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(11/28/11 5:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Senior defender Chris Estridge and the IU men’s soccer team had top seed North Carolina scoreless for 96 minutes, but one misstep did them in.The 16th-seed Hoosiers (13-4-5) lost in overtime 1-0 to North Carolina in the third round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday at Fetzer Field.While trying to control possession in the Tar Heels’ final third, Estridge lost the ball, and it proved costly for the Hoosiers.“There was a ball that was cleared into the top of the box, and I ran onto it, and Kirk Urso was coming in,” Estridge said. “I put my body between him and the ball, and my next touch was supposed to be a pass out to Alec (Purdie), but I slipped.”Urso gained possession and passed the ball to Tar Heels forward Billy Schuler, who put his shot past IU junior goalkeeper Luis Soffner for the game winner.“Schuler had a good turn,” Soffner said. “He’s one of the best forwards up there, and he can finish the ball. He put it far post. It was a good finish, so credit to him.”Sunday’s contest was the seventh game to go to overtime this season for the Hoosiers. In those games, IU had a record of 0-2-5.Despite that mark, IU Coach Todd Yeagley said he never wavered in his confidence for his team.“There was not a bit of hesitation heading into overtime,” Yeagley said. “This team was not hoping to get to PKs or hold on and hope to get one.”With the Hoosiers falling again in the Sweet 16, Soffner said he is optimistic about the future after the offensive emergence of sophomore midfielder Nikita Kotlov and freshman forward Eriq Zavaleta combining for 19 goals and 44 points for IU.“This is my third year playing, and we can’t get past that Sweet 16 hump,” Soffner said. “The young guys are playing really well right now, and credit to them, credit to everyone on our team right now. We were playing really well.”As the team heads into the offseason and reflects on what might have been, Yeagley said he knows what he saw on the field, and he won’t soon forget that.“I thought our team left everything on the field,” Yeagley said. “I’m very proud of the seniors. They have helped this program get back to a perennial power, and I know that they have laid the ground work for a lot of good things to come.”
(11/21/11 4:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sophomore Nikita Kotlov has three postseason goals in three games in 2011, and it doesn’t look like he’ll slow down any time soon.Kotlov scored two goals to lead the 16th-seed IU men’s soccer team (13-3-5) to a 3-0 victory against Old Dominion in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. The Hoosiers will take on No. 1 North Carolina next Sunday.On a soggy and rainy day at Jerry Yeagley Field, the Hoosiers were aggressive from the beginning, placing constant pressure on the Monarchs’ defense.Kotlov gave the Hoosiers an early lead with his goal in the 17th minute after an offensive attack by senior defender Chris Estridge left Kotlov alone at the left corner of the goal.“I was making a run, and I wasn’t sure when Chris was going to hit it. And I got a lucky bounce, and it came to me. And I was able to put that one away,” Kotlov said.Kotlov’s first half goal was his eighth of the season, but he wasn’t finished. He added his ninth in the 71st minute to seemingly put the game out of reach on a play that he and the rest of the team had been working on.“We have been working on crosses in practice over the last several days, and I guess with more repetition, I was able to be more focused and get that to slide in as well,” Kotlov said.For most of the season, Big Ten Freshman of the Year Eriq Zavaleta and senior midfielder Alec Purdie have attracted attention for their footwork on the pitch.But during the last nine games, Kotlov has ascended as possibly the most dangerous goal scorer for the Hoosiers, scoring eight goals in that span.“Eriq always brings two or three defenders because he is so big and strong on the ball, and when Purdie has the ball in isolation, you have to bring another defender,” Kotlov said. “With those two, it opens up space for me and makes it much easier for me to go out and give my best.”Junior Tim Wylie’s goal gave the Hoosiers a 3-0 lead on a rebound from a Kotlov header. For Wylie, it was a sweet moment to score his first career goal in an NCAA Tournament game.“It’s a great feeling. I’m glad to get it out of the way,” Wylie said with a grin across his face. “More importantly, I’m just happy to help the team get the three-goal cushion, and I’m glad to help us move on to the next round.”The high-powered Old Dominion offense attacked the Hoosier defense relentlessly for much of the game, but IU was up to the challenge, and that was something that senior defender Tommy Meyer talked about as the focus coming in.“Not only our back four, but everyone in front of us played solid today,” Meyer said. “It always helps when everyone is focused, and that was one thing we talked about. We needed to shut them down, and I think our whole unit did a great job of staying focused.”The game got a little chippy in the second half as Alex De John and Tommy Webb of Old Dominion were ejected after receiving red cards. IU Coach Todd Yeagley said he was proud of his team’s response to the situation.“We always say keep your composure and don’t react to something,” Yeagley said. “We do that in training. We show that in video, so when they get in the heat of the moment, they make good decisions.”For the second time in Yeagley’s two years in Bloomington, the Hoosiers will advance to the sweet sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. Yeagley said the key to keeping the season going will be their focus for 90 minutes.“The deeper you go, most games are going to be tight,” Yeagley said. “It’s going to be a restart. It’s going to be a great goal, and the key is to not give teams those opportunities.”
