94 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(10/17/12 4:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With a 2-0 win against Butler, the Hoosiers clinched a winning season to tie UCLA’s NCAA Division I record of 40 consecutive winning seasons.After allowing Louisville Cardinals to match their early goal in last week’s game, the Hoosiers left no doubt against Butler.The Hoosiers scored early and added a buffer near the middle of the second half, sophomore forward Eriq Zavaleta said.“It’s always good to get a nice brace,” he said. “The game was not necessarily going our way throughout the entire game. I think we did a good job of fighting to get the second goal and seal off the game.”Despite controlling much of the offensive pressure in the beginning of the first half, the Hoosiers did not test Butler goalkeeper Jon Dawson until minute 23. Six minutes later, the Hoosiers would find the net and push ahead of the Bulldogs.Zavaleta opened the scoring column for the Hoosiers with a heading flick into the net off a throw-in from junior midfielder Nikita Kotlov.The ball rolled past the touchline near the right flag in the Butler defensive third. Kotlov took the long throw and found Zavaleta near the front post, just as he did for the opening goal in the Aug. 31 Clemson game.“Nikita throws a good ball in, and I was able to get myself a bit of space to get the finish,” Zavaleta said. “The long throw adds a different asset to our game, and it’s another way to be dangerous. He has been able get to the ball in good spots all year, and I was able to finish one today.” The goal was Zavaleta’s 13th of the season, and the assist was Kotlov’s third.The Bulldogs did not match Zavaleta’s header, and the Hoosiers went to into the locker room at 1-0. Leading into the game, the Hoosiers were undefeated in six games after scoring in the first half and undefeated in eight games after scoring first.The Hoosiers came back for the second maintaining their offensive pressure. After two corner kicks from junior midfielder A.J. Corrado and two one-touch volley rebounds from sophomore midfielder Patrick Doody, the Hoosiers capitalized with their second goal of the night.Junior midfielder Jacob Bushue, playing along the right touchline, beat his defender and took two dribbles toward the box before playing a roller to Kotlov. Receiving the ball in the middle of the box, Kotlov fired a one-touch shot past Dawson’s right arm and into the net.“We’ve been working on criss-cross patterns in practice, and I’m not even sure if Bushue saw where I was,” Kotlov said. “He was expecting someone to be there, so I made a strong run, and he gave me a perfect ball. It was kind of lucky from that point on.”Senior goalkeeper Luis Soffner was not tested in the second half until a cross following a free kick in minute 63. The ball came into the six-yard box, and Bushue fought for positioning against his man before heading the ball out of the box.Late in the second half, the Hoosiers were able to block, deflect or control the ball around their box, not allowing the Bulldogs a clear shot at Soffner for the clean sheet.“You put the ball in the box enough, and one might bounce your way,” Yeagley said. “We were still able to deal with it. They had one really good chance, but most of them weren’t clear looks.”The shutout was the Hoosiers’ fourth in the seven games and second in a row in which Kotlov scored a point. The junior had a scoring run late last season, scoring nine points in the final 10 games. Kotlov said he wants this season to stay as it is.“I would love for it to happen again, but we’ll see,” Kotlov said. “We’re going to have to pick it up from this game. We need to look forward to playing our game. The goals will come for the entire team, in general.”
(10/10/12 2:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The No. 12 Hoosiers (9-2-1, 3-0-0) will travel south tonight to face the Louisville Cardinals (7-4-0, 3-1-0) at Cardinal Park.With Louisville’s only home loss coming against Kentucky, IU Coach Todd Yeagley and the rest of the team expect it to be one of the Hoosiers’ toughest non-conference road games.“Louisville is a really good team who is really good at home,” Yeagley said. “We know that we will have to have a really good performance.”The Hoosiers are bringing with them a weapon to counter the Cardinals’ home field advantage: the Hoosier Army.The men’s soccer fan group will use a sold-out bus with more than 50 seats to transport its first-come-first-served members to the game to try to cheer the Hoosiers to victory.“It is going to be nice having that extra edge from our fan base that will give us a nice lift on Wednesday,” Yeagley said. “We’re excited, and the boys are really pumped for this game.”The Hoosier Army, in its second year, is the child of an organization of resources from the IU Athletics Marketing Department and members of the Student Athletic Board. Assistant Director of Marketing Jonathan Benedek said the group has seen consistent growth since its inception in summer 2011.“It is something that has really grown, and I believe it will continue,” Benedek said. “Directors from the SAB for men’s soccer run the group basically as presidents and vice presidents. They receive feedback from the students in their weekly meetings, then relay that to IU Athletics. This trip stemmed from the Butler trip last year, which was primarily a student idea.”SAB Director for Men’s Soccer Elias Burch said with financial help from the Office of First Year Experience Programs, the Hoosier Army chose Louisville for the road trip primarily because of its regional rivalry with IU.Since Purdue does not have a soccer team, Louisville was the logical choice because of its preseason No. 7 ranking.So far this season, the Cardinals have defeated every ranked team they’ve played at home, including then-undefeated No. 4 Notre Dame.“We know it’s going to be a tough game for them, and we want to help out any way we can,” Burch said. “We have every kind of supporter you can think of within the Army. There (are) your die-hard soccer fans that would be at any game alone if need be. Then there are also fans who have never seen a soccer match until they came to Indiana, and now they love it.”Senior forward Tim Wylie said the Hoosier Army provides a boost during matches.“When you get tired out there and the game is not going your way, the supporters look and sound loud and crazy, which gets you fixed back in,” he said. “They are a huge asset and advantage for us at home, so it’s great to have them on the road with us down there. At Butler last year, they helped us get that little burst at the end, so we’re pretty excited about them heading to Louisville.”Yeagley, a former Indiana player, said he couldn’t recall a fan base with the Hoosier Army’s depth when he was on the pitch in the early 1990s.“We had a great student following back when I played, but this Hoosier Army has more going for it,” he said. “The fact that they organize all of it themselves, their on-the-field presence is completely different. This is support that our players can really feel and touch, which is an important factor.”
