Current Hoosiers begin chase for championship

When the IU men’s soccer team was awarded the No. 4 seed in this year’s NCAA tournament, it was given a major opportunity. \nThe 25th anniversary of IU’s first national championship has given the Hoosiers the prospect of paying tribute to the 1982 team, which began IU’s historic run of seven national championships under the guidance of Hall of Fame coach Jerry Yeagley and current coach Mike Freitag. \nIU will begin its trek to follow the 1982 team at 7 p.m. today at Bill Armstrong Stadium against Bradley in the second round of the NCAA tournament. \nThe Hoosiers enter the game after a first-round bye to face the Braves, who notched their first-ever NCAA tournament win in their 2-0 triumph against DePaul.\nThe Braves’ history is starkly different from the Hoosiers,’ who have one of the most storied college soccer programs in the nation. IU players understand the history that their school has, and defender Ofori Sarkodie said this opportunity means a lot.\n“The tradition is very special to us,” Sarkodie said. “We take a lot of pride in the success that the program has had over the past 25 years, and now we want to make sure we continue that tradition.”\nGoalkeeper Chay Cain said it’s great to step on the field and represent IU with the prospect of adding to an already impressive legacy.\n“It’s wonderful,” Cain said. “Every time you step on the field, you have the seven stars on (your jersey), and you represent the history. It’s really an honor to play here.”\nFreitag knows this tradition like no other. He has been with the IU soccer program from its infancy.\nHe began his first of 22 years with the Hoosiers in 1976, playing for a team that gained varsity status only three years before his arrival. \nFreitag helped lead them to the national championship game as a freshman defender. Though he garnered All-American status as a senior in 1979 and played professionally, a national championship eluded Freitag. His IU squad was defeated in the title game by the University of San Francisco in 1976 and 1978. \nDespite those early losses, IU now leads the nation with seven national titles, 17 College Cup appearances and 74 NCAA Tournament victories since its inception 34 years ago. \nFreitag said he’s pleased with the success the program has sustained.\n“It feels great to continue trying to chase championships 25 years later,” Freitag said. “I think that’s the thing that me and coach Yeagley are most proud of. We’re proud of seven national championships, but we’re also proud of consistently being one of the best teams in the country.” \nFreitag led his 2004 team to a national title in his first year as IU’s head coach. But he said the journey is a better way to measure a season than the end result, and he’d be ecstatic if this year’s journey ended with a national championship on the 25th anniversary of his mentor’s first taste of College Cup success.\n“It’d be outstanding,” Freitag said. “That’s what you work for, that’s why you put in all the hours and spend time away from home working so hard, hopefully just to guide these young men to success. And we’ll see if we can do it.”