(11/18/11 5:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Senior midfielder Alec Purdie came to Bloomington to win an eighth star for IU. On the eve of his final postseason, he’s ready for one final run.As the 16th overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Hoosiers (12-3-5) will play Old Dominion (12-5-1) at home in the second round at 2 p.m. Sunday. As one of the 16 overall seeds, IU received a first-round bye.After a regular season in which the Hoosiers lost three games in a seven-day period, Purdie said he feels his team will match up well with whichever opponent it comes across in the tournament.“As we’ve shown, we can beat anybody on any day,” Purdie said. “Unfortunately, we have had some bad losses and dropped some important games, but if we come out and play like we can, we know we can beat anybody.”Even with a potential matchup against No. 1 overall seed North Carolina on the horizon in the third round, Purdie made it clear IU won’t overlook Old Dominion.“Whether it is any other team we have played all year, we know we can win,” Purdie said. “At the same time, we know we can lose if we aren’t focused and ready to play the way we know we can. We’re going to come out Sunday and take care of business.”Upon finding out which team and where his team would be playing, junior goalkeeper Luis Soffner was very excited. He said he relishes at least one more opportunity to play in front of the home fans in Bloomington before a possible deep postseason run.“We feel we have a strong advantage at home with the Hoosier Army, and we wanted to see them one more time,” Soffner said.Entering the postseason, Soffner sees this as a new beginning and a very exciting time for the Hoosiers to do something historic.“Before the Big Ten tournament, (IU) Coach (Todd) Yeagley was saying that this was the second of our three seasons this year,” Soffner said. “This is our third chance to win a trophy, and obviously, this is the biggest one. This is what we have been playing for the whole year.”Recognizing that for the rest of the season the Hoosiers will be playing quality opponents, Yeagley relishes the opportunity to face a new team.“It is nice to see an unfamiliar face,” Yeagley said. “Sometimes our regional rivals always can be a challenging physical and mental game.”Yeagley isn’t worried about his team looking past Sunday’s contest because that has been the message he has stressed all year.“It’s been our message all year to take one game at a time,” Yeagley said. “In training — getting the most out of every practice — and I think we’ve done a good job of that. I feel the guys are hungry coming out of the gate just like we were last year.”
(11/10/11 4:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sophomore Nikita Kotlov ended the regular season with a tear offensively, and he continued that momentum in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals.Kotlov and senior Alec Purdie each scored a goal to lead the IU men’s soccer team (12-3-4) to a 2-1 quarterfinal victory against Michigan State in the Big Ten tournament in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday.The Hoosiers improved to 7-0 all-time in Big Ten quarterfinal matches and 36-4-3 against Michigan State. No. 4 seed IU will face No. 1 seed Northwestern at 1 p.m. Friday in the semifinals.Kotlov’s goal gave the ninth-ranked Hoosiers their first lead in the 39th minute after a defensive miscue from the Spartans.“Jamie Vollmer had the ball right in the center on their half,” Kotlov said. “He played it to Eriq (Zavaleta), and for some reason their center back didn’t track me, and I was wide open. Eriq was able to find me, and I chipped it in.”During the last seven games, Kotlov has scored six goals and has formed a formidable offensive threat with Purdie and Zavaleta, making it difficult for the defense to key on one guy.“I’m making pretty good runs, and I have to give credit to all of our attackers that are able to get me the ball,” Kotlov said.After the Hoosiers took the one-goal lead into halftime, Purdie put them at 2-0 with his eighth goal of the season just a little past a minute into the second half.“On a long throw, Jamie put the ball right in front,” Purdie said. “We challenged for it, and it dropped to me, and I put it in the goal.”For the second time this season, the Hoosiers led the Spartans by a 2-0 margin in the second half and, just like their last meeting with Michigan State, cut it to a one-goal deficit. This time, however, IU was able to buckle down and get the result it needed.“We fought on,” Purdie said. “We knew we had to close the game out. “We proved today that we can fight through it and get the result when we need it.”In the postseason bracket, IU will have the opportunity to atone for the two ties that may have cost it a share of the Big Ten regular season championship.“It’s working out nicely with us getting a second shot at Michigan State and Northwestern,” Purdie said. “We’re excited about it. It’s a big game. If we win, we get to the final on Sunday.”The Hoosiers are now two wins away from the Big Ten tournament championship. Purdie said he and his teammates realize every game is important and they need to focus on getting results.“Win or go home,” Purdie said. “You can’t take anything for granted. We have to go out and play hard. Some of these teams it’s their last shot. “Everyone is giving 110 percent. You can’t afford to let your guard down for a single minute.”
(11/09/11 5:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s been seven years since the seventh star was added to the Indiana soccer logo.Senior Alec Purdie doesn’t have an eighth year to add that elusive eighth star. He’s ready for the postseason ride.After last year’s run to the Sweet 16, which included a 2-1 loss to eventual national champion Akron, the Hoosiers (11-3-4, 3-1-2) said they feel they are a more dangerous offensive threat than a year ago. The triple threat of freshman Eriq Zavaleta, Purdie and sophomore Nikita Kotlov has combined for 22 goals and eight assists.“Eriq, Nikita and I have really gelled, and we’ve been playing really well,” Purdie said. “Nikita has come on. He’s been scoring quite a few goals the past few games, which is huge for us because if you want to win things, you can’t just rely on one person or two people. It has to be a collective unit.”The No. 9 IU men’s soccer team begins postseason play with its quarterfinal match against Michigan State (7-7-4, 2-2-2) today at 1 p.m. in Ann Arbor, Mich., in the Big Ten Tournament.With the balanced offensive attack the Hoosiers use to break down opposing defenses, Purdie said IU needs the players on the field to work together to make a lethal offense.“We are contesting,” Purdie said. “We’re dangerous on set pieces, and our center backs contribute to that. Offensively scoring goals, everyone is contributing, and we are a threat basically anywhere on the field.”While the offense is a crucial aspect to the Hoosiers’ attack and success, the defense could be the deciding factor if IU can exceed last year’s finish. Junior goalkeeper Luis Soffner has allowed only 15 goals in 17 starts this season, registering 0.85 goals against average with eight shutouts.“We have almost the same back line as we did last year, and we’re starting to gel together as a unit with the five of us back there,” Soffner said. “This year, we have been stressing a lot of team defense. “That’s a big plus going into the tournament. We might be one of the only teams that fancy itself as a team that defends as a unit rather than individuals.”One of the significant differences between this year and last year is the offensive firepower. Last season, the Hoosiers’ offense revolved around a lot of what then-junior forward Will Bruin was doing. A combination of players has filled the void, and Yeagley said he likes what he sees out of his offense.“I would love to have (Bruin) on our team,” Yeagley said. “I would be kidding you if I said any different. Anytime you have a choice to take three to four scorers that can make the sum versus one of two, you take four. Teams can’t cue on it.”With 11 wins in the regular season, the Hoosiers surpassed last year’s win total of 10, leaving Yeagley with an impression of more consistent play from his team in 2011.“The belief in what the team can do is a bit stronger,” Yeagley said. “We’ve played some really consistent soccer this year. Last year, we were up and down a bit. Some results didn’t go our way, and that weighs a bit on your mind. “Last year, we were confident, but this group feels good going in and knows that there is so much on the line.”
