Hoosier Army
The Hooiser Army is a group of devoted followers of the IU soccer team. See what the team says about the army and how they change the game.
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The Hooiser Army is a group of devoted followers of the IU soccer team. See what the team says about the army and how they change the game.
Members of the Hoosier Army cheer on the IU men's soccer team.
Sophomore defender Matt McKain stretches Monday after practice. McKain is one of three local players on the team including Dylan Lax from Columbus, Ind., and Caleb Konstanski from Bloomington.
Assistant coach Brian Maisonneuve runs off the practice field Monday. Maisonneuve is a former IU player. He was also a member of the 1998 USA World Cup team.
After a successful 2011 campaign which the team saw a NCAA Championship, the IU Athletics announced the 2012 schedule for its water polo team.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU football player Darius Willis didn’t break any NCAA eligibility rules when he performed at a professional wrestling event Sept. 24, the IU Compliance Office said.Last week, IU Coach Kevin Wilson was asked whether Willis’s performance — at the Infinity Pro Wrestling event held at the National Guard Armory — was an NCAA eligibility violation.“I don’t know,” Wilson said, pursing his lips. “That’d be something for compliance to ask, which would be interesting.”Ian Rickerby, IU’s assistant athletic director for compliance, said he would be happy to answer questions about Willis’s eligibility. Before an interview could be scheduled, Associate Director of Media Relations Jeff Keag told the IDS that Rickerby would respond to questions by e-mail and to send Keag all questions which he would pass along to Rickerby.As to whether or not Willis’s performance at the pro wrestling event is against any NCAA rules, Rickerby responded “As of this current time, no.”The IDS also asked whether Willis’s appearance violated Part 1 Section 2 a2 and a3 of the Summary of NCAA Regulations for Division I athletes, which state:“You are not eligible for participation in a sport if you have ever (2) Agreed (orally or in writing) to compete in professional athletics in that sport. (3) Played on any professional athletics team as defined by the NCAA in that sport.”Rickerby’s email response to the question was “No — different sport.”The NCAA did not respond to an email by deadline as to the definition of “competing in a professional athletics sport” and “playing on any professional athletics team.” Infinity Pro Wrestling contact Don Lechien confirmed that Willis had not been paid for his first pro wrestling appearance.Keag declined an IDS interview request with Willis. Coach Wilson said last week that Willis is likely done playing for the rest of the season due to his injury.Willis is scheduled to appear at another Infinity Pro Wrestling in November.
Indiana vs. Penn State
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Before he fired IU’s beloved basketball coach, before he promoted gender equality, before he won IU’s collegiate cycling race, Clarence Doninger won a trip to see an IU football game.That was about 1950. Sixty years later, Doninger doesn’t remember the score, but he knows IU won.It was then that he fell in love with the campus, the school and the athletic program.“It was the ideal place to go,” Doninger said.Through years of titles and trials, friendships and firings, Doninger’s time as an IU basketball player and a former athletic director will be honored. On Friday, he will be one of six contemporary inductees of the 30th class inducted into the IU Athletics Hall of Fame.“He’s the quintessential gentleman for this era,” IU Athletics Director Fred Glass said. “He’s just such a gentleman and so kind and civil and thoughtful. As you dig beneath the surface, you find out what a competitor he is ... I admire that combination and I hope I can emulate his approach because I think he did a great job.”In the 1950s, Bloomington was such an ideal place to Doninger that he decided to stay in school for seven years, starting in 1953 with a bachelor’s degree and finishing with a law degree by 1960.During that time, Doninger was the freshman and sophomore student body president and a member of Sigma Nu fraternity. By the time he was a senior, he was student body president, a member of the IU men’s basketball team and a part of the Sigma Nu Little 500 championship team.