Local Hoosiers play out dreams

Junior midfielder and defender Caleb Konstanski, sophomore defender Matt McKain and redshirt freshman midfielder Dylan Lax grew up hoping to play for the Hoosiers.
Now, it’s their turn to carve their own paths.

Indiana men’s soccer has attracted young soccer players from across the country, but the mystique is felt locally, as well.

Growing up in nearby Columbus, Ind., McKain and Lax could not get enough of the seven-time national champions.

“Around age 12 I started coming to IU camp,” Lax said. “I think I went for six straight years, and I just fell in love with it. Plus, I would always come up with my dad and my coaches when I was young to watch the games.”

IU Coach Todd Yeagley said he sees the recruiting of central Indiana as a key factor to the success of the program.

He said it starts with the relationship the team has with the community.

“We have had a good history with Bloomington, and Columbus has been good to us through the years,” Yeagley said. “We see the kids a little bit more. They have been to our camps, and we have had a really good run with them.”

The shadow of Indiana weighed heavily on McKain when he prepared to make his decision about playing collegiate soccer, so much so that he decided on Indiana after making it his first and only college visit.

“I looked at other schools, but this was my first visit, and I knew I already wanted to come here, so I stuck with it,” McKain said.

The tradition of Yeagley and his father, former IU Coach Jerry Yeagley, was something Konstanski saw plenty of growing up in Bloomington, and he said he couldn’t help but embrace it.

“It helps, obviously, when you come on a recruiting visit and you can listen to guys who have been in the shoes you want to be in,” Konstanski said. “They know what it takes to get to College Cups and to win National Championships.”

Yeagley said he believes one of the more attractive aspects of IU men’s soccer is the tradition of the program and, with that, great experience on the biggest stage.

“When players look at their coaches, you know that if they have been in your shoes and played at a high level, that really helps open doors,” Yeagley said. “No doubt it’s easy to talk to them and say we’ve been there, and we’ve done that. We can relate to situations not only here at IU, but for those who aspire to play at the next level.”

Konstanski said he remembers attending the games during Jerry Yeagley’s final season en route to the 2003 National Championship and thinking, “This is IU soccer.”

He said the buzz around the community caught his attention and helped him realize that Indiana was the only place for him.

“You grow up, and every fall comes around, and it’s IU soccer,” Konstanski said. “That was just a part of life.”

As a current member of the team, McKain said he sees an opportunity to add his own name to that seven-star legacy.

“We saw them win the back-to-back championships in 2003 and 2004, and now it has been a while,” McKain said. “It burns the fire inside of us, and we want to win another one. We’re still on our quest for the eighth star.”