(11/04/11 3:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Senior defender Chris Estridge knows the end of his college career is near, but he wants to stretch this time out as long as he possibly can.Estridge, along with fellow seniors Alec Purdie, Tommy Meyer, Tyler McCarroll and redshirt junior Nick Blevins, have one final regular season game remaining at 1 p.m. this Saturday against Ohio State at Jerry Yeagley Field.Meyer came highly recruited out of St. Louis University High School in Missouri with high expectations. After all, it’s in his blood. Meyer’s father, Keith, was a four-year letter winner for the Hoosiers and was a part of the 1982 and ’83 National Championship teams.Meyer and the Hoosiers have failed to reach the College Cup in his first three years in Bloomington. Meyer said he wouldn’t go so far as to say the season would be a failure if the team doesn’t reach the final four — just a big disappointment.“It’s something you work for, and it is a standard at IU. You need to get to final fours,” Meyer said. “Once the postseason starts, it’s basically a new season. I have to get there this year. It’s my final year.”Growing up in Elkhart, Ind., Purdie always knew he wanted to play soccer at IU and have the responsibility that comes with donning the cream and crimson every day. Purdie said he realizes the time is now, and the Hoosiers can’t waste the great opportunity in front of them.“If we walk away this season empty handed with all the players we have here, I definitely think it would be pretty devastating,” Purdie said. “We’re confident going into next week and the Big Ten tournament. We know we can win it. Hopefully, we can win that and take the NCAA tournament and get the eighth star.”While the other four players playing their final games for the Hoosiers have spent their entire collegiate careers in Bloomington, Estridge has a different story. He transferred from Wake Forest after his sophomore year. Despite having spent just two years with IU, Estridge said Bloomington has had an impact on him.“It’s been great playing with the group of guys that we have here,” Estridge said. “They were all great when I was making my transition here, and now that I’m a senior, I’ve made some really good friends on the team. That’s been one of the best parts of this.”As the only non-senior player finishing up his time with the Hoosiers, Blevins, a Carroll, Ohio, native, said he is thankful for all the great experiences IU men’s soccer has afforded him in the last four years. “Having the opportunity to be around the prestigious talent and being around the guys, hanging out in the hotels on the weekend, that’s my favorite part,” Blevins said.Throughout his time with the Hoosiers, McCarroll has spent a large portion of his time not only on the soccer field, but also racking up academic awards. Through the last four years, McCarroll has been named the 2009 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten as a sophomore and junior.“I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was 8 years old,” McCarroll said. “I’m still undecided. It’s between Indiana, Rush University in Chicago and the University of Chicago.” While only in his second season as head coach of the Hoosiers, IU Coach Todd Yeagley served as an assistant coach for the Hoosiers from 2003 to 2008. He said he has forged a special bond with these five players.“The role as to why we are all inherently driven is to help at this pivotal age to mature and grow,” Yeagley said. “That responsibility is always at the forefront of our decisions and how we deal with them. I’m pleased on where they are. They are leaving ready for the next step.”As the Hoosiers prepare for their final regular season home game against Ohio State and the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments, Estridge knows the finality of it all will be on everyone’s mind. “It’s that way for every senior, every year,” Estridge said. “I know that I don’t want it to end. I want to carry this thing all the way to the very end.”
(11/01/11 3:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>True freshman goalkeeper Michael Soderlund always wanted to be here.Soderlund, redshirt freshman midfielder Kerel Bradford, sophomore midfielder/forward Blake Wise, true freshman defender/forward Jack Coleman and junior midfielder Aris Zafeiratos took an unconventional path to travel a great distance to come to Bloomington and wear the cream and crimson for one reason — tradition.Growing up in Boise, Idaho, Soderlund graduated high school a year early. Faced with the decision of where he would play soccer at the collegiate level, he said the choice of IU was one of the easiest he ever made.“The program’s tradition is absolutely incredible and kind of speaks for itself,” Soderlund said. “If you want to play soccer, this is the place to be.”Similar to Soderlund, Bradford grew up far from Bloomington. He looked at schools on the West Coast closer to his home in Chandler, Ariz., but despite the great distance from his family and friends, he is pleased with his decision to come to Indiana.“I’m happy that I did come here, and I know my mom wanted it,” Bradford said. “I know throughout the year, she will be at some of the games. “As long as she is there for some of the games, then that makes up for it.”Coleman grew up in a college town, but when he finished high school in Norman, Okla., there was no hometown college soccer program to go to.Norman is home to Oklahoma University in the Big 12 conference, which does not participate in men’s soccer. Coming from a similar college town, Coleman said he saw Indiana as a great fit.“I came on a visit in August of my senior year, and I just loved what I saw,” Coleman said. “I liked the coaches and all the guys, and I knew it was a great program, so it wasn’t tough decision.”Of all the current Hoosiers who have come from distant hometowns, Zafeiratos traveled the greatest distance. Growing up in Athens, Greece, he made the decision to come to the United States in 2009. He spent two years at Bryant & Stratton College — a junior college — before coming to Bloomington for the 2011 season. While Zafeiratos is far from home, he has a plan for his future that helps take his mind off the distance between Bloomington and Greece.“I can be patient,” Zafeiratos said. “First, I need to finish college, get a degree and then whatever happens with soccer.”Almost halfway through his freshman year, Soderlund said he doesn’t regret his decision to graduate high school a year early and move across the country to suit up for the Hoosiers.“It’s always hard missing my senior year with all my friends, but I feel like as a player I have really developed, and it’s worth it,” Soderlund said.
