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(10/03/05 5:08am)
It had been 322 days, 12 games and a national championship win since the IU men's soccer team last tasted defeat before this weekend's matches. \nThe Hoosiers walked away from Friday's matchup with Penn State with their first loss of the season and their streak broken after a 2-1 overtime loss. \nThe Hoosiers jumped out to a 1-0 lead thanks to a Penn State scoring in their own goal 12 minutes into the game. Junior Josh Tudela made a run on the left flank and made a cross that a Nittany Lion defender deflected into the net.\nPenn State tied the game three minutes later on a goal from freshman forward Jason Yeisley, the first goal IU has allowed that hasn't been from a restart.\nThe Hoosiers had a chance to end the game in regulation, with five more shots and 12 more corner kicks than Penn State. The Hoosiers' best chance to score came when senior forward Brian Plotkin had a penalty kick but missed it as the second half was coming to an end.\nThe Hoosiers played in their second overtime game of the Big Ten season when regulation ended in a 1-1 tie. Six minutes into the first overtime period, Yeisley silenced the Hoosier fans by scoring his second goal.\n"One of the player's parents mentioned to me how quiet this place got when Penn State scored," IU coach Mike Freitag said. "I haven't had that feeling in a long time and I didn't like it. We aren't going to have that feeling for a long time."\nThe loss to the Nittany Lions dropped IU's Big Ten record to 0-1-1, putting the Hoosiers in 3rd place in the conference. \nThe Hoosiers rebounded Sunday, led by two goals apiece from senior forward Mike Ambersley and freshman forward Kevin Noschang in a 5-0 win against IU-Purdue University Indianapolis. \nThe Hoosiers started the game off slowly, creating few scoring chances in the early going. Ambersley opened the scoring for the Hoosiers, netting his second goal of the season 21 minutes into the game. After missing his initial shot, Ambersely regained possession and put the ball past IUPUI goalkeeper Drew Deffner to give the Hoosiers a 1-0 lead.\n"It was a great ball from (Jordan) Chirico," Ambersley said. "We made eye contact and he played a good ball. I kinda duffed the first shot but luckily it came back to me and I put it past the keeper."\nThe Hoosiers wasted little time scoring their second goal as Noschang scored the first goal of his collegiate career five minutes after the Ambersely strike. Junior defender Jed Zayner passed the ball to freshman Lee Nguyen who found Noschang running toward goal. The Hoosiers went into halftime with a 2-0 lead.\n"It felt good to get my first goals at IU," Noschang said. "I thought they would come sooner in the season, but it was worth the wait."\nThe Hoosiers did not let up after halftime. Even by playing many reserves, they still scored three goals. Ambersley and Noschang each added their second goals of the match in a five minute stretch early in the second half. After leading IU in scoring during the spring season, Noschang notched his first two goals of the season for the Hoosiers.\n"Kevin is going to score a lot of goals here at IU," Freitag said. "He continues to grow as a player. He works hard at practice and he has the one thing I'm not good at teaching -- speed."\nJunior midfielder Kevin Robson rounded out the scoring for the Hoosiers on a penalty shot with less than a minute remaining. IU out-shot the Jaguars 28-2 and had a 9-1 advantage on corner kicks.\nThe way the Hoosiers came back after losing a close game pleased Freitag. \n"I told the guys we got to get back to winning ways," he said. "We have to find ways to win. Friday we let one slip away, but today we were able to get the win"
(09/26/05 5:05am)
A sizeable crowd showed up to support the Hoosiers despite the rain at Bill Armstrong Stadium Sunday. While most of the 1,410 fans were huddling under umbrellas or wearing ponchos, the IU student section, nicknamed "The Superfans," did not let rain hamper its enthusiasm for the Hoosiers.\n"A championship program deserves championship-like fans," junior Superfan John Fischer said. "The only way we will get another championship is if we get the fans out here every single game, regardless of the weather. The fans have to be here if we are going to win."\nThe Hoosiers have a history of large crowds at their games. Since the NCAA began tracking soccer attendance in 2001, IU is only one of two schools that has averaged more than 2,000 fans per game. IU led the nation in average attendance last season after leading in total attendance in 2003. So far this season, IU has averaged more than 3,000 fans per game and has had two games where attendance broke the 4,000 mark.
