Last year, after winning the Big Ten regular season title, the members of the men’s soccer team knew they were the best team in their conference going into the postseason.
Even with a regular season title in hand, proving themselves in the post season wouldn’t be easy. After IU fell 2-1 to Penn State in the semi-finals, they knew they left more on the field in State College, Pa., senior midfielder Alec Purdie said.
“If you win the regular season, you essentially prove that you’re the best,” Purdie said. “We had high hopes to win, and we played a close game and got unlucky. ”
With the team’s regular season title in 2010, the Hoosiers had the advantage of a first-round bye, advancing to the semi-finals to face Penn State. Senior defender Tommy Meyer said he felt the bye actually hurt the players because they came in slower and less prepared.
“It’s always hard to come in on top,” Meyer said. “I almost felt like it hurt us a little bit, because I don’t think we were as ready or as focused as if we had played in a first-round game.”
This season, as the Hoosiers enter the Big Ten tournament with the fourth seed, they don’t have the luxury — or hindrance — of a first-round bye. They go into Friday’s match against Northwestern with a chance to knock off the team that sat out the first round while Meyer’s team played Michigan State.
Whether the Hoosiers defeat Northwestern en route to a Big Ten tournament title or lose somewhere along the way, they know the NCAA tournament will start everything anew. After last season’s loss to Penn State in the semifinals, IU went on to defeat Tulsa 5-1 to tie for its largest margin of victory on the season.
“I really think that loss motivated us a lot,” Meyer said. “We let that one against Penn State slip away, and we know that going into the NCAAs, it’s a totally new
season.”
It was a new season that ended prematurely for IU Coach Todd Yeagley’s squad. After its blowout win last season against Tulsa, his team collided with eventual tournament champion Akron, where IU fell behind 2-0 and eventually lost 2-1.
“The loss left the returning players wanting more out of the 2011 postseason,” midfielder Joe Tolen said.
“Playing for IU, anytime you go out in the ‘Sweet 16,’ you’re proud to make it that far, but there’s always going to be disappointment that we didn’t go further,” Tolen said. “And losing in general gives us that edge, that want to succeed next year.”
Purdie, though, is especially motivated this season, not only from the loss in last season’s tournament but because he has yet to witness or be a part of a Big Ten tournament title since he’s been in Bloomington.
“It always burns to lose, especially at Indiana, with the pride and tradition we have here,” Purdie said. “I haven’t been able to win one yet, so yeah, it does kind of burn.
“We want to show everybody what we’re all about and set up a run into the NCAAs.”
Past tournament failures motivate Hoosiers against conference foes
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