IU wins 11th Big Ten Tournament title

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The IU men's soccer team won its 11th Big Ten Tournament title by defeating Ohio State 1-0 Sunday afternoon.\nSophomore midfielder Brian Ackley scored the lone goal for the No. 10 Hoosiers on a header with seven minutes remaining in the first half. After drawing a foul on the previous play, a free kick from 25 yards out by senior midfielder Josh Tudela hit the crossbar. With the Ohio State goalkeeper out of position, Ackley headed the rebound into an empty net.\n"Josh Tudela did a great job getting his body in front of the guy to draw the foul," Ackley said. "I went up to him and said, 'Just rip the shot and I will be there.' It just happened to work out that it bounced right to me."\nIU coach Mike Freitag said he knew the game would be the "hardest game of the year" for the No. 1-seed Hoosiers. During their regular season matchup, the Buckeyes had the better offensive chances, but the Hoosiers escaped with the victory. Sunday's game was another hard-fought contest between the top two teams in the Big Ten.\nBoth teams played an even first half, but the Buckeyes outshot the Hoosiers 9-8 at halftime. Ohio State forward Xavier Balc had the most dangerous chance of the half when he volleyed the ball just over the crossbar from 40 yards out.\nHolding Balc, the leading point scorer in the Big Ten, to a shot far away from goal was important, sophomore goalkeeper Chay Cain said.\n"He will catch you off-guard," he said. "Luckily, two of the three (shots) he did not put on goal."\nJunior defenders Greg Stevning and Charley Traylor left the game early due to injuries. Stevning knocked heads with an Ohio State defender and Traylor had his knee run into by a Buckeye forward. Freshman Kevin Alston and senior Julian Dieterle came into the game for the Hoosiers to fill the void left by the two injured IU players.\nThe senior leadership Dieterle brought to the game helped the Hoosiers, Freitag said.\n"Today Julian stepped in there, and I think he gave us a boost because of his fight and the intangibles he has," Freitag said .\nAt midseason, Freitag moved Dieterle, who had been a starter his entire career, to the bench in favor of freshman Ofori Sarkodie. Freitag said the decision was one of the most difficult he has made as a coach, but he talked with great emotion after the game about the impact of Dieterle to the team this season.\n"He's a young man who is the heart and soul of our team," Freitag said. "For him to be a three-year starter on two national championship teams and be a reserve, a lot of guys would put their tail between their legs and felt sorry for themselves. Julian fights everyday, and that's why he's a champion."\nDieterle and the Hoosier defense faced a desperate Buckeye attack toward the end of the game.\nWith five minutes remaining, Buckeye forward Eric Edwards went through two IU defenders, but Cain was there to deflect the ball wide for a corner.\n"It was a scramble at the top of the box," Cain said. "The ball popped loose, and he got through a couple of defenders. Luckily, I was able to come out and meet him right about the time he was striking the ball and was able to deflect it."\nThe Hoosiers await the announcement of the NCAA Tournament pairings today at 5 p.m.