(10/08/12 3:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Scoring first has been an important factor in the Hoosiers’ success this season. Heading into Saturday night’s game against Wisconsin, the Hoosiers were undefeated in the six games in which they have scored first this season.That remained true during the 2-0 win against the Badgers.“They are feeling it now,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. “Tonight, there was an edge to them. The boys wanted to be in control of their destiny in the Big Ten, and that’s a powerful feeling. I haven’t seen that in a lot of years here, because you can’t force it upon your team, but these guys have turned a corner.”Sophomore forward Eriq Zavaleta marked the first notch in the scoring column, scoring his 10th goal of the season and tying his total goal count from last season. The goal came in the 11th minute following a corner kick from junior midfielder A.J. Corrado. Junior midfielder Nikita Kotlov tracked the ball inside and achieved a flick across the box to Zavaleta, who had his back to the goal.In two motions, the sophomore scoring leader used his chest to hit the ball down and rocketed a left-footed volley in the net.“We’ve been noticeably more sharp in the last couple of games,” Corrado said. “We’ve got some great targets on our team in Eriq, Caleb (Konstanski) and Nikita for restarts. All those guys can get up and fight for the ball, making my job a lot easier.”That offensive pressure continued throughout the rest of the first half. Corrado, Kotlov, and junior midfielders Harrison Petts and Jacob Bushue looked to maintain offensive intensity in the middle of the field. This allowed the defensive wings, sophomore Patrick Doody and junior Matt McKain, to push into the offense as passing options.“Bushue and Harry (Petts) and all the guys in the middle are buying into that pressure,” Yeagley said. “When we do that, it is hard to play against them. Bushue is an animal in there, and I know teams hate playing against that guy for 90 minutes.”The first realistic scoring opportunity for the Badgers did not come until the 27th minute. Following a cross into the box, the ball hopped into the middle of the defensive area and was headed high to senior goalkeeper Luis Soffner’s right side. The co-captain jumped to block the attempt, but it was unnecessary as the shot sailed above the post.Nearing the end of the first half, a cross came in from the right side of the field. Badger forward Chris Prince used his chest to flick the ball down and volleyed a shot toward the upper-left corner of the Indiana goal. Soffner kept his clean sheet intact for conference play by diving and deflecting the ball around the left post.At the beginning of the second half, Zavaleta would find the net again in the 48th minute. His 11th goal of the season marks a new career high.Corrado dribbled the ball down the right field line until he reached halfway. Corrado and Zavaleta then connected via a through-ball from inside the six-yard box.The ball reached Zavaleta just in time for a one-timer chip shot over the keeper and a sliding defender.“Coach has put a lot of focus in finishing for us,” Zavaleta said. “We need more goals, and I took it upon myself with the rest of the attacking midfielders to put more in the back of the net. I think we’ve done a better job of that.”Halfway into the conference schedule, IU tops the charts with an undefeated record and scoreless defense to match. Corrado said he believes the team has set themselves up for success as the season progresses.“I think if we can keep playing like this, then we’re going to find ourselves in good spots this postseason,” he said. “I think it just all comes down to a newfound heightened focus.”
(10/07/12 2:16am)
The Hoosiers picked up their third Big Ten win on Saturday night in a 2-0 victory against Wisconsin.
