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Friday, March 29
The Indiana Daily Student

sports men's soccer

Ohio State matchup comes at a pivotal point in season

Mens soccer

Maybe it was the change from the scarlet shade of red to crimson that made freshman defender Matt Wiet decide IU was his school.

“Secretly, I think, besides in soccer, I would vote for Ohio State in anything,” Wiet said.

Perhaps the seven national championships the Buckeyes lack turned the Columbus, Ohio, native toward the Bloomington campus.

“We’re nuts from Ohio,” he said about Buckeye fans. “We grow up there and people hate us because we’re so passionate about our school but I do love Indiana ... but once a Buckeye, always a Buckeye – with certain things.”

Whatever the case, there’s something about IU that made lifelong OSU fan Wiet a Hoosier. However, the freshman defender is ready to show his fellow Ohioans his school colors on Sunday when the Hoosiers take on the Buckeyes at Jerry Yeagley Field.

“It’s personal right here,” Wiet said. “It means the world to me to be able to beat them because, basically, besides Indiana, that’s my home right there. I don’t think losing is an option at all against Ohio State.”

With both teams tied in the Big Ten at 2-2, every minute of play is crucial. The Hoosiers will end their season at home with two conference matchups.

Regardless, winning these contests is vital, junior midfielder Andy Adlard said.

“Since we have this record that we have this year, we need all the wins we can get,” he said. “That will only help us in the future when it comes tournament time.”

After spending stints on the bench during the three games he wasn’t named a starter this season, Adlard has shown improvement on the field. The leading scorer of 2008 said he’s been working to step up his play on both sides of the ball.

“You’re disappointed when you’re on the bench, obviously, and I want to be playing,” Adlard said. “When I get my chance to go back in like I have, I’ve tried to make the most of it.”

Ending a three match losing streak with a win against Evansville, the Hoosiers are ready to get back to winning ways.

IU coach Mike Freitag said there were key parts to IU’s play against the Purple Aces that needs to come through against the Buckeyes.

“They need to take the same kind of heart and desire and fight and focus and all those things and just play like they did (on Wednesday),” Freitag said.

Freitag has hope for his 8-7-1 team.

“We still have life to win the regular season Big Ten,” he said. “We have to beat Ohio State and Penn State at home and get a little help with Northwestern. Ohio State has had a pretty good year. It’s going to be a battle.”

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