“I had very little free time because I was also working and I was involved in campus politics,” Doninger. “It was a busy time in my life but a very interesting time.”That interesting time included when he was cut by legendary IU Coach Branch McCracken his sophomore year, then helped the team to a co-Big Ten championship that season.Or when he helped IU Coach Bob Knight 22 years before he fired him.“In 1979, Bob Knight was the coach of the Pan Am team and had gotten in a little trouble down there with a police officer,” Doninger said. “I’m the one who went down who tried to sort things out.”In 1991, then-IU Athletics Director Ralph Floyd passed away. At 55 years old, the University approached Donginger with the position.“I originally had indicated I didn’t want to do it,” Doninger said. “I was right in the height of my legal career.”But Doninger said he loved Bloomington, IU Athletics and volunteering at the University too much. He eventually accepted the position.He served as IU’s athletics director from 1991 to 2001, collecting 27 Big Ten regular season or tournament championships, winning two NCAA team titles in men’s soccer and adding four women’s varsity sports to the department: water polo, field hockey, soccer and rowing.“We had to tighten our belts to do it,” Doninger said. “You add four sports and that’s a lot. See, some schools cut on the men’s sports end. We didn’t do that. We wanted to have the good balance. We kept the men’s sports and the women’s sports we already had and added those four.“I joke about this. My daughter was a scholarship tennis player there. She graduated the year before I started and my wife taught tennis here in Indianapolis for over 20 years, so I had to be involved in gender equity or my wife and daughter would never have forgiven me.”But they were stressful times. This was the Bobby Knight era.On Sept. 10, 2000, Doninger had to say goodbye to the friend he had saved in Puerto Rico and the coach whose methods would no longer be tolerated at the University. Doninger admitted 11 years later that there were times when being athletics director was beyond frustrating.“Yes and ... yeah,” Doninger said as he carefully constructed his response. “The answer is ... in running a program, everybody has to work together, and that was difficult.”The man who handled more than can fit in one article said he doesn’t regret a moment.“Even though some of it was very stressful, I loved the whole thing and I wouldn’t trade it,” Doninger said. “No, the answer is no. In fact, I’m just sorry it all ended.”
Goalkeeper Lindsay Campbell watches as her team defense the ball from outside the 18 during Friday's game against Iowa. Campbell, now a senior, suffered a concussion her sophomore year.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Injured IU running back Darius Willis did not clear his professional wrestling appearance last Saturday with the IU football department, IU Coach Kevin Wilson said.The coach briefly answered questions about his junior player at a media availability event inside the North End Zone on Wednesday.Willis made an unannounced appearance Saturday night at the National Guard Armory in Bloomington.It was announced to the crowd that No. 28 was present, and Willis eventually took to the ring. He performed a flying shoulder tackle at an Infinity Pro Wrestling eventwhile his team was losing in Denton, Texas .Willis will wrestle again in November.On Tuesday, the head coach acknowledged that his junior running back is not currently playing due to a nagging knee injury from 2010.On Wednesday, Wilson gave more insight as to whether he knew of Willis’s pro wrestling event prior to IU’s game.His response was short, yet clear.“No,” Wilson said, as he lifted his white IU hat and ran his hand through hisbrown hair.The coach confirmed Willis is still on scholarship.“He’s on the team,” Wilson said. “He’s not medically allowed to play. We’re going through the process to see if he can be declared a medical hardship, which means he can no longer play.” As for whether an amateur college athlete entering a professional wrestling event is against NCAA eligibility requirements, Wilson slightly shrugged his shoulders. He stepped away from the circle of media crowded around him,as he said, “I don’t know.”