(10/05/12 3:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The number zero is typically not a positive sight when looking at a statistical column.But for senior goalkeeper Luis Soffner and the rest of the Hoosier defense, that number can be looked at with respect because that is how many goals the Hoosiers have allowed so far in Big Ten play.The co-captain from St. Louis said shutouts are the most important aspect of a defensive mindset, but it has not been that way in past seasons.“I know from years past we may have not had that killer mindset,” Soffner said. “Typically, we would come out looking to win games, not achieve shutouts. That has changed this season, and this year it is a big statement for our team, especially the defense.”Heading into this weekend’s home match against Wisconsin, the Hoosiers led the Big Ten in two defensive categories: goals allowed and goals against average. IU is tied with Penn State for first in shutouts with six.Soffner and senior captain defender Caleb Konstanski said they believe that the success has something to do with the trust and confidence forged between each other during the last four seasons.Both of their careers as starters began their freshman year, and there has been a bond between the two since.“We’re very confident in one another,” Konstanski said. “I know Luis is going to make big saves, and he has that type of confidence in me. After playing four years with someone, you don’t really need to say much.”The bond between the two has allowed nonverbal communication to suffice for defensive instruction.“We talk throughout the whole game,” Konstanski said. “Very little of it involves actual talking, though.”Soffner said he believes communication is one of the most important factors for a defensive unit.“Our five guys staying connected in the back is very important for us to be successful,” Soffner said. “It is done through strong communication, and it definitely shows when you have a season such as this.”At the top of the standings in the conference, Konstanski and Soffner said they feel Indiana will get each team’s best performance with a target on their backs. Konstanski said the confidence in his keeper helps the line keep their focus on what needs to be done.“A lot of times if you don’t have confidence in your keeper, you will cheat a bit defensively,” he said. “But when you have a keeper like Luis in the back, you don’t have to worry about cheating, and I know I can always count on him to make big saves when we need it.”During the Kentucky game Wednesday, IU was without one of its defensive starters, sophomore defender Kerel Bradford. To fill that role, they moved junior midfielder Jacob Bushue back and had sophomore midfielder Dylan Lax come in off the bench to play Bushue’s position.Konstanski said he believes the depth the Hoosiers have is an important aspect of the team’s success defensively.“That depth goes a long way,” he said. “We have absolute confidence in anyone that comes back to the line, whether it be someone who starts or someone coming off the bench. We have confidence in everyone that takes the field.”After scoring four goals against Kentucky, the Hoosiers let in a lone goal with less than five minutes to play. Konstanski said the goal would not hurt the Hoosiers moving forward.“The first thing Luis and I talked about after the game was the goal,” Konstanski said. “I think that shows the maturity of this team, that we put up a very good performance but were more upset about the one thing we did wrong. I definitely think that goal against Kentucky gives us extra motivation to shutout Wisconsin this weekend.”
(10/04/12 3:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Heading into Wednesday night’s game, the Hoosiers had scored a majority of their goals this season in the second half. Closing late had been a theme for the team, with only three goals coming in its first 45 minutes of play this season.That statistic nearly doubled in the Hoosiers’ 4-1 win against Kentucky with goals from forwards sophomore Eriq Zavaleta and Femi Hollinger-Janzen in the first half.“Scoring early is always a positive,” Zavaleta said. “When we’re able to get the first one in the back of the net, there is less pressure to find the rest.”The pair of goals came at the beginning and end of the half, with Zavaleta scoring just three minutes in, while Hollinger-Janzen connected in the final minute of the half.“There is no question when you talk about times to score goals that getting one early or later in the half is important,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. “There is a psychological factor that comes with those, and getting those goals in those moments really set the tone for our win here tonight.”Zavaleta’s score started the Hoosiers strong, unlike most matches thus far.Heading down the line, the Hoosier defensive wings got caught up in the action. Junior defender Matt McKain took the ball down the line and played a ball into the center of the box where Zavaleta was waiting.Zavaleta used his foot not to receive the ball but to shoot it immediately when it reached him. The ball rose low to the far post connecting with the netting to put the Hoosiers up 1-0.The second goal would be Hollinger-Janzen’s first of his Hoosier career.Zavaleta worked his way into some space with Hollinger-Janzen tracking his line opposite the box and played the ball to Hollinger-Janzen. Just as Zavaleta had done earlier, Hollinger-Janzen used his foot to shoot instead of trap the ball. The ball rocketed off his foot and found the corner of the goal before making its way to the back of the net. “It feels great getting the first one out of the way,” Hollinger-Janzen said. “It was all congratulations in the locker room for me.”At the break, IU Assistant Coach Ernie Yarborough told Mike Glasscott for IUHoosiers.com that the next goal would be the most important.Midway into the second half, Zavaleta shut out all doubt by notching his second goal of the game, his ninth for the season. The shot came after a pass from junior midfielder A.J. Corrado.Freshman forward Andrew Oliver added to the Wildcat pain with his second goal of the season in the 80th minute. With the fourth goal, the Hoosiers surpassed their mark for most goals in a game this season.“The more goals we score, the more confidence we gain going into the rest of the game,” Zavaleta said.A set piece was the factor that ended what would’ve been senior goalkeeper Luis Soffner’s fourth shutout in five games. With just less than five minutes to play, the ball came over the box above the heads of each Indiana defender before finding the head of Kentucky’s Tyler Riggs. Riggs then placed the floated ball on far post past Soffner to bring the final score to 4-1.“The boys are disappointed we didn’t get a shutout,” Yeagley said. “But when you walk away 4-1 and the fact that they are disappointed I think is very positive, and I take a lot of pride in that.”
