen or sophomores. Indiana again is not expected to do much this season, but the days when the Hoosiers lose 10 in a row and 21 of 22, as they did last season, may come to an end. Crean will see to it. "It was a rock-bottom situation and it takes a lot of energy when you're trying to resurrect it and trying to figure it out and put it together," said Irish coach Mike Brey, one of Crean's closest friends in college basketball. "He's doing all the right things. "What people need to understand, it just doesn't happen overnight when you've been decimated like that." Through all of last season's trials, Crean considered Indiana fans the best in America. Still does. Why? How many fans would continue to find Assembly Hall just to watch a team lose in such lopsided fashion? The Hoosiers had more home sellouts than wins last season. Nearly 14,000 turned out for Midnight Madness earlier this month, and a positive vibe constantly flows throughout the program. The support for him and his players has seldom wavered. How long will it take to have a roster that knows what it takes to meet the coach's demands? To get in place a group that loves basketball as much? To have players choose to watch game film on road trips instead of Entourage? "There's no textbook," Crean said. "We've got to get older and grow through it. Our players have got to become more competitive with one another day after day after day when winning comes first. "I can't put a timetable on it." Copyright 2009 South Bend Tribune CorporationAll Rights Reserved

Gophers blank Hoosiers, 1-0

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 23:49:00 +0000

St. Paul, Minn. - In what could have been the final game of the season tonight (Nov. 6), the Minnesota soccer team made a strong case for it not to be, beating visiting Indiana 1-0. Minnesota (12-5-3, 5-3-2) came into the game needing a win to strengthen their NCAA Tournament resume before the selections are made Monday evening. Indiana (10-7-2, 2-6-2), meanwhile, need a win to snap a three-game skid that saw them fall below .500 in conference play. The Gopher offense created chances all night, but quality opportunities were often stopped by a right-place-right-time Indiana defense. Shots were even at the end of a scoreless first half, with just four per side. Minnesota had the only shot on goal in the first 45:00 minutes while their defense kept goalkeeper Cat Parkhill (Apple Valley, Minn.) without facing a shot on net. "I thought their mentality was fantastic," head coach Mikki Denney Wright said about her offense after the game. "Our two attacking mids and all of our forwards were so mobile and created so many chances, it was a fun game." The Gopher attack ramped up toward the end of the first half and carried into the second where Minnesota held a 6-to-2 edge on shots for a 10-to-6 margin in the game. The lone goal and game-winner came late in the second half on a play set up by the ever attacking Gopher offense. As they had most of the half, the Gophers controlled the ball deep in the Hoosier zone, forcing the ball out the backline to earn a corner kick. In controlling the half, the Gophers took six total corners compared to none for the Hoosiers and held a 9-to-2 advantage on corners in the contest. As she has been all year, Katie Bethke (Eau Claire, Wis.) was called upon to take the kick and unleashed a beauty towards the waiting Minnesota offense. At the front was Molly Rouse (Cambridge, Minn.) who took the ball off a bounce, turned and fired a shot near post that was too much for the Indiana keeper to catch up with. "Molly scored, she's clutch, she scored the game-winner, she deserved it," Denney Wright said. "I'm just really proud of our team, our ability to kill the game, and what a great win for our program." After nearly 80 minutes of battling, the Gophers had finally broken though, calling on their top two scorers to do so. The goal by Rouse was her fifth of the season, setting a new single season career high for the junior. It was also her third game-winner on the season, also setting a career high and tying Bethke for the team lead. The assist was a team leading seventh on the season for Bethke and moves her into an eighth place tie with Alison Rackley on the Gophers' career assist list with 19. The win assures Minnesota of at least a share of fourth place in the final Big Ten standings. Their 5-3-2 mark in Big Ten games makes 2008 and 2009 the first seasons of back-to-back winning records in conference games since the 1998 and 1999 season. On a night set to honor their seniors, the Gophers did so in the best way possible, with a victory. In a season full of memories another has been added, but the possibility for more remains. Seniors Sara Clancy (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) and Dana Tripp (White Bear Lake, Minn.) will anxiously await the NCAA Tournament selections with the rest of their team, as the 64-team field is announced Monday (Nov. 9) evening. "Dana and Sara have meant the world to our program, have been great people and great players," Denney Wright said. "And we had to send them out right."

No. 12 Minnesota downs Hoosiers

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 20:59:00 +0000

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.- The Indiana University volleyball team (14-14, 3-11) dropped a match in Minneapolis Friday night, defeated by the No. 12 Minnesota Golden Gophers (18-7, 9-4), 25-15, 25-13, 25-15. Kelsey Hall was Indiana's top performer with eight kills, a .304 hitting percentage and seven digs. Caitlin Cox paced IU with 10 digs. Hall brought her 'A' game in the opening set, finishing off five of 10 errorless swings for a smooth .500 hitting efficiency. She also dug two balls and successfully passed a pair of Minnesota serves. The Hoosiers other California native, Whitney Granado, was also locked-in early on. Granado tallied four digs, all of which were spectacular defensive efforts by the Riverside, Calif., product. The rest of the Hoosiers struggled, however, as the Golden Gophers recorded a 25-15 set winner. Samantha Thrower was inserted into the line-up at middle blocker for set number two, and she instantly produced with kills on her first two swings. An ace by Laura Matula completed an 8-2 run for IU, putting the Cream and Crimson ahead 8-4. Indiana's edge remained at two points moments later, leading 12-10 before the wheels came off. Minnesota grabbed 15 of the next 16 points for a 25-13 triumph. Freshman Shawn Hindman entered the match in the final frame, ripping three aggressive attacks. Her third attempt found pay dirt as she hit .333 in the set. The final score leaned in favor of Minnesota though, 25-15. The Hoosiers are on the road next weekend, heading to the state of Michigan for matches against the Spartans and Wolverines.