(10/31/11 4:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Freshman forward Eriq Zavaleta has come up big when his team needed him this season, but it wasn’t enough on Sunday.Zavaleta scored his team-leading ninth goal to break a 1-1 tie in the 67th minute of the Hoosiers 2-2 tie Sunday at Northwestern.With the tie, the Hoosiers (10-3-4, 2-1-2) were eliminated from contention for the Big Ten regular season championship going into their season finale next Saturday against Ohio State in Bloomington.Despite a tie the Hoosiers could not afford, Zavaleta and his teammates are looking forward.“Nothing changes,” Zavaleta said. “We’re disappointed obviously that we couldn’t get the result here, but the same mindset applies. We have to win every game from here on out, and we have to play a lot more games than just Sunday.”Northwestern took a 1-0 lead late in the first half after a goal from Lepe Seetane.IU Coach Todd Yeagley elected to start sophomore midfielder A.J. Corrado in place of sophomore midfielder Harrison Petts to start the second half. The move paid quick dividends. Corrado tied the game at 1-1 with 37 minutes remaining in the second half on his second goal of the season.“We had a nice little combination of passes and the ball came to me pretty quickly,” Corrado said. “I touched it and hit it as soon as I could, and it hit the post and went in.”Fourteen minutes later, Zavaleta put the Hoosiers ahead off an assist from senior midfielder Alec Purdie.“We went on a counter attack, and (Alec) Purdie took the ball wide. (The) whole defense attracted to him, and I hung out on the other side,” Zavaleta said. “He picked his head up, and played me a good through ball, and the goalie came out to the top of the box. I beat him to the ball and took a touch around him and hit it with my left foot.”The Hoosiers kept the lead until Oliver Kupe tied the score at 2-2 with five minutes remaining in the second half to send the game to overtime.Both teams struggled to find any offense in either 10-minute overtime period. Zavaleta appeared to have the game-winning goal with 45 seconds remaining in the second overtime, but the goal was waived off on an offsides call.“The referee said that on the flight of the ball that (Jacob) Bushue touched it, and I was in an offside’s position,” Zavaleta said. “To my knowledge, Bushue didn’t touch it, but that was the explanation we got.”The Hoosiers didn’t get the result that they wanted, but Yeagley said he felt his team played well and will continue to play well going forward.“We knew what we needed to do,” Yeagley said. “It didn’t happen, but there is a lot more soccer to be played. We need to get better as a unit and individually, and if we do that, we will position ourselves well for tournament play.”
(10/28/11 1:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Heading to the end of the regular season, senior defender Tommy Meyer knows everything his team has worked for is right in front of it.After blowing some leads this year, Meyer said it is time for the Hoosiers to take control of what remains of the regular season.“We just need to stay focused,” Meyer said. “The thing is, we just need to get the results now. We don’t want ties. We want wins.”The No. 10 IU men’s soccer team travels to conference leader Northwestern with a shot to win the Big Ten if it wins its final two games.The Hoosiers need victories against Northwestern and Ohio State. Wisconsin must lose a game, as well.In order to accomplish the team’s goal to win the Big Ten title, Meyer stressed the importance of keeping composure on offense and defense equally.“We need to be focused on restarts. We all know it,” Meyer said. “Coming into this part of the season, it’s crucial that we are focused on each restart.”The Hoosiers (10-3-3, 2-1-1) head to Northwestern riding a five-game unbeaten streak. Sophomore Nikita Kotlov’s has scored goals in four straight games, giving him five on the season.Last year, in IU Coach Todd Yeagley’s first season, the Hoosiers finished with a 10-8-2 record after falling to eventual National Champion Akron in the Sweet 16.With two regular season games remaining, IU has matched last season’s win total and Yeagley has seen the team grow as a whole.“We have outplayed opponents. A lot of these results are just good wins,” Yeagley said. “Sweet 16 is a good year. A Big Ten championship is a good year. But we felt there were some losses that slipped.”The Hoosiers had some trouble this year figuring out how to pull away once they accomplished a 2-0 lead, but while IU had some breakdowns in those games, after Wednesday’s 2-1 win against Evansville, the team improved to 6-1-1 when holding a 2-0 lead. Senior Chris Estridge said the team has to maintain an aggressive mentality, no matter the score.“Having a two-goal lead is usually a dangerous lead, because you get a little complacent,” Estridge said. “Once we find a second (goal) we have to find a third and really kill the game off.”Entering its final two Big Ten contests, Yeagley said he likes the direction his team is headed. “Here we are. It’s all in front of us,” Yeagley said. “A Big Ten regular season championship (is) still in reach with some help, and it is now a tournament time feel, where if you slip, things start to get more difficult.”