(10/01/12 6:16pm)
Luis Soffner earned his third Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor on Monday afternoon. The honor was his second in a row following last week's mention after Soffner shutout Ohio State in the Hoosiers opening conference win.
(09/28/12 4:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After a 1-0 home loss against No. 8 Notre Dame, the Hoosiers look to regain momentum in the Big Ten with an away matchup against Penn State.“It’s a different league in its own,” senior goalkeeper Luis Soffner said. “Technically, if you think about it, we’re 1-0 going into that league. We can forget about that loss at home and start fresh in the conference.”The Nittany Lions are a near statistical mirror image of the Hoosiers.Heading into Wednesday night’s game against Notre Dame, the Hoosiers trailed behind the Nittany Lions in shots per game (15.44-13.75) and points (40-37). However, the Hoosiers beat the Nittany Lions in goals per game (1.88-1.44) and goals allowed per game (0.5-0.56).These statistics line up well for a preview of how the second conference game will be for the Hoosiers. Junior midfielder Jacob Bushue said the team’s desire to win will be strong after losing to Notre Dame Wednesday night.“Obviously, it’s a tough loss coming from a rival,” Bushue said. “But we can only feel sorry for ourselves tonight, and tomorrow we’re going to come back and put in the work to get a big win against a conference team.”The Hoosiers will head into dangerous territory at Jeffrey Field, where the Nittany Lions possess a home record of 5-0-1.A key matchup to look forward to will be the Indiana defense against the attacking game of Julian Cardona, who ranks second in the Big Ten in goals per game and points per game.In contrast, another interesting matchup of this game will be the Penn State defense against sophomore forward Eriq Zavaleta. He leads the Big Ten in the two aforementioned stats.These four factors match up evenly, as well. Cardona trails Zavaleta by two goals for the Big Ten scoring lead, while IU and Penn State are tied for first in the conference in goals allowed per game.The Indiana defense, with the help of Soffner, ranks second in the Big Ten with five overall shutouts.Penn State leads the conference in that statistic with six. Goalkeeper Andrew Wolverton tops the Big Ten with a 0.28 goals against average.Both teams are coming off non-conference losses, and IU Coach Todd Yeagley said he believes the feeling of revenge will play into the hands of Indiana’s intensity.“This is a quick turnaround, and I wouldn’t want an eight-day break after this game,” Yeagley said. “After a disappointing loss like that, a quick turnaround is good. If we take that performance we had in the second half of the Notre Dame game to Penn State, then I like where we sit there.”
(09/27/12 4:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Heading into Wednesday’s game, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looked for redemption. The Hoosiers looked for momentum.The No. 8 Fighting Irish found their redemption following a 1-0 Hoosier loss. Despite the normally successful second-half efforts from No. 11 Indiana, the team was unable to find the net following a header goal on a restart from Grant Van De Casteele.“It was a 45-minute performance,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. “You play against a really good team and you play like we did in the second half, maybe we’ll get a goal or two. We had them pinned in, and you felt like it was coming, but the clock ticked away at us.”The first half began with an Indiana tip and an immediate Notre Dame push of offensive pressure. In the sixth minute, the Fighting Irish led with a corner from the right side of the field. The ball cleared the pack of players in the box and made its way toward an Irish head on the far post. Sophomore forward Eriq Zavaleta came in to block the attempt.After some lull in the middle of the field, the Fighting Irish regained the attack and gave senior goalkeeper Luis Soffner a chance. The Irish’s Max Lachowecki put his head on a cross coming from the right side of the field. The ball bounced opposite of Soffner’s momentum, and IU’s senior co-captain had to switch his body weight and grab the ball off the line.He succeeded.“Luckily I was in the right place at the right time, and I just made myself big,” Soffner said. “I got a hand on it, and it just fell right down in front of me. Those shots can go both ways, though. Especially early like that, it can either deflate us or get the other team going.”The rest of the half followed in the same fashion until IU picked up the offensive pressure toward the 20th minute of the game. The pressure remained right up until the final minute of the half, when sophomore midfielder Dylan Lax dribbled his way into the Irish box for a shot.The save from Lax’s shot was made just as the halftime whistle blew, allowing the teams to reassess their strategies.“This entire year we, for our first halves, we have come out slow, and it’s something we definitely need to fix,” junior midfielder Jacob Bushue said. “But as the games go on, we always pick it up in the second half. I thought as tonight’s game went on, we got stronger.”The second halves are what both teams have known best this season. Coming into the game, the Fighting Irish had outscored their opponents 9-2 in the second half, whereas the Hoosiers had outscored their opponents 12-0 in the final 45 minutes.It would be Notre Dame who found the net. Dillon Powers put his corner into the box from the right side of the field. Van De Casteele found the cross at the entrance to the box, knocking a header down into the ground. The ball hopped up to the far upper corner of the Indiana goal.“On a corner kick, their big number 20 from the back had been coming up all night,” Soffner said. “I think Zaveleta was covering him throughout the night, and he was off the field for that restart. Every play we should be strong, though, and we need to have the mentality that we’re going to do everything we can not to let anything up.”At the time of the goal, Soffner had seven saves while Notre Dame goalkeeper Patrick Wall had none.Given the Fighting Irish offensive pressure, the Hoosiers were unable to put many shots on goal to challenge Wall.As the game wound down, junior midfielder Nikita Kotlov was awarded a foul in the final minute near the Notre Dame right corner flag. Corrado took the cross, and Soffner pulled away from his line to get in on the action.The ball hopped around the middle of the 18 but, as in the other 89 minutes of the game, did not find its way into the back of the net.The Hoosiers continue conference play at Penn State on Saturday night.