Hoosiers men edge Penn State, 2-1

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 18:09:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Penn State men's soccer team (10-6-2, 3-2-1 Big Ten) lost the ability to control its own destiny in the race for the Big Ten regular season title and fell short in its bid to directly secure the No. 1 seed in next week's conference tournament with a 2-1 setback to Indiana (9-8-1, 3-3-0 Big Ten) on Friday afternoon in Bloomington. The Nittany Lions' fortunes for a Big Ten regular season championship now rely on the outcome of two games that will be played on Saturday. In order for Penn State to claim its first conference crown since 2005 and the top seed in the Big Ten Championship, the Lions will need Michigan to defeat second-place Ohio State in Columbus and for Michigan State to down or tie third-place Northwestern in Evanston. Regardless of those results, Penn State can do no worse than the No. 3 seed for the Big Ten Championship. Junior midfielder Matheus Braga (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) accounted for Penn State's lone score, netting his seventh goal of the season. Sophomore forward Corey Hertzog (Reading, Pa.) recorded his team-high sixth assist of the year on the play. Penn State was outshot for just the fifth time this season, 16-11. Braga and senior forward Jason Yeisley (Allentown, Pa.) led the Lions with three shots each. After an evenly played outset to the first half, Penn State drew first blood in the 20th minute. Possessing the ball 10 yards out near the middle of the field, Corey Hertzog flicked a pass to Matheus Braga, who was on a run from behind. Braga received and then rifled a shot from eight yards out that found the lower right of the net. Indiana answered back in the 39th minute. After Penn State goalkeeper Warren Gross (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) deflected wide a shot by IU forward Will Bruin, the Hoosiers would even the game on the ensuing corner kick. Bruin sent his kick far post and found the foot of Lee Hagedorn who punched it in past a diving Gross. The Hoosiers put the game away just 40 seconds into the second half. Off a long combination of passes from two IU players, the ball found Danny Kelly at the top of box. Gross had come off his line aggressively to intercept the ball but missed and Kelly got around his mark and chipped a shot into net from eight yards out. Penn State had a chance to get back in it when Indiana defender Tommy Meyer was issued a red card in the 66th minute, forcing the Hoosiers to play down a man for the final 34-plus minutes. However, the Nittany Lions couldn't capitalize on the advantage and net an equalizer. Next week, the Nittany Lions will begin pursuit of their fourth conference crown when they return to Bloomington, Ind. for the 2009 Big Ten Men's Soccer Championship. To be hosted by Indiana University, the battle for the 2009 title is set to begin on Thurs., Nov. 12 with three first round match-ups. Semifinal games will take place on Fri., Nov. 13 with the championship contest set for Sun., Nov. 15. All games will be played at Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium on the IU campus. Game times and match-ups will be determined once seeding is established upon the conclusion of regular season competition. The semifinals and finals will air live on the Big Ten Network. Penn State possesses a 22-12-4 record in Big Ten Championship play, one of just two conference teams to possess a winning mark in the postseason tournament.

Hoosiers hold off Nittany Lions, 3-1

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 17:23:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Despite tying the score midway through the first half, the Penn State field hockey team couldn't fight all the way back, allowing two second half goals in a 3-1 defeat to Indiana in Friday's Big Ten Semifinals. With the win, the Hoosiers advance to face Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Lions end their season at 7-13 highlighted by two wins over Ohio State, including one on Thursday which marked only the second time a No. 7 seed has ever won a game in the Big Ten Tournament. "I'm proud of the way we played," said head coach Charlene Morett. "We fought for 70 minutes and showed great competitive spirit. Give credit to Indiana, who played great around the goal. Our goalie, Ali Meves played great today as well." Freshman Kelsey Amy accounted for the Lions' lone score to finish with three for the tournament which is tied for 10th all-time in one Big Ten Tournament. Meves was strong in making three incredible saves to keep Penn State close. Indiana took the quick lead less than five minutes into the game when it converted its second corner attempt. After Katie Griswold's insert, Kelsey Kiper made a nifty pass to Morgan Fleetwood, whose shot beat Meves inside the right post at 4:48. The Hoosiers continued their relentless pressure, but couldn't beat the junior goalkeeper for a second time. After a number of golden opportunities, including a one-on-one chance by redshirt freshman Hannah Allison, the Nittany Lions made it 1-1 when Amy scored yet another goal off a penalty corner. This time, sophomore Jessica Longstreth made the insert to redshirt freshman Kristen Schaefer. Amy's blast was deflected by an Indiana defender high and past goalkeeper Alex Mann to make it 1-1 at 21:46. Penn State nearly fell into another hole with under eight minutes remaining in the first, but Meves came up with a pair of incredible saves in succession to keep the score knotteed at one. She first came out strong on Griswold, who was sprung in all alone. After making the stop on the end line, she somehow got back in position to make a stick save of a Kiper attempt. After over 13 minutes of scoreless second half play, Indiana retook the 2-1 lead at 48:47 when Brooke Borneman converted an odd man rush. Redshirt senior Jen Miller made a huge defensive save on the first shot, but couldn't stop the rebound as Borneman fifth goal of the season gave the Hoosiers the lead for good. Corey Brautigam scored an inusrance goal off a penalty corner attempt at 52:00 for the 3-1 final. Final shots were 11-4 in favor of Indiana while Meves and Mann each had three saves. Indiana held the 6-4 edge in penalty corners. The Nittany Lions end their season at 7-13, including three wins against ranked foes and two versus Ohio State. They also made history in becoming only the second No. 7 seed in Big Ten history to win a tournament game. Follow Penn State field hockey on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PennStateFH.

