Jerry Yeagley’s advice inspires women’s soccer

An IU coach with six national championships to his name sat in the press box for the women’s and men’s matches Friday night when the Hoosiers played Iowa and Penn State, respectively.

After the Hoosier women’s win Sunday against Nebraska, women’s assistant coach Orlando Cervantes said he sought that championship coach, Jerry Yeagley, and his perspective.

“‘You guys are playing well,’” Cervantes said Yeagley had told him. “’You’re creating chances. It’s going to come. It’s one of those stretches where nothing is working.’”
Cervantes relayed that conversation to his players. He said they felt a lot less pressure.

IU sits atop the Big Ten in corner kicks, earning 7.09 per match. The team is creating opportunities. It’s just not converting opportunities into goals, freshman midfielder Abby Smith said.

“We know we can do it,” she said following the Hoosiers’ 1-0 loss against Iowa. “We have the play there. We’re right there. We just need to keep working.”

On Saturday, IU took a different approach. They did not discuss strategy. Instead, Cervantes said, they played kickball.

Senior midfielder Devon Beach said the informal game gave the team an opportunity to relax.

“Playing kickball was a lot of fun,” she said. “It calmed us all down and shows from the coaches that they trust us, and that they know we can do well. There’s nothing we can do other than put the ball in the net to change.”

After a five-match homestand, the Hoosiers prepare for road matches against Illinois and Northwestern. The Hoosiers look to build off the result earned against Nebraska, Cervantes said.

“We told them (last) week, ‘We just need that one game where you’re going to get one goal. And then you get two goals, and it’s going to take that elephant off your back.’ Hopefully today was that game,” he said.

For Illinois, their two one-goal losses last weekend cost them their No. 22 ranking. Sophomore midfielder Becca Zambon said that fact is irrelevant.

“They’re just another opponent,” she said. “With how we played against Nebraska, I think we’ll come out strong, play our own game and hopefully get another win.”

IU Coach Mick Lyon said his team’s victory against the Huskers caused his team to practice with more alacrity.

“They’re excited about the upcoming things,” he said. “We haven’t talked about Nebraska — that’s done. The elation of getting the points, knowing that they played well against a good team, beat them and got their just rewards.

“That’s carried through in (a) great training session yesterday.”

This weekend will present IU with two distinct opponents.

Illinois will look to bounce back from its two straight losses. Meanwhile, the Wildcats have struggled, scoring one goal in three Big Ten losses.
Lyon said his team is prepared.

“The team right now is in a very good place mentally,” he said. “We just got to make sure they stay in a good place physically by the right kind of rest, recovery, training in preparation for Illinois and Northwestern.”