(09/24/12 6:34pm)
BLOOMINGTON -- Luis Soffner was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the week on Monday after a shutout performance Sunday against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
(09/21/12 3:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At the beginning of the 2012 men’s soccer season, senior co-captain goalkeeper Luis Soffner spoke about the team’s camaraderie. “I think that we’re playing really well,” Soffner said. “I think the camaraderie is still there. We’ve had our ups and downs throughout games, but I think that we’re starting to put longer stretches together. Hopefully we can turn it into full games going into Big Ten play.”Senior midfielder Joe Tolen said the team likes to think of the Big Ten phase as a whole separate season. With the change in season comes a change in seeding possibilities and hardware.“Big Ten is a whole different level,” Tolen said. “Of course every game is important from an RPI perspective, but once we start playing those games, nothing beats it because we’re playing for a trophy. We want that trophy, and we want to get a good seed for the Big Ten tournament which, in turn, provides us with a better opportunity to win another trophy by setting us up for the NCAA tournament.”An opening away game against Ohio State could be a test for the Hoosiers, who have had only one true away game nearly a month ago against St. Louis.“We were home on Friday, and going out to Columbus to open conference play will just be another challenge we’ll have to face,” Soffner said. “We will be playing a good Ohio State team at their place. It will be a good test for us.”The away atmosphere won’t be the only challenge for the Hoosiers to overcome. Heading into this weekend, the Buckeyes return two scorers from last year: Sebastian Rivas and Kenny Cunningham. These scorers each split the goal lead with freshmen Louie Berra and Alex Bujenovic with two apiece.Although he has not netted a goal this season, Chris Hegngi will provide the Buckeyes with opportunities as well.Last year, the forward scored a third of the Buckeyes’ goals while being named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.Like the Hoosiers, the Buckeyes like to close late in the game. This season, the Buckeyes have notched two goals in the first half with seven coming in the second half. They have also netted once in extra time.“We know we’re going to get the Big Ten’s best every game no matter who we are playing,” Soffner said. “It’s definitely a heightened game in physicality and mentality, so I know we’re looking forward to it. Our mental and physical edge going into this weekend is going to look a bit stronger.”For the Hoosiers, this weekend’s matchup against the Buckeyes has a personal tie to some of the senior leaders. In 2007, the Hoosiers earned the conference championship, but the Buckeyes took the tournament title. In 2009, the Buckeyes won the conference championship and then came to Bloomington and took the tournament title from the host Hoosiers.For Tolen, it will be a team effort this season to avenge those two events in the postseason relationship of the Buckeyes and the Hoosiers.“Once we have that goal in mind and everyone gets behind it, that is what it is all about,” Tolen said.