Hoosiers hope Wisconsin game spurs bowl push

MICHAEL MAROT — Fri, 6 Nov 2009 02:01:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.(AP) At Indiana, it comes down to this. Forget the blown leads, the narrow loss at Michigan, even the questionable calls. The Hoosiers can still become bowl-eligible with two wins in their last three games, starting Saturday with No. 24 Wisconsin. "We do realize it's still there, we still have an opportunity,'' defensive end Jammie Kirlew said. "As a senior, we feel we've put this team in the right direction, but going to a bowl game would be the icing.'' The Hoosiers (4-5, 1-4 Big Ten) are running out of chances. Two weeks ago, Indiana turned a 25-point first-half lead at Northwestern into a 29-28 loss. Last week at No. 7 Iowa, the Hoosiers again had a double-digit lead in the first half and again after three quarters but gave up four fourth-quarter touchdowns and went home with a 42-24 loss. Winning either would have been a boon to Indiana's bowl hopes. Instead, the Hoosiers face a daunting three-game stretch. First up, the newly ranked Badgers (6-2, 3-2) who haven't lost to an unranked foe all season. Then Indiana heads to No. 11 Penn State, a team it is 0-12 against all-time. On Nov. 21, they're back home against rival Purdue, which has won 10 of the last 12 games in the series including last year's 52-point sendoff for Purdue coach Joe Tiller. That leaves Indiana with no margin for error. "I don't feel any pressure because we'll be the underdog like we are every game,'' receiver Mitchell Evans said. "I think the pressure is on them.'' The reality is that Wisconsin is already bowl-eligible and after snapping a two-game losing streak with a shutout of Purdue last week, the Badgers can focus on improving their postseason resume by adding to the lopsidedness of this series. Wisconsin has won four straight over Indiana, including an embarrassing 55-20 blowout in Bloomington last year. The Badgers ran for 441 yards and had three 100-yard runners that day, the third straight game in this series Wisconsin won 30 points or more. Badgers coach Bret Bielema thinks those results will provide even more motivation for the Hoosiers this week. "I know what we're going to see on Saturday because we've had a little bit of success on them the last couple years,'' Bielema said. "I know they're going to come in, or when we go over there, they're going to be very hungry to play us.'' The Hoosiers have a pretty good idea what they'll get from Wisconsin, too - a hefty dose of power football. A year ago, 248-pound running back John Clay burned the Hoosiers for 112 yards and one touchdown. This year, Clay leads the Big Ten with 104.9 yards rushing per game and ranks among the national leaders with 10 TDs rushing. With Indiana allowing more than 145 yards per game and 15 touchdowns on the ground, there's little reason for the Badgers to change plans. Yet if Indiana overcompensates against the run, the Badgers may take advantage of the Hoosiers' banged-up secondary. Adrian Burks will replace Indiana's top cornerback, Ray Fisher, in the starting lineup after Fisher had knee surgery this week. The other cornerback, Donnell Jones, is expected to play with a brace on his injured elbow for the second straight week, and safety Nick Polk, who missed last week's game with an ankle injury, is listed as questionable. It wouldn't surprise Lynch, who this week reflected on how the Badgers beat them through the air in 2006. "They can get you in a lot of different ways,'' Lynch said. "The first thing you think about is their power running game. This is the one (team) that really lines up and runs power football. They've always had big backs, but they can really get you with the pass, too.'' Or in the second half. Indiana's late struggles have again resurfaced. Northwestern and Iowa outscored Indiana 47-3 in the second half the past two weeks, and now the Hoosiers get a Wisconsin team that outscored them 31-0 in the final two quarters last year. None of that is a good omen for the Hoosiers. Then again, only one thing matters in Bloomington. "There's pressure every game but we really feel it as a senior class because we want this (a bowl bid),'' Kirlew said. "We want it to happen so much. If we bring that intensity for four quarters, I think we'll be more than ready.''

Hoosiers defeat Wildcats to advance

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 20:25:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The No. 18 Indiana field hockey team used a strong offensive effort to beat sixth seed Northwestern, 4-2, in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament in East Lansing, Mich. The Hoosiers (13-5) had goals from redshirt freshman Morgan Fleetwood (two), freshman Brooke Borneman and redshirt sophomore Brenna Moeljadi. Indiana didn't take long to get on the board as Fleetwood scored with 11:26 on the clock as she took a pass from sophomore Corey Brautigam and beat the keeper with a high goal. Close to 11 minutes later, Borneman got a pass from senior Meg O'Connell and beat Northwestern's keeper with a low goal to give the Hoosiers a 2-0 lead. The Wildcats (12-8) cut IU's lead in half as Stephanie Fortson scored off a deflection in front of the net to beat IU's Alex Mann with a high goal, putting Northwestern on the scoreboard, 2-1, with 29:29 on the clock. At the 46:40 mark, Fleetwood netted her second goal of the game as she took a pass from junior Kelsey Kiper and put it past Northwestern's keeper to give IU a 3-1 lead. Moeljadi scored Indiana's final goal at the 53:44 mark off a Hoosier corner to take a 4-1 advantage. The Wildcats were able to score one more time as Kaylee Pohlmeyer scored off a rebound with 66:43 on the clock, but IU maintained the two-goal edge for the 4-2 win. The Wildcats outshot the Hoosiers, 15-14. Fleetwood led IU with five shots for two goals. Moeljadi tallied three shots and one goal, while Borneman had one shot for one goal off the bench. Kiper tallied two assists, and O'Connell, Brautigam and Griswold recorded one assist apiece. Freshman Julia Raymakers tallied her second defensive save of the season, and Mann started in goal for the Hoosiers and registered six saves in 70 minutes.

NCAA clears Indiana freshman to play basketball

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 16:50:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.(AP) Indiana freshman Bawa Muniru has been cleared by the NCAA to play college basketball this season. The Hoosiers had been waiting for the NCAA's eligibility center to make its ruling on Muniru, a 6-foot-11, 260-pound center from Tumu, Ghana. Muniru played high school ball the last two seasons in the U.S. The decision takes immediate effect. Coach Tom Crean said he understood it would take the NCAA time to do a thorough review and appreciated the work done both by the eligibility center and compliance officials at Indiana. The Hoosiers host St. Joseph's in their final exhibition Monday night, then open the season at home against Howard on Nov. 13.