(10/24/11 3:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sophomore Nikita Kotlov has started only two games this season, but he hasn’t wasted any time getting into an offensive rhythm.Kotlov, starting for the second straight game in place of midfielder Jamie Vollmer, headed in his fourth goal of the season to put the Hoosiers ahead 1-0 in the 32nd minute.For the second time this season, the IU men’s soccer team built a 2-0 lead and were unable to register a victory.The No. 13 Hoosiers (9-3-3, 2-1-2) tied conference rival Michigan State 2-2 in overtime Sunday at Jerry Yeagley Field.“I saw myself unmarked, and I just followed Eriq’s (Zavaleta) run, and A.J. (Corrado) put it right on my head, and I was able to finish it,” Kotlov said.Kotlov has scored goals in three consecutive games, and he attributes this to working with his teammates.“Most of these goals have been because I have made runs, and other players have made a spot for me to finish, and it’s easy from there with good balls from my teammates,” Kotlov said. The Hoosiers went into halftime with a one-goal lead and stretched it to 2-0 when sophomore Jacob Bushue scored his second goal of the season in the 50th minute off of an assist from Zavaleta. “I snuck in and stole the ball and bounced it to Eriq, and he played a great ball back to me, and I put it in the back of the net,” Bushue said.IU outshot Michigan State 27-6 on the game, but the Spartans made their shot attempts count. Spartan Stephen Lucianek put a ball past goalie Luis Soffner to cut the lead to 2-1 in the 55th minute. After the game, Soffner said he thought Michigan State committed a foul on the play.“It was pretty apparent that it hit a hand. Whether it was intentional or not, you could always argue that,” Soffner said. “Instead of maybe giving up on the play and try to argue with the ref, we need to keep fighting. We can’t let them get easy goals like that, even if we thought it was a handball or not.”Michigan State kept fighting. Less than four minutes after Lucianek’s goal, Spartans’ midfielder Adam Montague tied the game at two off a throw-in in the 59th minute.”On the two restarts, they knew what they were looking for, and we just need to be more focused,” Soffner said. “It was a lack of concentration by everyone. They finished them when they were in the box, so credit to them.”IU Coach Todd Yeagley wasn’t pleased with the errors his team made, allowing Michigan State to stay in the game after a two-goal deficit.“We have made some critical mistakes,” Yeagley said. “The disappointment is that we have had some chances to get the third goal. Our composure in and around the box has got to be better.”Kotlov said the team hasn’t lost faith, but it needs to clean up some mental mistakes.“We had a great speech from our coach,” Kotlov said. “I think we will be mentally tougher after giving away soft goals like that.”
(10/21/11 4:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Freshman Eriq Zavaleta and senior Alec Purdie don’t plan on slowing their goal production any time soon.After a three-game losing streak to start October, the IU men’s soccer team has turned around with a three-game win streak. The streaks are in large part due to the feet of the freshman and senior.The No. 13 Hoosiers are back to conference play against Michigan State on Sunday in Bloomington. The game is their fourth to last of the regular season.“That’s always the sign of a good team,” senior Purdie said about the streak. “If you’re playing well, that’s great, but if you’re aren’t playing your best you can find a way to get the win. It’s all about at the end of the 90 minutes finding the result that you need, and we’ve done a good job of that so far.”Purdie and Zavaleta have proved to be a lethal one-two punch for opponents, combining for 15 goals. Zavaleta continues to impress, after his go-ahead goal on a penalty kick against Kentucky. He now leads the Hoosiers in goals, having scored eight.“I came in wanting to help the team no matter if I get goals or if it’s someone else,” Zavaleta said. “It’s coming down to crunch time, and we’ve got to win games, both Big Ten and non-conference.”After giving up six goals during their three-game losing streak, the Hoosiers’ defense has tightened up the last three games, allowing only one goal.“We’re starting to get our confidence back up top,” junior goalie Luis Soffner said. “Our defense has been solid. We’re still keeping the ball out of the net and creating less chances for their offense. I think that all around the field, confidence is up.”While Michigan State is having a down year at 4-7-3, IU Coach Todd Yeagley said he feels his team is going to come out Sunday with a sense of urgency to seek the result that they need.“We’re going to see a very motivated group in the sense of our Big Ten position,” Yeagley said. “It’s going to be a pivotal game as this last game was to keep us in the hunt, and I see us having a very good performance.”With the recent losses by No. 1 Connecticut, No. 7 North Carolina and defending national champion No. 6 Akron, the field for the College Cup appears to be wide open. Purdie said he knows his team understands the challenge ahead.“There are a lot of teams that are dropping games right now,” Purdie said. “At the end of the day, we control our own destiny. We just need to control ourselves, keep getting the results we want, and everything else will take care of itself.”