(09/19/12 4:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Hoosier hysteria means different things to different people.For Aris Zafeiratos, an IU men’s soccer midfielder from Athens, Greece, Hoosier hysteria reminds him of the love abroad for the game he plays in America.“Soccer in my country is like basketball in Indiana,” Zafeiratos said. “Everybody plays, and the fans pack the stadiums for each game.”Spending his junior and senior years in the land of Hoosier Hysteria, Zafeiratos has adjusted to the culture and athletic skill change the move stateside has given him.Growing up, Zafeiratos traveled 45 minutes each way to train with the Panathinaikos Youth Team.A top club in Greece, Panathinaikos has won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.“My father noticed that I was ahead of most of my peers with my skills, so he worked to help me to play with Panathinaikos,” Zafeiratos said.Zafeiratos played with Panathinaikos for 12 years, from 1994 to 2006, prior to high school.Taking opportunities and running with them has been a theme of Zafeiratos’ career.Before entering high school, he was invited to play with the Greek U-17 national team and accepted. Several of his teammates have gone on to play professionally in leagues throughout Europe.He finished high school with 53 career goals and 22 career assists as a team captain.When the time came to choose between a professional career and higher education, Zafeiratos decided to run with a different opportunity. Making his own path, he chose to come to America and do both by playing soccer in college.Zafeiratos played for Bryant and Stratton College in New York within the National Junior College Athletic Association. During his freshman year at Bryant and Stratton, he scored seven goals and earned nine assists.After his freshman year, he was named National Soccer Coaches Association of America second-team All-District, NJCAA second-team All-District, NJCAA first-team All-Region and NJCAA first-team All-Conference.Improving on his freshman year, Zafeiratos recorded 12 goals and 10 assists in his sophomore season. His list of postseason honors grew. He was named NSCAA second-team All-American and NJCAA honorable mention All-American.After a successful career in junior college, Zafeiratos earned his spot with the Hoosiers. Again going along with his theme, Zafeiratos was given an opportunity and ran with it whole-heartedly.“Indiana is a really big school, and academics are very strong here,” Zafeiratos said. “The soccer program is great, and the fans support this team. When I had the opportunity to become a Hoosier, there was no way I was turning it down.”Waiting for him at Indiana was a higher level of play, and he has had to work to become comfortable with it. Zafeiratos said the change in play from European to American soccer has been a tough challenge.“Here it is based more on strength and fitness,” Zafeiratos said. “Rather than relying on style and foot skills, more players just try and run by you or through you. Some players, when they come here from other countries, find it difficult to make the transition to American style.”In contrast to the changes on the pitch, Zafeiratos said the Hoosier hysteria for Indiana soccer resembles that of his teams at home. The support the Hoosier Army and other fans have for the Hoosiers makes him feel right at home.“I know basketball is the biggest sport in this state, but I feel like I can compare the love the Hoosier soccer fans have for us and the love the Greek fans have for their clubs,” Zafeiratos said. “In Greece, the fans are a little more hooligan-oriented, but we have some big crazy crowds for our games here, also. I know I feel like I’m playing in Europe sometimes when I look around the stadium.”
(09/17/12 3:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Coming into the IU men’s soccer team’s game this weekend against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, the No. 22 Cougars (5-2) had conceded only three goals total throughout the season.Friday night, the No. 16 Hoosiers (5-1-1) nearly matched that total in just 15 minutes with goals from senior midfielder Caleb Konstanski and junior midfielder Jacob Bushue in the 56th and 71st minutes, respectively, to give IU the 2-0 victory.Despite the offensive pressure from the Hoosiers, SIUE outshot Indiana 11-8 during the game. Indiana was able to keep the shutout after allowing goals in both games last weekend.“We talk about shutouts and restarts, and this group is really believing in them,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. “In the past, a lot of players don’t buy into how important getting shutouts are. You’re not going to have much success if that is your mentality.”For much of the first half, the Hoosiers controlled the ball within the SIUE defensive third. Passing the ball around the Cougar defensive unit, the Hoosiers looked for through ball opportunities instead of crossing chances.The Cougars used this strategy in their favor late in the first half when they countered an Indiana attack.A Cougar forward dribbled his way the length of the field, and senior goalkeeper Luis Soffner found himself in a one-on-one situation.Coming off his line, Soffner charged the forward, causing the shot to deflect from his own knee.While Soffner was off the line, the Cougars had their first real opportunity of the first half after a ball was played through to Cougar forward Jared Tejada. With the goal virtually wide open, Tejada toed his first-touch shot over the Indiana crossbar.“Luis has been playing excellent this year,” Konstanski said. “His confidence has grown this year, and the defensive unit is feeling comfortable with him. He has been making big saves for us.”The streak of scoreless first halves from the Hoosiers continued Friday night.The Hoosiers have entered the locker room after 45 minutes without a goal in every game since the Clemson matchup Aug. 31.Despite the streak, the Hoosiers made their way back onto the pitch and eventually into the net during the second half Friday night.In the 56th minute, Konstanski tracked toward the far post during a corner kick from junior midfielder A.J. Corrado.The ball found its way through a pack of Cougar defenders and Hoosier forwards.Just as the ball reached the back post defender, Konstanski pushed forward with his right thigh, striking the ball into the far post netting. The collision eventually landed Konstanski and the defender in the goal with the ball.“I just saw it skip through, and I tried to get any part of my body on it,” Konstanski said. “I got my thigh on it, and luckily the keeper didn’t get there in time, so it worked out well.”Fifteen minutes later, Bushue scored his first goal of the season on a left-footed rip off a corner kick from junior midfielder Harrison Petts.“As soon as the ball was bouncing out to me, all I was thinking was ‘Get it on the frame,’” Bushue said. “I’m right-footed, but I’ve probably scored more left-footed goals in my career so far.”The ball hopped out to Bushue at the top of the 18-yard box, and he fired the ball through the pack into the center of the goal just under the keeper’s glove.Heading into Friday’s game, the Hoosiers had struggled to score off set pieces.On Friday night, both Hoosier goals came off corner kicks.“We did the little things tonight that we didn’t do against Oregon State and Akron,” Konstanski said. “We played all right in those games but just had some mental gaps get through. But tonight we locked it down.”Friday’s win was the first against a ranked opponent for the Hoosiers this season. They will look to keep the momentum going heading into Big Ten play against Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, Sunday afternoon.