Indiana overcomes slow start, drills Grace

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 20:45:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana had six players score in double figures and scored 20 second half points off of turnovers and 14 via the fastbreak in the final 20 minutes as the Hoosiers pulled away from NAIA power Grace (Indiana), 96-73, in front of 15,453 in Assembly Hall. "We've got a long way to go," said Indiana Coach Tom Crean. "There is a lot of room to improve; a lot of things we do we have not even covered in practice yet. But I love their mindset; I love their attitude; I love their desire to get better. I thought they were competitive." The Hoosiers, who begin their second season under Crean, saw freshmen and sophomores tally 81 of the squad's 96 points collectively. In addition, nine players saw at least 13 minutes of action, with none playing more than 27 minutes (Verdell Jones III). Six players scored in double figures led by freshman Christian Watford who finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Freshman Jordan Hulls had 14 points, three assists and three steals, junior Jeremiah Rivers had 12 points, 10 in the second half, freshman Derek Elston had 10 points and seven boards, while Jones had 10 points and eight assists. "I thought we were unselfish," noted Crean. "I thought they really moved the ball well. I didn't think we took any real arrogant shots. I thought they really tried to understand how to get into the bonus and what to do once we were in the bonus. That is one of the ways we have to play. I thought they got better as the game went on." Watford scored on a conventional three-point play off of the opening tip, but the Lancers, led by long distance shooter David Henry, were able to hang tough throughout the first half, leading 16-12 on a layup by David Swanson with 15:59 to go. There were nine ties in the first half, with the last coming on a triple by Grace's Elliot Smith with 1:33 to go in the half at 36-36. The Hoosiers would score the last six points of the half on a jumper by Hulls, a steal by Maurice Creek and a basket by Elston, and a second steal by Creek who made a layup at the buzzer to make it 42-36 at halftime. "We are a young team and it takes awhile for them to grasp," added Crean. "We knew that we would be pushed because of how well Grace runs their offense. We certainly weren't surprised by that. That is good for us to learn how fast we have to run it in practice. I thought we pressured the ball and we thought at halftime if we could keep that pressure up there would come a point in the game around the middle of the second half that we would be able to wear them down." For five more minutes, Grace put up quite a fight and when Smith made two free throws, he cut the IU lead to 48-46 with 15:22 to go. The Hoosiers would then go on a 14-2 run over the next five minutes to break it open. Indiana would put the game away for good when Rivers would make back-to-back dunks to make it 73-55 for the Cream and Crimson with 7:51 remaining. For Crean, it also gave him an opportunity to empty as bench as all 13 players who were healthy were able to see some action on the floor. "Our teaching is on-going," said Crean. "There is no question about it. In a game like this, you are playing hard and you are going at it but you are also trying to make teaching points. There were a lot of basic mistakes that young people are going to make. And the opportunity to go through it in a game, the opportunity to correct it in a game, and then most importantly the opportunity to show it on film and get it corrected in practice is where the real teaching value is." The Hoosiers will host Saint Joseph's (Indiana) College at 7 p.m., Monday, November 9 before opening the season on Friday, November 13 against Howard. "I thought the crowd was awesome," said Crean. "I've coached in front of big crowds but never a bigger crowd than that for me personally in an exhibition game. Very thankful for the way the fans turned out for them."

Purdue tops Indiana, 3-1, retains trophy

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 21:26:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Boilermaker volleyball team exacted revenge on the Indiana Hoosiers on Wednesday night, downing IU 3-1 to keep the Monon Spike travelling trophy in West Lafayette for another year. Purdue won the match 20-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-19 to even the season series and win the Spike match for the 24th time in 36 tries. The Boilermakers have now topped the Hoosiers in 12 of the last 14 meetings. Freshman Ariel Turner paced the Purdue offense with 12 kills, while fellow rookie Anna Drewry added 10. Senior Carrie Gurnell chipped in nine kills, while juniors Kristen Arthurs and Jaclyn Hart tallied eight and seven respectively. The Boilermakers outhit the Hoosiers .289 to .173. Defensively, Purdue outblocked Indiana 17.5 to six and outdug the Hoosiers 55 to 46. At the net, Arthurs and Drewry registered eight blocks apiece and Hart added six. In the backcourt, sophomore Emily Ehlers racked up 24 digs, while freshman Carly Cramer added 10. The Hoosiers led early in the first set, but Purdue tied it up at 5-5 on a block by Arthurs and Hart. Indiana built a four-point advantage at 13-9 after a run including two aces. Purdue fought back to make it 14-14 after a Turner kill and an IU hitting error. The teams would tie again at 18 on a Gurnell putaway, but Indiana scored seven of the last 10 to clinch the 25-20 win. The Hoosiers were credited with six aces in the stanza. The Boilermakers bounced back in the second set, racking up seven and a half blocks and hitting .367 en route to a 25-23 win. Purdue went up 4-2 after kills by Drewry and Turner and a solo block by Hart. The Hoosiers tied it up at six, but the Boilermakers pushed ahead to a 12-8 advantage after a stuff by Drewry, Arthurs and Turner. Indiana battled back with a 11-5 run to take a 19-17 lead of its own. Purdue countered with six of the next eight points, including three blocks, to reach their first set point attempt at 24-22. Hart and Fisher combined on two of the rejections, while Fisher tallied a solo stuff on the third. A service error kept the set going, but Gurnell pounded down the final point of the win. Purdue led 3-2 to start the third set as Arthurs, Turner and Drewry posted kills. After a tie at 4-4, The Hoosiers scored six of the next seven, including a 5-0 run, to go up 10-5. The Boilermakers charged back to tie it up at 11-11 after a series which included three Gurnell kills and a block by Drewry and Arthurs. The teams tied at 12 and 13, before Purdue took advantage of an IU ball handling error to gain a 14-13 lead. Indiana led briefly at 16-15 and 18-17, but after that it was nearly all Boilermakers. Purdue snapped a 19-19 tie with three straight points, a kill by Arthurs and two Hoosier hitting miscues. An Indiana kill slowed the effort momentarily, but kills from Drewry and Turner put Purdue on the hill at 24-20. The pair combined for a block to cap the 25-20 win. The Boilermakers scored seven of the first 10 points in Set 4. The Hoosiers came back to tie it at eight and nine, but Purdue never relinquished control. From the tie at nine, Purdue scored seven straight, including kills by Arthurs, Turner and Drewry and an ace by Cramer. The Boilermakers upped their advantage to nine at 21-12 after back to back IU errors. Indiana would not give in, scoring seven of the next nine, narrowing the gap to 23-19. Hart put down a kill and then served up the ace for the 25-19 win. Drewry was 4-for-4 in the stanza, while Hart chipped in three kills. Purdue outhit Indiana .320 to .071 in the final stanza. Purdue (12-12, 4-9 Big Ten) returns to action at 2 p.m. Sunday when it takes on No. 12 Minnesota in Minneapolis. The match will air live on the Big Ten Network and will be rebroadcast at 8 p.m. ET.

