Sophomore Eriq Zavaleta has a lot to look forward to this season. Coincidentally, he has many expectations to live up to as well.
Coming off of a spectacular freshman breakout season, the Westfield, Ind. native was named to the Hermann Trophy watch list on Monday prior to the team's opening exhibition match at home.
The Missouri Athletic Club awards the Hermann Trophy annually to the nation's top male and female college soccer players.
In Zavaleta's freshman season, the forward led the Hoosiers, as well as the Big Ten, in scoring with ten goals and points with 25. He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and also earned a selection for the All-Big Ten first team and Big Ten All-Freshman team. He earned various selections on national all-star teams as well.
IU Coach Todd Yeagley attributes the Hermann recognition to Zavaleta's achievements last year.
"It's a great honor to be a named on the preseason watch list," Yeagley said. "It shows his body work last year was very good. Eriq needs to do exactly what he did last year by putting his mark on the game."
Zavaleta's mark was left on the UIC game even though Zavaleta's scoring column remained empty following the first 90 minutes of exhibition play.
At 6-foot 1-inch, Zavaleta is one of the tallest Indiana players on the field, and definitely the tallest forward attacking on goal. Tuesday night Zavaleta used his frame to place himself in position to leave a mark.
Many of the scoring opportunities came through Zavaleta on their way to the foot of Indiana forwards in the early stages of the exhibition match.
"He makes our team better because he draws a heck of a lot of attention," Yeagley said. "His understanding on how to bring players into the game is high-end. That in itself obviously for our group makes him extremely valuable."
Zavaleta looked to begin his scoring debut in the home exhibition. He was called twice, once in minute 20 and once in minute 28, for an offside that would have resulted in an open 1 v. 1 opportunity with the UIC goalkeeper.
At the conclusion of the first of three sessions in the exhibition Zavaleta immediately went to his defensive unit to talk. The team cohesion worked to his advantage right away in the start of the second session.
Trailing a full-field pass from senior defender Caleb Konstanski, Zavaleta found his way through a defender and goalkeeper slotting a shot on the right side of the post and out of play.
It is exactly this type of hunger that former-Hermann recipient Yeagley looks for.
"Eriq knows it's a preseason honor," Yeagley said. "He's hungry and wants to go out and show it. He likes the stage and we like that about him."
If Zavaleta does in fact receive the award, he would become the sixth Hoosier to do so. The last Hoosier to receive the award was Danny O'Rourke in 2004.
Coincidentally, that was the last year the Hoosiers won the NCAA championship.