Sophomore defender Matt McKain spikes a soccer ball after practice. McKain was a member of the Columbus North boys volleyball team in high school.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>One scores goals. The other stops them.Together, midfielder Alec Purdie and goalkeeper Luis Soffner have combined forces to bring the Hoosiers — a team that was 5-3 this time last year, a team that in the offseason lost its leading goal scorer to MLS — to No. 7 ranking without dropping a match. The last time the Hoosiers started eight games without a loss, they ended up in the finals of the 1997 national championship game, losing 1-0 to UCLA in triple overtime.It’s been seven years since the last ring, and members of this team have said multiple times this year they are in search of the eighth.They took a step toward that with the Penn State win Friday.Both Purdie and Soffner were honored as Big Ten Players of the Week on Monday for their efforts in that game.Purdie earned his second Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors after he netted the only goal of IU’s victory against No. 16 Penn State. The senior leads the team with five goals.The goalkeeper said he was happy with the performance of his teammate.“Alec’s scored some pretty clutch goals for us so far,” Soffner said. “He’s obviously done a majority of our scoring for us this year but that Friday night goal was incredible. ... The defense is happy, especially me, that he stepped up and kind of took charge.”Soffner also earned his second Big Ten Player of the Week honors. His net has been untouchable in the last three games. He’s made 33 saves on the season and the Penn State victory recorded his fourth season shutout.“Luis has come so far within this past year,” Purdie said. “He’s improved in so many aspects of the game — communication, leadership, everything back there. He’s been solid for us, so it’s no surprise that he won another. Right now he’s just confident and he’s going to keep building on that, too.”The team has now totaled six Big Ten Player of the Week honors in four weeks: Soffner (Aug. 29), Eric Zavaleta (Sept. 5), Purdie (Sept. 12), Tommy Meyer (Sept. 19) and now Purdie and Soffner again.No other Big Ten soccer program has more than two Player of the Week honors, with Penn State, Northwestern and Ohio State all tied at two. Wisconsin has had one award.Soffner said he thinks Indiana compiling these honors shows the rest of the Big Ten that Indiana soccer is looking for one thing: wins. “We don’t want to put the awards over team results, but I think maybe other teams are starting to see,” Soffner said. “It might give (other Big Ten teams) a little something that, ‘Yeah, Indiana is playing really well and they’re playing really well as a team.’ ... The recognition is obviously there and it’s nice to see, but I think our overall record is the thing that’s really going to speak the loudest.”Six wins. No losses. Two ties — both to ranked opponents.It speaks of an Indiana soccer squad that Soffner said is enjoying all the hype.“It feels incredible,” Soffner said. “That crowd that we had on Friday night is probably one of the biggest crowds we’ve had since I’ve been here and probably one of the most rowdy. We love having all the fan support now with the Hoosier Army. ... We’re going to keep up the success. It feels really good that Indiana soccer is starting to be recognized around campus.”Soffner earned his fourth shutout of the season against Penn State. The article formerly said Northwestern. The IDS regrets this error.
Christian Watford speaks during a media availability Thursday at Assembly Hall.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>While the IU football team played North Texas, losing 24-21, injured running back Darius Willis competed in a different arena back in Bloomington when he helped professional wrestler PJB take down his opponent with a flying shoulder tackle.Willis said he had long wanted to be around pro wrestling.“I’ve just always wanted to be around it, wanted to come watch it,” Willis said Saturday after the match. “It was just something I wanted. I always watched wrestling and just wanted to go out and give it a try and see how it is.”Even though PJB said Willis wasn’t paid for the event, it’s unknown if the IU football player cleared his appearance with anyone in the IU Athletics Department.During an Infinity Pro Wrestling event at the National Guard Armory beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday, the announcer told the crowd an IU football player was in the house.“The former star running back, ladies and gentleman, Darius Willis,” the announcer said to cheers. Two young boys jumped out of their chairs with their hands raised in victory.Willis stood in a gray IU football cutoff shirt — a white No. 28, his roster number, ironed onto the back. He joined the announcer in the ring when professional wrestler Austin Manix, in a black pair of tights with knee-high black boots, entered the ring. Manix provoked Willis by calling the star running back out for not playing due to an aggravated knee injury.