The IU men's soccer team was all business as they arrived back to Bloomington Sunday afternoon after their trip to UCLA.\nThey grabbed their luggage from the baggage compartments of the bus and quickly walked to their parked cars. The players seemed to be over the euphoria of beating the defending national champions and No. 1-seed Bruins. \nThey were already focusing on their next opponent, Santa Clara, and the next step toward a national title.\n"It's one of those goals we have set for ourselves," senior midfielder Drew Shinabarger said. "We wanted to get to the College Cup, and we have done that." \nThe team arrived back to Bloomington at about 4 p.m. Sunday. The players, coaches and their wives stepped off the charter bus.\nNo player on the team was smiling except IU coach Jerry Yeagley, who cracked a big smile when he stepped off the bus and said moments later about the victory over UCLA, "It was a good one. It was a good one."\nShinabarger, a fifth-year senior, was redshirting when IU (15-3-5) won the National Championship in 1999, so he didn't play that year, but was a member of that squad. He was a sophomore when the Hoosiers advanced to the College Cup in 2001, but didn't see any action. Shinabarger will see his first Final Four action in his last season in the cream and crimson.\nIU will face Santa Clara (16-3-4) on Friday night at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The Broncos defeated Michigan, 3-1 Saturday to advance to the College Cup. Kickoff for Friday's national semifinal will be at either 5 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. On Sunday, Maryland defeated Saint Louis, while St. John's beat Creighton, so the other semifinal match is between Maryland and St. John's. The College Cup championship match is scheduled for Sunday. A time has not yet been set.
The flight\nIU flew back to Indiana on Sunday, as they left L.A. early in the morning. Sophomore midfielder Brian Plotkin said the flight back to Indiana was mostly quiet. He added the team was starting to look toward Santa Clara and the College Cup.\n"It was nice to just lie down and rest on the return flight," Plotkin said. "It was nice to spread out and rest after the couple of days we've had."
World Championship \nparticipants could return\nIU players junior forward Ned Grabavoy and sophomore defender Drew Moor are participating in the U20 FIFA World Youth Championships in the United Arab Emirates. Both could make a return to the Hoosiers for the College Cup if the U.S. loses in the next round against the Ivory Coast. \nIU has advanced to the national semifinals, however, they have done so without two integral players. Grabavoy and Moor are participating in the U20 FIFA World Youth Championships in the United Arab Emirates.\nThe United States advanced to the second round of the FIFA Championships with a 2-0 win over Korea Republic on Dec. 5. The U.S. won Group F in the tournament. The U.S. offense was helped pushed forward early by a trio of fresh legs as Freddy Adu, Grabavoy, and Moor all got their first starts of the tournament. \nThe U.S. will face Ivory Coast, second place finisher in their respective group, in the Round of 16 on Mon. Dec. 8.\nGrabavoy was IU's leading goal-scorer as he registered 10 goals on the year.\n"We have good depth like UCLA" Yeagley said. We picked it up. If the U.S. team loses Tuesday, our missing players will be with us. I don't wish that on them though."\nPlotkin said it has been a challenge without Grabavoy and Moor, but said the team relishes the challenge.\n"We've adjusted really well without them," Plotkin said. "We're playing confident."\nShinabarger said the team has played strongly, despite the absence of two IU players. Shinabarger said the team has adjusted well and added that everyone has picked it up.\nYeagley said the freshmen have raised their level of play and that has contributed to the Hoosiers success. \n"We went through Ned too much and were predictable," Yeagley said. "We are starting five freshmen, and they are believing in themselves. That's been a part of our success."\nPlotkin, who is the team's leading goal-scorer without Grabavoy, said winning a national championship would cap off a remarkable season. \n"Getting there is big," Plotkin said. "We have to find a way to win. It's our goal for the season."\n-- Contact staff writer Zack Eldridge at zeldridg@indiana.edu.