(10/17/11 3:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Freshman Eriq Zavaleta has come up big exactly when the IU men’s soccer team has needed him, leading to two road wins this week.Zavaleta scored two goals Saturday to lead the Hoosiers to a 4-1 win against Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich.Zavaleta is tied for the team lead in goals with senior Alec Purdie, who also scored Saturday. Zavaleta’s seven goals are the most ever scored by a freshman, breaking Will Bruin’s 2008 record of six.After two Hoosier goals were taken off the board from offside’s calls and a Michigan goal, Indiana trailed 1-0 at halftime, but the players remained confident.“In the locker room at half, you could see we needed to make some changes to get back to do what we came to do and execute,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said.The Hoosiers still trailed 1-0 when Zavaleta scored his second goal in as many games to knot the game at one in the 56th minute. The goal sparked the Hoosiers, and seven minutes later, senior Alec Purdie netted his seventh goal of the season to put the game at 2-1.“Harrison (Petts) had the ball at the top of the box. He got it to me, and the keeper was right in front of me,” Purdie said. “I waited half a second for him to go down, and I kicked it over him. There wasn’t much to it.”Sophomore Nikita Kotlov scored with a header in the 78th minute, and eight minutes later, Zavaleta struck again for his second goal of the game. The freshman-senior duo of Zavaleta and Purdie has combined for 14 goals this season and has provided life for the Hoosiers’ offense.“We’ve got good support. We’re putting ourselves in good spots and getting balls played to us where we can score goals,” Zavaleta said. “Alec’s doing a great job finishing off his chances, and I’ve been doing good so far, too. We’re hoping to keep it up.”The Hoosiers have now won two games in a row after their three-game losing streak, and Zavaleta said he believes his team is going to take this momentum and run with it.“We knew that getting that win at Butler was going to give us the momentum to go forward,” Zavaleta said. “We came out in the first half against Michigan with some chances, but nothing that we could finish. We were lucky and grateful to get that first one, because once we did, the rest came fairly easily.”Yeagley said he can see his team growing with every victory.“Being down in the first half, not playing our best and to see the response was a real positive step for this team,” Yeagley said. “It’s always difficult to win on the road, no matter who you are playing — a lot of positives to draw on from the second half.”
(10/14/11 4:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Eriq Zavaleta wasn’t phased by that three-game losing streak.The freshman helped snap IU’s losing streak with the lone goal in its win against Butler. He and his team jump right back into Big Ten play when they visit Michigan on Saturday.The No. 18 Hoosiers (7-3-2, 1-1) are looking to start a new unbeaten streak. The rest of Indiana’s season includes four of its final six games against Big Ten opponents.For IU Coach Todd Yeagley, strong defensive play has helped the team turn around after a three-game losing streak.“Our team defending has been solid, and we are limiting the good quality chances,” Yeagley said.The play of Zavaleta has led the Hoosiers to victories. His offensive output places the freshman second on the team in scoring with five goals, one behind senior Alec Purdie. Despite being a freshman, the Westfield, Ind., native hasn’t seen a huge learning curve.“He’s (Zavaleta) doing great out there for us,” junior goalie Luis Soffner said. “He’s got a big body. He holds the ball really well for us. We know he can get on top of the ball when he needs to, and he’s capable of scoring when we need it.”The key to the offensive punch this season has been the two-headed monster of freshman-senior duo Zavaleta and Purdie, who have combined for 11 goals and 26 points to pace the offense.On the defensive side of the ball, Soffner’s goal has rarely been touched. During the three-game losing streak, the junior goalie gave up six goals, but in the nine other contests, he has surrendered only four goals.“We had a streak of shutouts and we were feeling a little confident, and then in two games we gave up five goals,” Soffner said. “Some of them were good goals, and in the last two games against Creighton and Butler, our defense was really solid. We’re back playing the way we were. Hopefully, we can keep going forward.”While the win against Butler gives the Hoosiers confidence heading into their visit with the Wolverines, Soffner said he knows every match in the Big Ten is going to be tough.“Every team, no matter what their record is in the Big Ten conference, they bring it,” Soffner said. “It’s always a battle. This win gives us a little momentum going in.”When Zavaleta looks at his team, he said he sees a confident bunch, and he doesn’t think the past struggles will have any effect going forward.“We’re ready to get it on and get another unbeaten streak going,” Zavaleta said. “We haven’t lost any confidence. We felt we were a bit unlucky and we’re a force to be reckoned with.”
(10/13/11 4:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It looked as if the IU men’s soccer team was headed for an overtime period Wednesday until freshman forward Eriq Zavaleta connected on the go-ahead goal to give IU a 1-0 victory against Butler.Zavaleta put the Hoosiers ahead for good in the 85th minute off of an assist from senior defender Chris Estridge.“Chris made a great play and beat a guy,” Zavaleta said. “We had talked about how I was lingering in the box all game, and he played me a great ball, and I took a shot to my left and blasted it in with my left.”The No. 18 Hoosiers (7-3-2, 1-1) broke through after losing three straight games to improve to 20-3-1 all-time against Butler.“After losing three straight, you need a win like this at Butler,” Zavaleta said. “It gives us confidence that we can (go) to a hostile environment and pull out a win, and we can do it together.”Zavaleta said the Hoosiers found a way to break through in a way they were unable to in their last two losses to Louisville and Creighton.“We had to be patient throughout the game to find a goal, and we were confident that we were going to get it,” Zavaleta said. “We were testing the keeper and getting good chances, and we had to wait until the (85th) minute, but we got our goal.”IU Coach Todd Yeagley said the Hoosiers used what opportunities they were given and got the result they were looking for.“It was a tough battle tonight,” Yeagley said. “I don’t think we were in sync in a lot of stretches and largely in and out of form due to Butler fighting really hard. As the game went on, there wasn’t a sense of panic within the team. They stayed composed.”Junior goalkeeper Luis Soffner earned his fifth shutout of the season after surrendering six combined goals during the Hoosiers’ three-game losing streak. Soffner has allowed 10 goals in 12 games this season.“This win gets us back on track and gets our confidence back up,” Soffner said. “It was a battle all around.”The victory comes as the Hoosiers head into the final stretch of the season with four of their final six games against Big Ten opponents, three of which are at home.“We feel like we’re a force to be reckoned with, and the country is taking us lightly now after our three-game losing streak,” Zavaleta said. “We’re going to show them that we’re back.”The Hoosiers are still trying to prove to themselves and their opponents that they can win these types of games. For Yeagley, that was the most important part of Wednesday’s victory.“Heading into other tight games, we know we can win these,” Yeagley said. “The guys were certainly pleased with the result, and they know the play needs to be better. But tonight the goal was to get a win, and we were able to get that.”