“I’ve been wrestling two months with a torn ligament in my left knee because that’s what real men do,” Manix said. “You, Darius, you’re just a little bitch.”Willis just stared into Manix’s eyes. Manix kicked Willis, and he fell to the mat. Boos filled the air until PJB ran to the mat and helped Willis out of the ring. Willis slung his left arm around PJB’s neck.Later in the evening, Austin Manix and PJB took the ring for their bout.Manix was announced first, walking out to more boos.But when PJB walked through the blue and red curtains, signifying fire and ice, he was followed by Willis.The crowd began to cheer.Willis followed the professional wrestler around the ring giving high fives to members of the audience.PJB and Manix began their match, and Willis stood in one of the corners.The IU running back slammed his open hand on the mat to cheer on PJB, a friend of his since a few years ago.He lifted his arms to raise the crowd noise when PJB looked to be defeating Manix.But when PJB and the referee were both taken down, Manix peered above them with his back to the corner that Willis stood near.That’s when Willis hoisted himself in the ring. As he stood up, he tore off his gray cutoff and flung it to his right and into the first row seats of the crowd.Manix turned around. Willis, with both feet firmly planted, launched himself toward Manix, catching him right below the neck and taking him to the mat with a flying shoulder tackle.“It meant a lot to me that he was there,” PJB said. “He’s a real good friend. One of the reasons we became friends was because we both liked pro wrestling and have a passion for it. For him to be in the ring, it was like it came full circle.”Cheers exploded. Willis clenched his fists as he flexed his muscles and screamed. Manix and PJB both lifted themselves to their feet. Manix stumbled around and PJB picked him up between the legs before dropping him to the ring with his finishing move — ‘All She Wrote.’The referee raised his right hand and dropped it to the mat to start the final count.One. Two. Three.The crowd rose to its feet.Willis has seen a crowd on its feet before. Although he hasn’t played a minute in his junior season, Willis was one of the main running backs on the 2010 team. The IDS was told last week from a source close to the situation that Willis would not be returning this season due to a nagging injury. IU Coach Kevin Wilson has not completely ruled out the 2011 season for Willis and said he doesn’t know if his running back is out for the season.Willis isn’t the only injured player who was left back in Bloomington while the team was in Denton, Texas. Senior wide receiver Damarlo Belcher also did not take the away trip due to an undisclosed injury.Since Willis was always playing in Saturday games, he was never able to make it to any of PJB’s matches. He settled for watching the post-match videos on YouTube. “I just wanted to get out of the house and go watch it,” Willis said. “Otherwise, I’d be inside playing video games all night.”Although he missed the start of the game against the Mean Green, Willis said he watched the end of the “disappointing” loss. He said he used the professional wrestling match as a way to cope with not being in Denton.“Football never dies,” Willis said. “I think about it 24/7.”As for a future in the professional wrestling ring, Willis said he wasn’t sure.“I don’t know,” Willis said. “We’ll see what happens in the future.”
While the IU football team lost to North Texas 24-21, injured IU running back Darius Willis got the chance to wrestle.
While the IU football team played in North Texas, losing 24-21, injured running back Darius Willis helped a different kind of team win, when he helped professional wrestler PJB take down his opponent with a flying shoulder tackle.
While the IU football team played in North Texas, losing 24-21, injured running back Darius Willis helped a different kind of team win, when he helped professional wrestler PJB take down his opponent with a flying shoulder tackle.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The winning tradition began in 1982 with a coach, a forward and a national title.Almost 30 years later, that winning tradition is still growing with the sons of the 1982 coach and forward.Senior defender Tommy Meyer smiled as he stretched on the grass of the practice field after a two-hour practice. It’s the same grass he used to kick a ball across as a kid when he came with his dad, Keith, to watch IU play.Sometimes Tommy’s soccer ball would roll across that grass to the kick wall for the entire match.“I don’t even think I watched games when I came here,” he said. “I was always over here playing.”His time around IU soccer started well before that kick wall and those trips with his dad. It started in his backyard — knocking the ball around with Keith, a two-time IU national champion forward on the men’s soccer team and one of two former IU players who have played in four national championships.