NIU field hockey coach Laurie Bell said after Saturday’s loss to defending national champion Old Dominion that she expected Penn State to be almost identical to the Monarchs.

She wasn’t kidding as NIU suffered its second straight shutout Monday, 7-0, (NIU fell to Old Dominion by a 10-0 tally) at the hands of the Nittany Lions at Norfolk, Va.

After being blanked 17-0 in the two games on ODU’s home turf, it’s a sure bet DeKalb is looking a lot better to the girls than Norfolk.

“This was basically what we expected,” Bell said. “Playing these type of teams is good for them early. The girls are able to learn from playing the best.

“The kids understand we are a long, long way from being where we want to be. We’re a very young team and the schedule can only help us in the long run. This is a tough schedule for a young group.”

What concerned Bell most about the two defeats was the physical condition of her team. With 13 freshmen on this year’s team, it’s not hard to believe that conditioning would be one area of concern for Bell.

“They’re basically not in the shape we’d like them to be in,” the sixth-year coach said. “However, it’s early right now.

“We’re young and we have a lot to learn. Towards the middle and end of the season, you won’t be seeing the mistakes we made.”

Bell knows for sure things will get better if the effort is there. And she did see some effort out there in the two games.

“We had good efforts by some players out there,” she said.

One Huskie who shined was freshman goalkeeper Gretchen Splinter. She didn’t back down to highly-regarded Old Dominion in her collegiate debut. Although she did allow all 10 goals, she saved a remarkable 16 shots.

“What an outstanding job she did for only being a freshman,” Bell said.

Bell also gave credit to junior midfielder/defensive back Kristina Hahn and freshman defensive back Jen Wilds. “They gave us the effort we want to see from the girls,” Bell said.

NIU (0-2) will resume action this weekend, once again on the road. Friday’s opponent is Miami (Ohio) University at Oxford, Ohio. The Huskies then travel to Muncie, Ind., Saturday to face Ball State University.

The long-awaited home opener is Monday at Huskie Stadium. Game time is noon, as the Huskies square off with the Billikens of Saint Louis.