(10/12/11 4:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The throw-in is one of the simplest plays in soccer when it is performed to precision. IU’s Jamie Vollmer specializes in this area.Vollmer, a sophomore in his first year with the Hoosiers after transferring from Butler University, wasn’t sure when it started, but the throw-in always came easy to him. Vollmer could always throw it a long distance, said Freshman Eriq Zavaleta, who grew up with Vollmer in Westfield, Ind., and noticed this talent at an early age.“He did it on our club team when we were 11 or 12 years old, and I was doing them with him, because I had grown before everybody else,” Zavaleta said. “He was throwing the ball where I was, and he was significantly smaller than I was, just like he is now.”Vollmer packs a lot of power on his throw-ins despite his smaller-than-average build. Zavaleta explained the technique is the biggest driving factor that allows him to get so much power.“He’s not the biggest or strongest kid, but his core is tight, and he knows how to throw it, which is what it boils down to,” Zavaleta said.Vollmer said he thinks his lack of size, 5-foot-7-inches and 145 pounds, may allow him to sneak up on opposing teams who might misjudge him.“It wows a couple people because of how little I am in comparison to other people, just like Blake Wise, our teammate, another little guy with a big throw,” Vollmer said. “I guess maybe it’s good to be little.”The Hoosiers do all they can to utilize Vollmer’s talent to their advantage in set situations.“We run some plays, so there are some spots that I am supposed to hit, but I guess that’s where I’m aiming,” Vollmer said. “I can’t really give away the plays.”Prior to Vollmer coming to play in Bloomington, IU Coach Todd Yeagley was well aware of Vollmer’s throwing advantage. The Hoosiers have not yet been able to score on a throw-in from Vollmer this season.“We have had some indirect goals scored from the throw, but not directly, and I think they’re going to come,” Yeagley said. “When they do, it’s going to soften up other things and allow us to continue to possess and do things that we really want to do.”Vollmer’s talent may surprise opposing teams.“If you don’t know him, you would be surprised, but it is pretty renowned throughout the country about who he is and what he can do and the throw that he has,” Zavaleta said.Yeagley said the potential of Vollmer’s attack is a psychological advantage the Hoosiers will start to capitalize on sooner or later.“Teams know it. I think we have an edge, because the other team is certainly thinking about it,” Yeagley said. “It rattles them a bit. Whether we score off of it or not, it’s the threat of it that gives our guys an edge.”
(10/10/11 4:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Another game, another loss for the IU men’s soccer team.The No. 10 Hoosiers lost their third straight game — second straight at home — Sunday, falling 1-0 to No. 5 Creighton.Creighton scored the only goal of the game in the 41st minute when Dion Acoff beat goalie Luis Soffner in the top right corner on a shot that was deflected.“Their guy (Acoff) was out wide to our right,” Soffner said after the game. “He cut it in and pulled a couple of moves to get a shot off. Matt McKain blocked it, and an unlucky bounce, I think, hit it off his shin. And it went right over my head under the cross bar. It was pretty lucky for them and pretty unfortunate for us.”For the third time in the last eight days the Hoosiers (6-3-2, 1-1) said they played well enough to win against a quality opponent, but they fell short again.“It hurts when you do enough to get a result. That’s the hard part,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. “The results haven’t gone our way in a week, and it came in a quick amount of time, so it’s hard.”Despite the three-game slide, which may suggest Indiana has a lot of changes to make, senior Alec Purdie said he doesn’t see it that way.“I keep saying it, but we don’t need to change anything,” Purdie said. “We are playing just fine right now. I keep telling the guys that we have had absolute terrible luck.”Creighton came into the game as one of the top defensive teams in the country. It showed as the players frustrated Indiana’s offensive attack all afternoon. The Blue Jays improved to 10-1 with the victory. Of those 10 wins, nine have been shutouts.“For as much possession that we had near the final third, I think we have to be more aggressive,” Yeagley said. “We need to get a little separation, and maybe you get a bounce. And we have to take those chances. We have to take some more opportunities on finishes.”Indiana will take the field again Wednesday when they visit Butler. Senior Tommy Meyer said he feels the key to ending this slide is to not overthink what each player has to do.“We have to keep playing like we have been. We have been better every game,” Meyer said. “The goals will come. Our luck will change a little bit, and things will go our way.”With seven games remaining in the regular season, the Hoosiers said they know what they need to do to get their season turned around.“We have played well enough in all three games to get results in all of them,” Soffner said. “We just let down a couple games for a couple minutes, and the other team got lucky a couple of times. Right now, with the Louisville and Creighton games, we know we can hang, if not take it to some of the best teams in the country.”
