Team eyeing payback at IU adidas/Credit Union Classic

The sun set over Bill Armstrong Stadium on Wednesday night while the Hoosiers took to the field for their final full practice before Friday’s opener against No. 5 St. John’s.  

“You should be confident as hell,” said IU men’s soccer assistant coach Phil Presser to starters during a short pitch five-on-five. “They’re coming to our field. Let’s get some revenge back.”

The revenge Presser referenced is almost nine months coming.

St. John’s knocked IU out of last year’s NCAA Quarterfinal in a 3-2 overtime thriller on Dec. 6. The team said a rematch has been a long time coming.

“I don’t know if it’s revenge,” IU men’s soccer coach Mike Freitag said. “You have a bad taste in your mouth from last year. It’s the team that beat you. If that’s revenge, it’s revenge. The guys would like to pay them back.”

IU’s Friday game kicks off the annual adidas/IU Credit Union Classic, where it will be joined by St. John’s, Wake Forest and Notre Dame.

The Hoosiers take on Wake Forest at 2 p.m. Sunday at Bill Armstrong Stadium.

“When we have the Classic every year, it’s tough teams,” junior midfielder Andy Adlard said. “To get those wins under your belt and go on with your season is always a confidence booster. As long as we play well, that’s the most important thing.”

The Hoosiers must take on the Red Storm without senior defender Ofori Sarkodie. Sarkodie is sidelined because of a red card he picked up in last year’s tournament game against St. John’s on an intentional handball at the game’s end.

Freshman Caleb Konstanski will likely be his replacement.

IU is currently unsure how they will use Konstanski, Freitag said.  

Sarkodie’s absence hits the Hoosiers where they are most fragile. In last weekend’s exhibition games against Drake and DePaul, defensive fluidity was IU’s greatest weakness.

“Defensively, our midfield has to be connected with our backs and our forwards, too,” sophomore defender Tommy Meyer said. “We have to defend as a team.”
Freitag said he is optimistic about improvements made this week to remedy any defensive sluggishness.  

“In our game against Drake, we didn’t move well as a team defensively,” he said. “I think we were slow in adjustments, but we improved on that much better against DePaul.

“Hopefully they respond the same way they would anybody. Hopefully we play to our potential; that’s what I want my team to do.”