Hoosiers provide early season test
Sophomore Samantha Sandham said the field hockey team has its biggest challenge of the season when it plays Indiana and Maine this weekend.
CMU (3-1) will play No. 14 ranked Indiana (5-1) at
3 p.m. today and Maine (3-3) at 1 p.m. Saturday in Bloomington, Ind.
“I think we’ve worked hard this week, and we’ve stepped it up a level,” Sandham said.
Indiana’s lone loss came to Virginia
3-2 in the first game of the season. The Hoosiers are led by senior Lydia Schrott, who has seven goals and two assists for 16 points this season.
“Lydia is an excellent player,” coach Cristy Freese said. “She’s just excellent in the circle.”
The Chippewas may shuffle some players into different positions on the field this weekend.
Freese said hard hitters Kelly Jordan and Sandham could play as forwards with senior Alicia Balanesi.
Jordan is coming off her best game of the season with a goal and two assists in last Saturday’s 5-3 win against Colgate.
“I think it always boosts your confidence when you score a goal or get an assist,” Jordan said.
Freese said CMU wants to intimidate the Hoosiers with its forward line.
“I think we need to be able to muscle Indiana a little bit and push them around,” Freese said.
There are four games remaining until Mid-American Conference play begins, and Freese said this is the time to experiment with the lineup.
Maine lost last weekend to Hofstra University 3-1.
The Black Bears goalie Rebecca Giroux has a 1.87 goal against average and 37 saves in five games played.
