Tournament success may depend on 'now veteran' freshmen

With head coach Jerry Yeagley returning a steady group of players from last year's College Cup team, it was unclear what kind of impact IU's heralded recruiting class would make in their first season.\nNow with the regular season in the books, there is no question that the freshmen will have a large role if IU is to make it through the Big Ten Tournament and to their fifth consecutive College Cup.\n"We have a lot of talented young players," Yeagley said. "Those freshmen are now veterans with a season under their belt so we don't expect them to make freshman mistakes any longer. These are guys who have played at a pretty good level before and hopefully won't be in awe." \nIU's version of the "Fab 5" (Mike Ambersley, Ned Grabavoy, Danny O'Rourke, J.D. Johnston, and Trey Meek) have all seen significant playing time this season, and all but Meek have found themselves in the starting lineup. In all, seven different first-years have scored at least one point this season.\nAmbersley leads the pack with 14 points, having scored five goals and tallying four assists, including a hat trick on three shots against Michigan. His 14 points are second to only All-American Pat Noonan for the team lead. \nAmbersley said he is looking forward to his first post-season with the Hoosiers.\n"I'm excited, but not too nervous right now," Ambersley said. "I really don't know what to expect. Once you get your first touch on the ball, or make your first run the nerves kind of go away. Things get a little more intense in the postseason at any level, so I'm looking forward to the challenge."\nJohnston and O'Rourke have also been steady contributors this season. Johnston, who has been hampered lately with minor injuries, has started six games and tallied four assists, while O'Rourke has been consistent at the defensive midfield position all season, starting all but one of the 15 games in which he has played.\n"The regular season was fun, but we were just building up to play in the post-season," O'Rourke said. "Our team has been getting so much better every day, and I think we are ready to make a run in the tournaments. All the butterflies will hopefully be gone once I step out onto the field. I'll be nervous, but once I get into the flow of things it'll be fun."\nMeek and Grabavoy both scored their first goals of the season against IUPUI in IU's final match of the season. Grabavoy, who was sidelined most of the season with a broken foot, should see a substantial amount of minutes in the tournament according to Yeagley. \n"I'm happy to see our freshmen playing as well as they are," Yeagley said "(Grabavoy) is playing well and improving everyday. I'm also pleased with the way Trey Meek has come on here at the end of the season. He has shown flashes of his capabilities as a forward."\nEven with an arsenal of young talent, Yeagley said he never forgets importance of the veteran leaders on his team and their experience.\n"When push comes to shove, we will go with experience," he said. "Nothing can replace it"