Wisconsin-Indiana preview

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 13:23:00 +0000

Ranked for the first time this season, Wisconsin appears to have a good chance to stay there thanks to a favorable remaining schedule. The No. 24 Badgers visit struggling Indiana on Saturday, looking to win their fifth straight meeting in the series. Coming off a bye week, Wisconsin (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) avoided a three-game losing streak with a 37-0 home victory over Purdue last Saturday. The Badgers had given up 51 points in losses to Ohio State and Iowa, but they held the Boilermakers to 141 yards of total offense for their first shutout since a 14-0 victory over San Diego State in 2006. Wisconsin had early leads against the Buckeyes and Hawkeyes, but couldn't hold on to them. This time, they had little trouble maintaining their lead, giving up just eight first downs. "Especially what they've done the last couple of weeks, we were able to close out a game, something we haven't been able to do," coach Bret Bielema said. "We have really been gaining some momentum offensively." Despite a sore ankle, John Clay rushed for 123 yards and three touchdowns in the victory after being held to 134 yards and no scores in the previous two games. The 247-pound sophomore leads the conference with 104.9 rushing yards per game. The Badgers are averaging 35.3 points and 225.3 rushing yards in their wins, versus 11.5 points and 102.5 rushing yards in their losses. "It was very important to establish the running game," Clay said. "Once we started rolling, our offense is very hard to stop. We were trying to finish out the whole game, not just the first half, but also the second half." Clay and the Badgers will try to keep up the momentum against the Hoosiers (4-5, 1-4), who they've beaten four straight times. They've outscored Indiana 140-40 in the last three meetings, including a 55-20 road win last Nov. 8. With an extremely favorable remaining schedule, Bielema believes the Badgers' first 10-win regular season since 2006 is possible. After visiting Indiana, Wisconsin plays Michigan and Northwestern - who are a combined 3-7 in the Big Ten - then visit Hawaii, which is 0-5 in Western Athletic Conference play, December 5. "I know we didn't play well in the second half of Ohio State and Iowa. Quite frankly, that really is disturbing to me and I'll never get that out of my system, but we can't let those two teams come up again in the future in these next three weeks that are in front of us in the Big Ten schedule that remains," Bielema said. "We'll just focus on Indiana." The Hoosiers are looking to avoid a third straight defeat overall. After losing on a late field goal to Northwestern, the Hoosiers blew a 14-point lead against Iowa last Saturday, and gave up 28 points in the fourth quarter of a 42-24 defeat. "We got into the fourth quarter again and we couldn't fight it off," said coach Bill Lynch, whose team had led the Wildcats by 25 points the previous week. "We just didn't have enough plays in our arsenal to hang with them." The Hawkeyes finished with 480 yards of offense and had touchdown drives of 92, 66, 55 and 66 yards in the fourth quarter. Indiana, which has dropped five of six, is giving up more than 400 total yards per game in 2009. The Hoosiers will be without their biggest special-teams threat Saturday after announcing senior cornerback Ray Fisher, who is fourth in the nation in kickoff returns, will need surgery after injuring his knee against Iowa.

Badgers next foe facing tough times in Hoosierland

Jeff Potrykus — Wed, 4 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

BIG TEN TELECONFERENCE AUDIO Madison - These are trying and turbulent times for the Indiana football program. Consider: * On Oct. 24, the Hoosiers blew a 28-3 lead en route to a 29-28 Big Ten Conference loss at Northwestern. That dropped the Hoosiers' record to 1-3 in the Big Ten and 4-4 overall. * Four days later, head coach Bill Lynch received a vote of confidence from Indiana athletic director Fred Glass. Glass insisted he plans to honor the final two years of Lynch's contract, which runs through the 2011 season. "I think contracts need to mean something at Indiana again," Glass told reporters. "But beyond the pure letter of what we agreed on, I think coach Lynch has done a good job and will continue to be successful at Indiana beyond the length of his current contract. "Sports Illustrated picked us to win two games . . . Last year we got shellacked by Purdue in one of the worst Bucket games ever. This year, you can see the improvement." * Then on Saturday, the Hoosiers blew leads of 21-7 and 24-14 before falling at Iowa, 42-24. As the Hoosiers (1-4, 4-5) prepare to host the University of Wisconsin (6-2, 3-2) at 11 a.m. Saturday, they must discover how to cope with the back-to-back crushing losses and learn how to hold onto leads. "We got into the fourth quarter again and we couldn't fight it off," Lynch said after the loss to Iowa. "We just didn't have enough plays in our arsenal to hang with them." That sentiment could summarize the Hoosiers' overall plight. Lynch inherited the program from Terry Hoeppner, who died from complications from brain cancer before the 2007 season. The Hoosiers finished 7-6 that season - a record that included a 33-3 loss to UW - and secured a bowl berth for the first time since the 1993 season. A 49-33 loss to Oklahoma State in the Insight Bowl marred what had been a memorable run. Rather than building on that 7-6 finish, the Hoosiers fell to 3-9 last season and were a bad team across the board. Two of the three victories came against Football Championship Subdivision teams (Western Kentucky and Murray State) and the Hoosiers allowed 40 or more points six times, including a 55-20 home loss to UW. The Hoosiers won their first three games this season- against Eastern Kentucky, Western Michigan and Akron - but have lost five of their last six. That run started with a bitter 36-33 loss at Michigan and included an embarrassing 44-7 loss at Virginia. Virginia (3-5, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) has losses to William & Mary and Southern Mississippi on its resume. "It's been an up and down year," Glass told reporters. "I think early in the year they improved game to game. The Virginia game was not good, and the question became whether that was indicative of where the program was going. We found out against Illinois that it wasn't, because the team had its best performance of the year." Yes, the Hoosiers did end a three-game losing streak with a 24-14 victory over Illinois. But the Illini (2-6, 1-5) hadn't beaten a Bowl Championship Subdivision team until they crushed lowly Michigan on Saturday. The ugly loss to Northwestern followed. "The Northwestern game was on of those crazy games that we have all been a part of where there are so many plays," Lynch said. "We played hard." No one has questioned the effort of the Indiana players, just the results. Lynch, 14-20 as Indiana's coach, believes that Glass' vote of confidence is only one of the factors that will aid the program over the next few seasons. "I am excited, because I think we got a great future here," he said after a recent practice. "I've really enjoyed working with Fred and his staff over these last so many months. I really do appreciate the support. We got some really good things going and (are) looking forward to the future." Copyright 2009, Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved. (Note: This notice does not apply to those news items already copyrighted and received through wire services or other media.) Copyright 2009 Journal Sentinel Inc.

