Team begins as No. 1

The IU soccer team begins the 2002 season as the consensus No. 1 team in the nation. They will be facing two fellow top ten teams this weekend, No. 9 Rutgers and No. 8 Clemson. \nCoach Jerry Yeagley will embark on his 30th season with Indiana this Friday. Yeagley, the winningest coach in college soccer history, has led IU to five straight Final Four appearances in the NCAA tournament including a trip to the championship game last season.\n"It's like any other year," Yeagley said. "We want to win the Big Ten championship, get into the NCAA Tournament and put ourselves in a position to the win the title." \nAll-American senior forward Pat Noonan will be a major part of the offensive attack for IU again this year. He scored three goals for IU during a preseason victory over No. 2 Virginia. Noonan, a co-captain with senior John Swann, is a candidate for player of the year honors.\n"We have our goals set high. We have to come out for every game like it's a must-win," Noonan said.\nThe IU team will be tested this weekend at the Adidas/IU Credit Union Classic played at Bill Armstrong Stadium. IU beat both Clemson and Rutgers last season in the NCAA Tournament before falling to North Carolina in the championship. \n"We know it's going to be a tough weekend," Noonan said. "They're probably going to come in with a little revenge on their mind." \nRutgers returns eight starters including All-American center-back Guy Abrahamson. Clemson will have seven starters back from 2001 including All-American goalie Doug Warren who transferred from IU following his freshman season. \nIU has built its tradition by playing high caliber teams before entering conference play. In their first four games, the Hoosiers will face four of the seven top 25 teams they play this season. \n"We have one of the nation's toughest schedules and we like it that way," Yeagley said. "We can get some questions solved early. If you're playing against average competition you tend to get a false sense of security." \nThe Hoosiers will be looking to solidify a defense that lost goalkeeper Colin Rogers, midfielder Tyler Hawley and backs Ryan Hammer and Josh Rife. \n"We're concentrating on trying to shore up the defense," Yeagley said. "John Swann is our defensive leader… Danny O'Rourke is the guy who holds it together in the front. He has good range." \nWhile there may be questions about the defense, Yeagley said he is very pleased with his incoming freshmen. College Soccer News ranked IU's nine incoming freshmen as the fourth best class in the nation. Yeagley said freshman Brian Plotkin is a talented left sided player who showcased that talent during an exhibition game against Virginia. Although the Hoosiers have expanded their roster Plotkin and Jordan Chirico will be the only two freshmen not red shirted. \n"Jordan Chirico, he's a fire plug," Yeagley said. "He can play forward and midfield. He's a dynamo out there."\nChirico and the other freshmen are getting used to playing for a top ranked team that has an unequaled history of excellence. \n"I think it's absolutely amazing. I'm playing with some of the best players in the country," Chirico said. "(Coach Yeagley) gets everybody into the game. He gives us a really good attitude. He knows how to win"