It was 25 years ago that the IU men’s soccer team fought Duke through a record eight overtimes to come out with what might be one of the most important victories in IU history. The victory sealed the championship trophy that IU coach Jerry Yeagley had seen slip through his fingers three times before, and kicked off one of the most storied college soccer dynasties of all time.
1982\nOn a December day in 1982 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the Hoosiers and the Blue Devils took the pitch for the national championship. Both teams were a mere 90 minutes away from a championship trophy – or so they thought. \nYeagley had seen his team there before. This was the fourth trip to the final match for the No. 2-ranked Hoosiers, but the first for the No. 1-ranked Blue Devils.\nThe Hoosiers took the lead first in the 14th minute of regulation, but Duke wasn’t ready to quit. Although they were held off by the Hoosiers’ staunch defense for the majority of the game, they tied it up with less than nine minutes left before the second half ended. \n“We brought it into overtime,” said Chris Peterson, the goalkeeper for the 1982 team. “We really had to dig down and drive through it. It was exhausting.” \nBoth teams managed a score in the first 90 minutes of play, but neither was able to find the back of the net for another eight overtimes. In a match that was supposed to last 90 minutes, both teams found themselves fighting on the pitch for nearly three hours. The game eventually came to its end at the 159:16 mark, when IU soccer legend Gregg Thompson got the ball into the net off of a free kick. \nFinally, a national championship belonged to the Hoosiers. \n“(The game) is very fresh in my memory,” said Keith Meyer, a member of the 1982 team. “It was really special to be a part of that. To actually be the first (IU team) to win was awesome.”\nNot only was Meyer part of the first national championship, but he returned to the team in 1983 to capture a second national championship as well. He might even get the opportunity to celebrate a third – his son Tom has verbally committed to the Hoosiers for next season. \n“IU holds a special place for me and my family,” Meyer said. “It’s a very special place.”
2007\nAlthough it has been a quarter century since the trophy first came to Bloomington, the members of the 1982 team still find themselves in the limelight. Thompson was inducted into the IU Hall of Fame this year for his efforts on both the 1982 and 1983 championship teams, and at the beginning of the season, several members of the team returned to Bill Armstrong Stadium to be recognized in honor of the anniversary. \n“I was a little surprised,” Peterson said. “People forget about those kinds of things. It was really neat to be honored.” \nMembers of the team continue to follow the Hoosiers regularly and attend games near their current hometowns. Peterson, who played alongside current IU coach Mike Freitag, is no different. \n“It’s been a lot of fun to watch the program progress over the years,” Peterson said.