(09/15/12 2:35am)
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Coming into this weekend's game the No. 22 SIUE Cougars (5-2) had only conceded two goals total throughout the season.
(09/10/12 3:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>SOUTH BEND, Ind. — In Friday’s match against Akron, the IU men’s soccer team conceded its first loss of the season in a 1-0 defeat.The IU defense came through for the most part, making drastic diving and sliding saves, IU Coach Todd Yeagley said.“(Senior midfielder) Caleb (Konstanski) and (senior goalkeeper) Luis (Soffner) are the two that always come forward for us during big games,” Yeagley said. “They made some great saves tonight, and against a Final Four team, you have to be making those saves.”Despite being outshot during the game 15-11, the Hoosiers garnered a few chances on goal.Near the 25th minute, sophomore defender Patrick Doody put a hopeful ball into the box from nearly halfway down the field. Sophomore forward Eriq Zavaleta was not able to reach the ball with his head before Akron goalkeeper David Meves got a hand on the pass.Midway into the second half, junior midfielder Jacob Bushue dribbled his way down the right side of the field into the six-yard box. Bushue played a pass back to the top of the box, where Zavaleta was open.The forward sent a shot in, but Meves deflected the ball with his fingertips over the crossbar.Akron’s Eric Stevenson scored the lone goal of the match. Receiving a pass from forward Dillon Serna, Stevenson worked a ball through two Indiana defenders. The ball deflected off the last defender and rolled slowly into the right post. The deflection from the post bounced the ball into the goal, ending the Hoosiers’ three-game shutout streak.“The only goal we let through tonight got lucky,” Konstanski said. “It squared across the box and took a deflection. It’s unlucky, plays like that, but we stayed strong and finished the game positively.”Yeagley said he felt the Zips did not receive the Hoosiers’ best efforts Friday night.“I credit Akron for playing well and making it difficult for us, but I would definitely like to play that team again when we’re in a little bit more of a synch offensively,” Yeagley said.In Sunday’s barnburner against Oregon State, the Hoosiers gave up two early goals yet found a way to string together three second-half goals and achieve the victory 3-2.Oregon State gained the lead early with two goals in five minutes.Heading into the locker room at halftime with the score 2-0, the Hoosiers were down at the half for the second time in as many games.But in just five minutes, the Hoosiers were able to turn their fortunes around.Junior midfielder A.J. Corrado scored for the Hoosiers first after tucking a shot in the right side far post in the 62nd minute.Four minutes later, Zavaleta headed a shot into the goal, scoring on a cross from junior midfielder Harrison Petts.The go-ahead goal came off a Beaver own-goal, and just like that the Hoosiers had the lead with less than 15 minutes left in the game.On Friday, Konstanski expressed his pleasure with the Hoosier defense and the potential of the Hoosier offense. In the second half Sunday, the two united for the comeback.“We have to put some better things together offensively, but we play well defensively,” Konstanski said. “Those pieces of the puzzle will come together throughout the season.”
(09/10/12 1:05am)
Jacob Bushue dribbles his way into the 18-yard box in the second half against Akron. Bushue found No. 2 Eriq Zavaleta for an attempted shot, but the shot flew high. The Hoosiers lost the game 1-0 and ended their undefeated streak thus far this season.
(09/08/12 2:47am)
After much of the onslaught on the goal came from the Hoosiers in their last matchup on Sunday, the same did not ring true for the Hoosiers Friday night.
(09/07/12 4:42am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This weekend, the IU men’s soccer team (3-0-1) travels to South Bend to compete in the Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament at Notre Dame. The competition featured will be the highest-ranked the Hoosiers have played thus far in the regular season. Each of the four teams participating in the tournament — Notre Dame, IU, Akron and Oregon State — is undefeated.According to the NSCAA Coaches’ poll, Notre Dame is currently 17, with IU and Akron at No. 10 and six, respectively.Indiana will face Akron at 5 p.m. Friday before going against Oregon State at 11:30 a.m. Sunday.This will be the first time the Hoosiers have met Akron since they were defeated by the Zips in Novemeber 2010 in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship. That game ended with a 2-1 Akron win.“Akron has always been a big name ever since we started our college careers here,” IU senior goalkeeper Luis Soffner said. “We know they are one of the top programs in the country right now. However, frankly put, we feel we’re one of the same, so we know it will be a good game.”IU Coach Todd Yeagley said he knows Akron Coach Caleb Porter, in his last season with the Zips before becoming coach of the MLS’ Portland Timbers, very well. The two played together for a year at Indiana and eventually coached together under Yeagley’s father, Jerry.Porter took the head-coaching job at Akron, and Yeagley went to Wisconsin before returning to Indiana. “He’s a very intense guy,” Yeagley said. “His intensity makes their team play with a lot of edge, and we have to match that. They are going to be very prepared because Porter will have them very revved up and motivated.”Akron features seven different scorers this season. Eric Stevenson and Scott Caldwell lead the team with three points each. Both have one goal and one assist.Because both teams are so close in the national polls, a win would most likely mean going ahead of the other in the standings.Momentum and bragging rights will also be at stake Friday night.“The very beginning of the season has been a good test for us so far,” Soffner said. “But I feel that it has all been building up for this Akron game. This is going to be a really good opponent, and I know that we are just excited to get up there and take them on.”No matter what happens Friday, the Hoosiers will gear back up Sunday morning to begin the last day of the tournament.The Hoosiers face an undefeated Oregon State team that has shut out two opponents this regular season with scores of 4-0, 6-0 and 2-2. The Beavers also played to a 2-1 loss against the Timbers in an exhibition match.The Beavers are led by sophomore forward Khiry Shelton with three goals so far this season.No matter what comes their way, Soffner said he believes the Hoosiers are ready.“This week, we have really been focusing on a team effort,” Soffner said. “We win as a team and lose as a team — more importantly, defend as a team and score as a team. From front to back, if everyone does their job together, then no one can really get through us.”