No. 23 Purdue takes down IU in double OT

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 22:35:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The 23rd-ranked Purdue women's soccer team pulled off an exciting 2-1 victory over Indiana on Tuesday evening at Armstrong Stadium. "It was a tightly-contested match,"" head coach Robert Klatte said. "We certainly were disappointed to go down at the start of the second half after I thought we really had a good performance in the first half. We controlled most of the possession and had the ball in their end of the field. We were just unable to convert any chances, which is something that has been symptomatic with us over the last couple of weeks." Purdue (11-5-3, 4-3-2) scored with 21 seconds remaining in the second overtime to grab victory from the clutches of a tie. After a foul was called on Kellie Phillips 20 yards away from the goal, Jessica Stellhorn stepped up and delivered a ball into the box from the right side. Sylvia Forbes outran her defender to the ball and headed it into the back of the net for the game-winning score. Forbes scored her sixth goal this season, which is a new career high for the senior from Whitby, Ontario. The assist is the eighth career game-winning helper for Stellhorn, who moved into second place alone on the program's all-time list in that category. The record of nine was set by Annette Kent from 2000-03. Stellhorn also recorded the first multiple-assist game in her time as a Boilermaker. "It was exhilarating to score," Forbes said. "I couldn't have felt any better than that. In a game like that, to go out in score in double overtime and having your team just jump you, it can't get better than that. We worked so hard tonight, and I think it was an all-around team effort. Finally, we were able to capitalize on something in overtime. It feels amazing." Indiana (10-6-2, 2-5-2) got on the board first after a first half that saw no goals scored. Carly Samp took the ball down near the end line on the left side of the offensive attack and slotted a ball back into the box to Chloe McKay. McKay then put a shot from 15 yards out into the top right corner of the net to give the Hoosiers a lead just 25 seconds into the second half. The Boilermakers responded quickly as freshman Jessica Warren knocked in the second goal of her first collegiate season. Stellhorn passed the ball from the right side to Warren, who took the pass at the top of the box, spun and rifled a shot into the right side of the net. The Avon, Ind., native has made both of her goals count this season, with her first being the difference in Purdue's 1-0 win over Michigan on Oct. 15. "We got a great strike from Jess Warren, who really had a fantastic look just moments earlier that the goalkeeper had to parry away,"" Klatte said. "Her goal put it back even, and then it was a seesaw battle for a while. There were some dangerous moments in the overtime period because neither team wanted to end up with a tie. I think both teams really felt that a win was necessary to move forward toward the NCAA Tournament. We've spent time training those free kicks, and we got a beautiful service from Stellhorn and a fantastic early run by Sylvia Forbes. She smashes it into the back of the net, and we take the Boot home with us. I think this win goes a long way toward getting us to the NCAA Tournament." Purdue grabbed its first overtime win this season to improve to 1-1-3 when games extend into the extra period. The Boilermakers kept the Golden Boot, the traveling trophy given to the winner of the rivalry game, while improving to 10-1-3 all-time against the Hoosiers. Purdue extended its unbeaten streak against Indiana to 13 matches and has not lost since the team's first contest in 1999. The 110th-minute goal is the latest scored in program history and secured just the second double-overtime win for the Boilermakers. The only other time Purdue won a game that went into the second overtime was in 2005, when the Boilermakers beat Northwestern 2-1 on a goal in the 102nd minute. Senior co-captain Jessica Okoroafo broke the program's record for career shots when she aimed a ball toward the goal in the 22nd minute. The shot was Okoroafo's 246th as a Boilermaker, which broke a tie on top of the school's all-time list with Kent. Okoroafo broke a school record for the third consecutive game after breaking the career goals scored record Wednesday and the career games played record Sunday. The Boilermakers are now tied for fourth in the Big Ten with 14 points. Indiana remains in a three-way tie for eighth in the conference with the loss. Purdue wraps up the regular season Saturday against Iowa on Senior Day. Kickoff from the Varsity Soccer Complex is set for 1 p.m. ET. Live results and a radio broadcast can be found at purduesports.com.

Indiana freshman wins Big Ten singles title

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 14:10:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Freshman Josh MacTaggart made a good fall into a great fall on Monday, winning the Big Ten Singles Tournament. MacTaggart's Big Ten title is the first by a Hoosier since Bill Rennie won the singles crown in 1977. The freshman has suffered only one defeat in his freshman campaign. MacTaggart defeated Chris Madden of Michigan in three sets in the tournament final. He claimed the victory by a 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 tally. MacTaggart advanced to the final after a semifinal win over Jason Lee of Penn State. The freshman won his semifinal match by a score of 6-1, 7-5. MacTaggart has one loss on the season, a semifinal loss at the ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championships. The Big Ten Singles Championship wraps up the fall slate of competition for the Hoosiers. They begin the spring with the UNLV Spring Invitational in Las Vegas, Nev., on Jan. 8-10, 2010. For complete coverage of all things IU tennis, stay tuned to IUHoosiers.com.

