IU men’s soccer coach Mike Freitag can’t count the number of times his team has lost in the preseason – because it hasn’t.
Under Freitag’s guidance, the team has gone 8-0-1 in the preseason since 2004.
The Hoosiers’ first preseason contest of 2009 comes in the National Soccer Festival, in which 18 teams, five from the Big Ten, will kick off the season with exhibition games.
The men’s soccer team will look to extend its unblemished preseason streak in Ft. Wayne against Drake University Thursday. The team will also play Depaul Saturday.
Of the teams competing, six, including IU, are ranked by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. The Hoosiers are slotted in the No. 4 spot in the Soccer America preseason poll and No. 7 in the NSCAA poll. The cream and crimson ended their campaign last season, going 14-7-3.
IU alumnus Terry Stefankiewicz organizes the talent-heavy festival, one of the top preseason tournaments in men’s soccer.
“Fort Wayne’s a soccer town, and we get some good support when we go up there,” Freitag said. “It’s been great to us.”
Although seven starters return to this year’s squad, senior midfielder Lee Hagedorn said the team is still trying to find the right mix of players.
“We’re going to be using different lineups to get our team to play as one,” Hagedorn said. “We’re really trying to concentrate on the defensive side and not letting goals in, too.”
The Hoosiers’ solid 2009 lineup was somewhat shaken by the graduation of leaders like goalie Chay Cain and midfielder Brad Ring. Their departures created a void on the team’s roster which others will have to step up and fill.
“Those two, you miss,” Freitag said. “I do think some people have stepped up. Brad was an outstanding player for us ... but I think probably the bigger fill in the hole is for Chay in goal. Chay was a very consistent performer.”
Freitag said his main concern has not been scouting the Hoosiers’ first opponent.
“At this point, especially with exhibition games, all I’m worried about is how we play,” he said. “I’m not worried about the opponent. In fact, I’m not really even worried about the result. I want us to play, answer questions – what our strengths are, what our weaknesses are and how we need to go forward.”
Junior midfielder Andy Adlard, who led the Hoosiers in scoring in 2008 with 19 points, said he agreed with his coach on the outlook of the team’s preseason matchup.
“It’s definitely more important to just click as a team and play well,” Adlard said. “Obviously, in soccer, you can play really well, but the outcome doesn’t always go your way. We like to win. We’re winners. So if we lose, we’ll be disappointed.”
Drake will give IU a fight. Its team was 13-5-1 and made it to the NCAA tournament first round.
“Drake had a very good year last year, one of their better years in the program,” Freitag said. “In fact, I thought in the game I saw ... On that day Drake was a better team. So it will be a real good game.”
Drake only lost one starter from last year’s team. Freitag said the experienced Bulldogs will be a good early-season challenge.
“That’s what we want,” Freitag said. “We want to find out what we’re all about.”
