For those of you who read my columns, you know I’m a little cynical. Well, maybe a lot.
A month ago, I wrote that we shouldn’t get excited about the great opening weekend IU Athletics had. I was mostly right in that prediction. Women’s soccer is now 4-5-1, field hockey is 4-4, and volleyball is 11-2 after a 9-0 start.
Men’s soccer, though, is undefeated. They haven’t won every game, but they also haven’t lost a game, as they sit at 5-0-3. It’s possible I’m premature in writing this, but I doubt the eight-time national champions will fall hard.
They took a hit in the temporary loss of junior defender Grant Lillard for part of the No. 5 Stanford game and the entirety of the No. 2 Maryland game. Without the preseason All-American defender, the Hoosiers drew with the Cardinals and the Terrapins.
This probably goes without saying, but being ranked No. 4 in the nation right now is, well, good. It sets IU up in a good position for when they take on other ranked opponents like Butler, Notre Dame and Louisville.
But, Jamie, there are still nine games left in this season. Weren’t you just telling us not to get our hopes up early?
Yes, I did say that. But IU soccer has given me some pretty solid reasons to believe in them. For one, eight national titles. Former head coach Jerry Yeagley led them to six, and his son, Todd, got them their most recent in 2012. I am certainly not saying that 2016 will be the year #Q49 is completed, but it’s not out of the question.
Using the hashtag #Q49 should have been out of the question for IU Athletics’ marketing, but that’s none of my business.
The Hoosiers have made it to the NCAA Tournament 40 times. The 2015 tournament was their 29th consecutive appearance. It is safe to say they’re consistent. Their undefeated start to this season is their 11th such start through eight games in program history and the first since 2011.
Last year’s phenom Femi Hollinger-Janzen might be living the professional soccer life now, and the team no doubt misses his eight goals and five assists from last season, but through the first eight games, redshirt senior midfielder Richard Ballard has tallied four goals and two assists.
The Hoosiers still have Tanner Thompson, who is about a third of the way to equalling his totals from last season with three goals and two assists. We can’t forget junior transfer Rashad Hyacenth, who is one of only six Hoosiers to record a goal this season and has two assists.
With senior Colin Webb’s shutout against IUPUI last night, he now has five this season and 25 in his career, which is good for ninth in school history.
It’s too early for me to say they’re definitely getting their ninth star this fall. It could be 85 minutes into the final with them up by two and it’d be too early to say they’re definitely going to get it.But it’s far enough along we can take this team seriously.
jzega@indiana.edu