Stanzi overcomes 5 INTs, rallies Iowa to 42-24 win

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:15:00 +0000

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Of all the holes Iowa has dug itself, this was the deepest. Indiana was leading by 14 in the third quarter and just two yards away from the Hawkeyes' end zone. Given how poorly quarterback Ricky Stanzi was playing, one more touchdown might have brought their charmed season crashing down. Tyler Sash instead returned an interception 86 yards for a touchdown, and Stanzi bounced back from a career-high five interceptions to rally the No. 7 Hawkeyes to a 42-24 victory, yet another improbable finish in a season full of them. Brandon Wegher had a career-high 118 yards rushing and three TDs for the Hawkeyes (9-0, 5-0 Big Ten), who scored 28 points in the fourth quarter to stun the shell-shocked Hoosiers. "No matter what happens, we know there's still time left on the clock," Stanzi said. "There's a chance to win, so you can't give up." Iowa is off to the best start in school history, thanks to four wins by three points or less. And after needing two blocked field goals to beat FCS school Northern Iowa in its opener, the Hawks control their own destiny in the Big Ten -- with a chance to play for the BCS title. "Our guys don't buckle," coach Kirk Ferentz said. "If they were ever going to buckle, I think today would have been the day." Stanzi threw four interceptions in the third quarter alone on a windy day in Iowa City, and Indiana (4-5, 1-4) took a 24-14 lead into the fourth. Stanzi responded by hitting Marvin McNutt for a 92-yard touchdown pass and, moments later, connecting with Derrell Johnson-Koulianos from 66 yards to put Iowa ahead 28-24 with 11:38 left. Wegher made it 35-24 on a 6-yard TD run and added a 27-yard score with 1:12 remaining. Ben Chappell had 227 yards passing and two touchdowns to lead Indiana, which must have felt a case of deja vu. The Hoosiers blew a 25-point lead in a loss at Northwestern last week. "We got into the fourth quarter again and we couldn't fight it off," Indiana coach Bill Lynch said. "We just didn't have enough plays in our arsenal to hang with them." Stanzi's mental toughness has long been defended by Ferentz, and he showed why at the start of the fourth quarter. He hit McNutt on a play-action rollout for what turned out to be the fourth-longest pass play in Iowa history. Johnson-Koulianos did most of the work on the other long touchdown, weaving his way through the Indiana secondary. "No matter what happens, he keeps on playing," Ferentz said of Stanzi, who threw for a career-high 337 yards. "If there's one thing I can say about Rick, it's resiliency. He's done a great job of leading our football team." Stanzi opened the second half throwing interceptions on back-to-back possessions, and the Hoosiers moved to Iowa's 2-yard line already leading 21-7. That's when Iowa's defense made one more spectacular play. Chappell was hit from behind as he dropped back to pass, and Sash gathered the loose ball in the air before racing 86 yards for a touchdown that brought Iowa within 21-14 and woke up a stunned crowd at Kinnick Stadium. "It's just something that jumps start everybody," Iowa kicker Daniel Murray said. "It just kind of gave us confidence that we were back in the game." The Hoosiers appeared to have answered on a TD grab by Terrance Turner in the corner of the end zone, but the call was overturned by video and Nick Freeland missed a 28-yard field goal. The game was strange right from the start -- perfect these cardiac Hawkeyes on Halloween. Iowa deferred on the opening kickoff, a rarity under Ferentz, and the Hoosiers marched 69 yards into the wind for a 7-0 lead on Darius Willis's 4-yard run. Ryan Donahue, one of the most reliable punters in the nation, shanked an 8-yarder into the stands midway through the second quarter, giving the Hoosiers the ball at the Hawkeyes 35. Five plays later, Chappell found Mitchell Evans for a 16-yard TD pass that made it 14-0. The Hawkeyes answered on Wegher's 4-yard TD run with 2:39 left in the first half, but after holding Indiana, Amari Spievey inexplicably picked up a wobbly punt and fumbled it away deep in his own territory. Chappell found Damarlo Belcher for a 9-yard TD with 9 seconds left. It was a brutal end to the first half for Iowa, and a brutal end to the game for Indiana. As a stunned and delighted crowd of Hawkeye fans filed out of Kinnick Stadium, they were serenaded -- quite fittingly -- by Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer." "I've never been in a game like this. I've never seen a game like this," Ferentz said. "I can't say enough about our players."

Late goal propels Ohio St. over Indiana

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 16:59:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Eric Shrigley scored in the 93rd minute to give the Ohio State men's soccer team a 1-0 win over Indiana on Yeagley Field at Armstrong Stadium on Sunday afternoon in front of 1,338 fans. The win keeps the Buckeyes in the hunt for the Big Ten championship with a 9-4-4 overall record and a 3-2-0 mark in the conference. The Hoosiers drop to 8-8-1 overall and 2-3-0 in the Big Ten, effectively ending any chance for the conference crown. Shrigley's goal, his second game-winner this season, gave Ohio State its first victory over Indiana since the 2000 season and only the third in the history of the programs. The Buckeyes previously defeated Indiana during the 1955 season before the Big Ten Tournament win in 2000. "I am over the moon right now," John Bluem, Ohio State head coach, said. "I thought today was a great all-around effort and team win. There were not a lot of opportunities on either side, but I thought the defense really kept us in the game - Matt Lampson was solid in goal - and we just never gave up. "Taking a cue from a great program, the coaches told the guy we would get them ice cream on the way home if they won, so we are looking forward to that on the drive back to Columbus." Midway through the 93rd minute, Andrew Magill sent an untouched through ball from the top of the penalty area. Shrigley gathered the loose ball in the goal box and sent it into the back of the net for the win, the Buckeyes' first in extra time since Aug. 31, 2008, against Central Florida. There were limited opportunities for scoring in regulation, with Shrigley launching a rocket over the crossbar in the 89th off a direct feed from David Tiemstra. Magill and Konrard Warzycha were the lone remaining Buckeye players to tally shots with three and two, respectively. Indiana out-shoot Ohio State 8-7 on the day and held a 4-3 advantage on corner kicks. Both goalkeepers - Lampson and IU's Nemanga Kostic finished the day with four saves. In addition to the unprecedented historical significance of the win, it also allows the Buckeyes to stay in the hunt for the Big Ten Championship, awarded this year to the winner of the regular season (see updated standings below). The Buckeyes close out the 2009 campaign next weekend against Michigan at 6 p.m. Saturday in Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. "We are looking forward to playing a very quality Michigan team next week," Bluem said. "We will let the chips fall where they may fall in terms of the Big Ten Championship and tournament seeding - all we can control is our team's performance against the Wolverines and the outcome of that game."

No. 15 Ohio State thrashes No. 23 Indiana, 6-0

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 14:24:00 +0000

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Behind a goal and two assists from junior Lauren Steuer, No. 15 Ohio State defeated No. 23 Indiana, 6-0, Sunday afternoon. The six goals tied the Buckeyes' highest scoring output this season. With the win, the Buckeyes tie the 1996 team for the second-most wins in school history. "I am so proud of this team," head coach Lori Walker said. "It is great to get a win on senior day but we have to finish the regular season strong at Michigan State." In a first half played mostly deep in the Indiana end, the Buckeyes had multiple chances early. Indiana goalkeeper Lauren Hollandsworth made a diving save on a shot by senior Ashley Bowyer in the 10th minute. Six minutes later, Hollandsworth stopped Bowyer again, this time making another diving save on a Bowyer header off a corner from Steuer. However, Steuer and Bowyer would hook up in the 23rd minute when the co-captain drilled home a shot from six yards out off a Steuer corner to put the Buckeyes up 1-0. Less than two minutes later, sophomore Paige Maxwell doubled the Ohio State lead when she scored her team-leading sixth goal of the season on a perfectly placed shot from the left wing. Neither team was able to muster any more solid chances as the Buckeyes went into the break with the 2-0 lead. Ohio State outshot Indiana 9-2 for the half and held a 7-0 advantage in corners. The Buckeyes did not let up to start the second half as freshman Lauren Granberg's header off a Bowyer free kick in the 47th minute sailed just wide left. Steuer added to the Ohio State lead in 52nd minute when her left-footed corner deflected off an Indiana defender and into the back of the net. Less than ten minutes later, Granberg finished off her sixth goal of the season off a rebound of a Steuer shot to increase the Ohio State lead to 4-0. With just over 15 minutes remaining, freshman Kayla Eckman tallied her second goal of the season when she trapped a Colleen Brady free kick in the box and finished from eight yards out. With just under a minute left to play, Genna Brand capped of the scoring on a shot from 10 yards out off an assist from freshman Karin Sendel. For the game Ohio State outshot Indiana 21-3 and held a 10-0 corner kick advantage. The Buckeyes (14-2-2, 7-1-1 Big Ten) will have a chance to clinch at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title for the first time in program history when they head to East Lansing to take on Michigan State Friday at 3 p.m.