(10/07/11 4:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The season seemed too good to be true — then Wisconsin and Louisville happened.The IU men’s soccer team will enter its matchup Sunday afternoon with No. 5 Creighton on a two-game losing streak, the first adversity the team has faced this season.After a 2-0 loss Oct. 2 at Wisconsin and Wednesday’s 3-2 collapse at the hands of No. 11 Louisville, the Hoosiers (6-2-2, 1-1) are looking for answers.Goalie Luis Soffner had refused most shots that came toward his goal, giving up only four goals in the first eight games. In the last two second halves and one overtime, he has given up five goals.Wednesday night it appeared the Hoosiers were in complete control before two quick goals late in the second half and another in overtime. Senior Tommy Meyer said he thinks the team just needs to focus on the future and move on from its most recent defeat.“We just had a couple of key moments where we lost our concentration, but I think we’re ready to play on Sunday,” Meyer said. “Once Creighton comes in, we are back at home. You can’t beat playing at this place.”Creighton will enter Sunday’s match with a 9-1 record coming off its 2-1 overtime victory against Wisconsin on Wednesday. Facing one of the best defensive teams in the country, the Hoosiers will be tested, but offense hasn’t been the problem.In the last two games defensive breakdowns have plagued Indiana. IU Coach Todd Yeagley emphasized keeping focus for all 90 minutes and focusing on what the team can control.“Our focus was better on all the restarts,” Yeagley said. “We’ve been doing well this year. We had a slip this past weekend, but sometimes plays are made. You have to look at it, and you did everything that you could, credit them for making the play. We just have to make another one.”Senior Chris Estridge said he thought although the Hoosiers lost, this stretch can unify the team.“There was not much of a reason for us to lose this game. We were up 2-0,” Estridge said. “We just have to take this and use it as a little bit of a motivation moving into the next game.”While the loss to Louisville left the players standing shocked on the field as the Cardinals celebrated, Yeagley said he sees it as something much bigger than just a loss going forward.“We know where we are if the team that played in the National Championship last year came here and we out performed them in many ways,” Yeagley said. “Clearly, this is the best team we have played and our guys rose to the occasion and performed very well. It’s just unfortunate that a few moments slipped away and we couldn’t get the result.”
(10/04/11 1:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Brian Maisonneuve, IU men’s soccer assistant coach, has played at the highest levels of collegiate and professional soccer. Now he is back where it all started 20 years ago: Indiana.Maisonneuve joined the Hoosiers as an assistant in January 2010. He left the same position with Louisville to join the staff of former college teammate Todd Yeagley.Since his final game in 1994 for the Hoosiers, Maisonneuve has played in the 1996 Olympics, the 1998 World Cup and for the Columbus Crew of the MLS from 1996 to 2004Following two years at Louisville, Maisonneuve was presented with an opportunity to join Yeagley’s staff and help shape the next crop of Indiana teams. He was quickly accepted.“Louisville is a great place,” Maisonneuve said. “I really enjoyed it. (Louisville soccer Coach) Ken Lolla is a great coach and a fantastic individual. To come back home to Indiana and work with Coach Yeagley and Coach (Ernie) Yarborough was a slam dunk.”Yeagley said because of Maisonneuve’s success professionally, he knows what it takes to be successful in the Indiana soccer program.“He has an understanding of what IU soccer is all about,” Yeagley said. “He’s been around some different coaches uniquely through his time with U.S. soccer and I thought that would be very positive.”Maisonneuve’s experience has allowed him to have a unique perspective that a lot of coaches would not be able to give to younger players, sophomore defender Matt McKain said.“The fact that he has been in our shoes definitely helps out,” McKain said. “I guess we respect his input a little bit more than somebody that has not had as much experience.”Maisonneuve’s final game of his Indiana playing career was a loss in the 1994 National Championship game to Virginia. It was a loss shared by Yeagley and Yarborough.“We had some very good teams in my four years here, and we came close so many times, and it still haunts me to this day,” Maisonneuve said.Coming back to Indiana takes Maisonneuve back to when he first started to really understand how to play soccer at a high level, he said.“Indiana really helped me achieve what I wanted to achieve in soccer, and I will be forever grateful and forever thankful to be a part of this tradition,” Maisonneuve said. “To be able to come back and be able to coach here it means a lot to me.”
(10/04/11 1:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>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.”
(09/30/11 2:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Yeagley. To some it may be just a name, but to the Indiana men’s soccer program it stands for so much more.Jerry Yeagley took the program from just a club team to one of the most respected men’s soccer programs in the country. During Yeagley’s 30-year tenure from 1973 to 2003 the Hoosiers won six National Championships, a record 544 games and 10 Big Ten Championships. Every four-year player in those 30 years appeared in at least one College Cup.One of those players was Jerry’s son Todd, who played four years at Indiana starring as a four-time All-American. He now leads the Hoosiers as their coach. Todd Yeagley had just finished his first season as coach of Wisconsin when he was offered the job his father manned for three decades. To Todd, the decision was a no-brainer.“This is home to me, a program that I love,” Yeagley said. “It certainly comes with a lot of expectations, but any challenge in life — if you shy away from a challenge, you’re not living life. For me it’s about getting after it, enjoying it and being a part of the program that shaped me in a lot of different ways.”Todd and his players are now charged with representing the Indiana soccer brand every day, a responsibility that freshman forward Eriq Zavaleta said he embraces and looks forward to adding to in the future.“Our goal is to win Big Ten Championships and to bring back National Championships to this program,” Zavaleta said. “The tradition is a big reason why I came here, and bringing it back is a big goal of mine.”Jerry Yeagley’s legacy is such that Todd said he knows he can’t worry about all the success his father achieved, but he can only worry about what he can control.“I focus on every day. If I worried about what was done before and tried to compare — you would spin yourself into the ground. You can’t,” Todd Yeagley said. “As a player, it’s the same thing. You enjoy it, you push toward it. We can control how we prepare and our performance, and obviously Final Fours are a goal of our team. And we’ve been to a lot of them, but I don’t worry past tomorrow.”Fifth-year senior midfielder Alec Purdie said he looks at the team and sees one that can accomplish anything it wants to.“We just want to keep winning games, keep working at practice,” Purdie said. “Right now we’re sitting unbeaten, and we feel great and hopefully we keep getting the wins.”Ultimately, Yeagley said he knows the true key to the success of the program is hard work and dedication from his players.“We need to focus on right now, focus on training well, being accountable in your performance,” Todd Yeagley said. “That’s how final fours are won, not through a lot of talks. It’s about going after it every day.”