(09/04/12 2:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Heading into this weekend’s adidas/IU Credit Union Classic, the IU men’s soccer team stood undefeated, having given up a single goal thus far in the regular season.After the team’s two games in the Classic last weekend, the record remains true.The Hoosiers continued to shut out opponents with a 3-0 win against Clemson on Friday night followed by a 0-0 draw against San Diego State on Sunday afternoon.The Hoosiers had few difficulties finishing their scoring chances Friday against the Tigers. The first goal came in the first two minutes from a throw-in by junior midfielder Nikita Kotlov to the head of sophomore forward Eriq Zavaleta. Zavaleta used his height and body to muscle his way between two defenders and get a head on the long throw.“Nikita threw a perfect ball in, and throw-in passes are tough to finish because you are not facing the goal,” Zavaleta said. “But just a good ball into the box in general, whether it be from the hands or the feet, is what I’m looking for.”After the half ended with IU ahead 1-0, the Hoosiers came back on the pitch looking for a buffer, which was found from freshman forward Kyle Sparks as he clinched his first collegiate regular season goal.Sparks earned his first goal in a rebound from freshman forward Femi Hollinger-Janzen’s shot directly into the keeper’s chest.Senior goalkeeper Luis Soffner said the team poked fun at the freshman following the game.“Sparks has been working since day one,” Soffner said. “Finally he got a shot in the spring and made some goals, but we were joking with him after he made tonight’s goal that you don’t get your first official one until it’s the regular season.”Following Sparks’ goal, sophomore midfielder Dylan Lax committed a foul on a late challenge and was given a yellow card. Trainers and other medical personnel attended to the injured Ian Smith of Clemson. After Smith was taken off the field, the referee changed the ruling to a straight red card, ejecting Lax from the game.Not to be shaken, IU scored a third goal late in the second half from Zavaleta. While playing a man down, Zavaleta picked off a rebound and added the third and final goal.As the showers from Hurricane Isaac reached Bloomington Sunday, so did the kickoff for the San Diego State match.On Friday against Clemson, IU converted its chances. But on Sunday, despite outshooting the Aztecs 29 to 10, the Hoosiers failed to convert a single goal.“You hope with 19 corners that you generate good chances,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. “Some of those might be second chances. I didn’t think our second chance spacing on corner or restarts was that good today.”Despite picking up second chance opportunities, Yeagley was pleased with his defensive unit’s ability to control the game and keep on the pressure.“Sure, we need to find a way to get a result, but I’ve been on a lot of benches where you get undisciplined after so much control and give up a goal,” Yeagley said. “I was proud to say that we did not lose discipline or focus.”The Hoosier defense has been strong lately, conceding only one goal in 380 minutes of play. The Hoosiers have shut out their last three opponents.Despite being unable to score thus far in the season, the freshman forward Andrew Oliver said he saw more of the ball and had better opportunities against San Diego State.“I definitely had an improvement today,” Oliver said. “I had a rough start not being able to find my offensive placement, but today I just had something, and I just got into it."The freshman said the atmosphere of playing at home may have made the difference.“It’s exciting to have the crowd behind you and have family getting to come down,” Oliver said. “Yeagley Field is just an awesome environment with such a great feeling to it.”Despite the draw, the Hoosiers remain undefeated heading into their matchup with Akron, their first ranked opponent, Friday. Yeagley told his players not to get down on themselves with a draw.“When the team you are playing against cheers after a draw, that is a compliment,” Yeagley said. “I told the guys that. Them cheering as they walk off the field is a compliment to you.”
(09/01/12 4:03am)
From the get-go Friday night's game against Clemson looked as if it would be a little, ironic. In a game that eventually landed the Hoosiers 3-0 this season the outcome coincidentally ended in a 3-0 victory.