Northwestern holds off Indiana, 3-2

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:00:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Apparently Northwestern's moniker as the "Cardiac 'Cats" is now extending to the volleyball court, as the Wildcats held off six Indiana match points in a wild fifth set, earning a thrilling 23-25, 25-18, 25-17, 17-25, 24-22 Halloween night victory over the Hoosiers at University Gym. It was Northwestern's second-consecutive five-set road victory as the Wildcats improve to 13-11 on the year and 4-8 in Big Ten play. Junior Sabel Moffett (Temecula, Calif./Chapparal) once again anchored the Wildcats up front, recording match-highs in both kills (23) and blocks (6) with junior Naomi Johnson (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) adding 17 kills on a .500 hitting percentage and three blocks. Redshirt freshman Kathryn Chrystal (Crystal Lake, Ill./Central) had nine kills and just one error on 13 attempts for a .615 hitting percentage as the trio paced a potent Northwestern attack which hit .305 on the evening. Junior Elyse Glab (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) dished out a career-best 66 assists on the night with nine digs and a pair of kills, as senior Ariel Baxterbeck (Menlo Park, Calif./Castilleja) and sophomore Alexandra Ayers (Playa del Rey, Calif./Marymount) each added seven kills. Defensively, Chrystal had five blocks to compliment the six from Moffett. Four different Wildcats recorded double-digit dig totals, led by 23 from senior Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg). Baxterbeck added 18 while Ayers chipped in with 13 and freshman Julie Chin (Naperville, Ill./North) had 11. In what will go down as one of the classic matches in the Northwestern - Indiana series, both teams battled back and forth in the decisive fifth set. The Wildcats led 15-14 with a chance to close out the match, but the Hoosiers rallied for a pair of points and had match point of their own at 16-15. It was the first of six different match point opportunities for Indiana that Northwestern was able to fend off, the last of which came at 22-21. But three straight points for the Wildcats gave NU the victory, capped by a block from Chrystal and Johnson for match point. Set one set the tone for what would prove to be a competitive evening as neither Northwestern or Indiana (14-13, 3-9 Big Ten) could take control. After 12 ties and five lead changes, the Hoosiers held off the Wildcats long enough to take a 25-23 decision. The second set, however, would belong to Northwestern, as the Wildcats pounced to an early 13-8 lead and never looked back. Northwestern would push its advantage to nine at 22-13 before cruising to the 25-18 victory, sending the match into the intermission tied at one. NU carried its second-set momentum into the third, as after falling behind 8-5 early, the 'Cats would use an 11-2 run to break the set open at 16-10. Indiana tried to climb back into the set, but Northwestern held off every attempt en route to the 25-17 decision and a 2-1 lead in the match. But just like Purdue a night earlier, Indiana refused to go down without a fight on its home court. The Hoosiers slowly extended its lead to eight at 20-12 and seemed to be in control of the fourth set. Northwestern staged a late rally cutting the deficit to four at 21-17, but Indiana held off NU to take the set 25-17 and force the thrilling decisive set. The victory gives Northwestern the season sweep over Indiana after taking another five-set decision at Welsh-Ryan Arena back on Oct. 11. The Wildcats also notch their first win in Bloomington since the 2006 season. Kelsey Hall led the Hoosiers with 18 kills with Ashley Benson adding 15 and Jordan Haverly notching 13. Taylor Wittmer had a big night for Indiana, recording seven kills and a team-high five blocks in defeat. After four-straight road matches, the Wildcats finally get to return home for a pair of matches this weekend. Northwestern takes on Michigan State Friday, Nov. 6 before a showdown with nationally-ranked Michigan Saturday, Nov. 7. Both matches get underway at 7 p.m. at Welsh-Ryan Arena, with the match against the Wolverines airing nationally on the Big Ten Network.

Indiana closes slate with triumph over Michigan

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:03:00 +0000

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The No. 18 Indiana field hockey team knocked off Michigan, 4-2, to close out the regular season with a 12-5 overall record and a 4-2 mark in the Big Ten, tied for second with Ohio State. The Hoosiers had goals from redshirt freshman Morgan Fleetwood, junior Kelsey Kiper, redshirt sophomore Brenna Moeljadi and sophomore Corey Brautigam. The Hoosiers got on the board first as Fleetwood got a pass on the right side after a long lead pass and carried it into the circle to blast the ball into the lower opposite corner, giving IU a 1-0 lead with 12:11 on the clock. The Wolverines (7-13, 2-4) tied it up at the 17:23 mark as Alicia Mayer was able to redirect a shot from her teammate Meredith Way off the right post to put it in just behind IU's Alex Mann. However, Indiana answered as Kiper scored off a scrum that developed following an IU corner to go up 2-1 at the 23:41 mark. Michigan came right back as Way tied the game up for a second time on a penalty stroke with 33:18 on the clock, sending both teams into the break with the score 2-2. The Hoosiers came right out of the halftime break and scored 54 seconds in the second half as Moeljadi took a direct shot to the right side on a pass from junior Katie Griswold to give IU a 3-2 lead, for the game-winning goal. Sophomore Corey Brautigam scored at the 39:39 mark as she came up with the ball from senior Haley Funk in a scrum in front of the cage to give Indiana the 4-2 win. Fleetwood and Moeljadi led the Hoosiers as each took three shots and scored one goal apiece. Kiper and Brautigam each took two shots and scored one goal apiece, while Kiper also tallied an assist. Funk and Griswold recorded the Hoosiers' other two assists, while senior Meg O'Connell also had a shot on the game. Mann started in goal and tallied two saves in 70 minutes. Indiana and Michigan matched each other on shots at 11-11, while the Wolverines tallied 10 corners to IU's six. The Hoosiers open the postseason on Thursday, Nov. 5, in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament in East Lansing, Mich. IU will be the probable No. 3 seed and face sixth-seeded Northwestern on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. ET. A complete bracket with final seeds will be announced soon.