“When we were coming to trips here, he’d always bring me along,” Tommy Meyer said. “So, I was around this environment a lot when I was younger. All my uncles, they played soccer too, so I just grew up with soccer.”Before Tommy wore the cream and crimson, IU Coach Todd Yeagley saw him with his dad at alumni events and games, where he met IU soccer players and fans through the years.He’s learned from those who treat the seven stars with honor.“Tommy has been around stories,” Todd Yeagley said. “He’s been around these people his whole life. I think that’s what allowed Tommy to come into this program and have a real sense of pride, to help continue the tradition and put his own legacy on it.”The Tommy Meyer legacy includes 64 starts in 66 career games and a current 5-0-2 team. It doesn’t include any rings, yet.But he’s in search of a championship. He’s got one season left to get that eighth star.“It all starts with the team,” Keith said. “He’s got to be a team player. He’s got to be a leader. From a winning standpoint, it’s a team environment. You’ve got to come to play every day and enjoy it and have the confidence that when he and the team go on the field, they’re not going to lose ... So far, so good.”To be a team player, to have pride in the jersey — it’s all the teaching of 1982 coach Jerry Yeagley. He, too, has watched Tommy grow as a man, a player and a fierce competitor.“Tommy has lived IU soccer all his life, and he is now enjoying it at the level I hoped he would,” Jerry Yeagley said while watching afternoon practice from his car. “You can’t win championships and you can’t be a championship-caliber team without defending.“The old saying is defense wins championships and very honestly, since Tommy was a freshman, sophomore, and even last year, defending was not a consistent part of the team, both individually and collectively. So far, this year it has been, without question, the strength.”Eleven games remain before the road to that next title, and until then, Tommy and his Hoosier teammates are going to keep doing what they’re doing to reach that eighth star.“We’re working on it,” he said. “I think we’re off to a good start.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The winning tradition began in 1982 with a coach, a forward and a national title.Almost 30 years later, that winning tradition is still growing with the sons of the 1982 coach and forward.Senior defender Tommy Meyer smiled as he stretched on the grass of the practice field after a two-hour practice. It’s the same grass he used to kick a ball across as a kid when he came with his dad, Keith, to watch IU play.Sometimes Tommy’s soccer ball would roll across that grass to the kick wall for the entire match.“I don’t even think I watched games when I came here,” he said. “I was always over here playing.”His time around IU soccer started well before that kick wall and those trips with his dad.It started in his backyard — knocking the ball around with Keith, a two-time IU national champion forward on the men’s soccer team and one of two former IU players who have played in four national championships.“When we were coming to trips here, he’d always bring me along,” Tommy Meyer said. “So, I was around this environment a lot when I was younger. All my uncles, they played soccer too, so I just grew up with soccer.”Before Tommy wore the cream and crimson, IU Coach Todd Yeagley saw him with his dad at alumni events and games, where he met IU soccer players and fans through the years.He’s learned from those who treat the seven stars with honor.“Tommy has been around stories,” Todd Yeagley said. “He’s been around these people his whole life. I think that’s what allowed Tommy to come into this program and have a real sense of pride, to help continue the tradition and put his own legacy on it.”The Tommy Meyer legacy includes 64 starts in 66 career games and a current 5-0-2 team. It doesn’t include any rings, yet.But he’s in search of a championship. He’s got one season left to get that eighth star.“It all starts with the team,” Keith said. “He’s got to be a team player. He’s got to be a leader. From a winning standpoint, it’s a team environment. You’ve got to come to play every day and enjoy it and have the confidence that when he and the team go on the field, they’re not going to lose ... So far, so good.”To be a team player, to have pride in the jersey — it’s all the teaching of 1982 coach Jerry Yeagley. He, too, has watched Tommy grow as a man, a player and a fierce competitor.“Tommy has lived IU soccer all his life, and he is now enjoying it at the level I hoped he would,” Jerry Yeagley said while watching afternoon practice from his car. “You can’t win championships and you can’t be a championship-caliber team without defending.“The old saying is defense wins championships and very honestly, since Tommy was a freshman, sophomore, and even last year, defending was not a consistent part of the team, both individually and collectively. So far, this year it has been, without question, the strength.”Eleven games remain before the road to that next title, and until then, Tommy and his Hoosier teammates are going to keep doing what they’re doing to reach that eighth star.“We’re working on it,” he said. “I think we’re off to a good start.”
Tommy Meyer