(09/26/05 5:03am)
A steady downpour at Armstrong Stadium put a damper on the IU men's soccer team as the Hoosiers tied Michigan State 0-0 in the opening game of their Big Ten campaign. \nThe No. 1 Hoosiers moved to 4-0-2 on the season and 0-0-1 in the Big Ten. After a slow start, the Hoosiers had several chances to score, but they could not convert any of their 27 shots during the game.\n"I thought we got stronger as the game went on, but we came out a little slow," IU head coach Mike Freitag said. "I would like to have seen us not waste the game. If we played like we did at the end of the game, I think we would have walked away with a victory."\nRight before the final buzzer sounded, senior midfielder Brian Plotkin launched a desperation shot from the sideline, 25 yards out. At first, the shot seemed like it would sail harmlessly over the goal, but it began to sink as it drew nearer before nailing the crossbar. Plotkin's shot symbolized the entire afternoon for the Hoosiers: a great attempt, but just not good enough for a goal.\n"Time was running out, so I just looked up and kicked it," Plotkin said. "For a second or two, I thought maybe I had it, but it just didn't go."\nIU dominated the stat sheet, outshooting the Spartans 27-7. While the Hoosiers had plenty of chances to score, their best opportunities came during the second overtime period. When an apparent Spartan foul in the box went uncalled, the IU bench exploded, pleading for a penalty shot with six minutes remaining in the final overtime period. The Hoosiers rallied from the no-call to get six scoring opportunities in the final minutes. Freshman forward Lee Nguyen had four shots within 20 yards, but failed to score as the overtime progressed.\n"Outplaying them the way we did today, it's kind of frustrating," Plotkin said. "That's the name of the game; sometimes you can outplay the other team and not get the result you want."\nThe IU defense preserved the tie after the offense was shut out for the first time in 17 games. The Hoosier defense, which entered the contest having the 10th best goals against average in the nation (.47), only allowed one shot on goal as they claimed their fifth shutout of the season. The best Spartan opportunity came toward the end of regulation when the ball bounced around behind IU goalkeeper Chris Munroe before junior defender Jed Zayner cleared it from danger.\n"We are very pleased to get another shutout," Zayner said. "We were lucky, but we created our own luck. I am very proud of our defense."\nThe last defeat for the Hoosiers came at the hands of the Spartans, who knocked IU out of last season's Big Ten Tournament. Since that game last year, the Hoosiers have gone on an 11-game unbeaten streak. As the Big Ten season continues the Hoosiers will look to extend another streak -- IU has been the Big Ten regular season champion or co-champion for nine consecutive seasons. Although a tie is not the best way to start a title defense, Freitag was happy with the way his team finished the game.\n"I'm proud the way we played all the way through the very end," Freitag said. "It's one thing I keep telling the guys is to play to the very end. You never know what's going to happen"
(09/23/05 5:16am)
The scene: IU trails Oregon State 2-1, seven minutes left.\nThe stakes: With a loss, the Hoosiers lose their No. 1 ranking.\nAnd then it happened.\nFreshman Lee Nguyen receives a pass 30 yards out and begins barreling toward the goal. Two OSU defenders converge on The Kid, and one is able to deflect the ball into the air. In one fluid motion, Nguyen chests the ball back to the ground, splits the two defenders, chips a shot off the short hop and watches it sail over the approaching keeper.\nThe game is tied, the Hoosiers win the tourney and retain their No. 1 ranking. All in a day's work for the reigning National High School Player of the Year.\nAfter his breakout weekend at the Oregon State Classic, the Big Ten honored the freshman forward by naming him Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. After two weekends of scoreless play, Nguyen finally tallied his first career point with an assist to junior forward Jacob Peterson Sept. 16 against No. 16 California State University, Northridge.\n"Lee had been finding me a lot during play, but I couldn't finish," Peterson said. "I'm glad I was able to score one of those he gave me."\nNguyen wasted little time getting back on the score sheet when he notched his first career goal ten minutes after his assist to Peterson. Nguyen followed the Cal-State, Northridge, game with another one goal, one assist performance against Oregon State. \nThe Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week accolade is Nguyen's first taste of collegiate sports recognition, but he is certainly no stranger to the spotlight.\nNguyen is the reigning National Gatorade Boys Soccer High School Player of the Year, playing for Plano East High School in Richardson, Texas. Parade Magazine named him as part of its All-American squad two years in a row, and Nguyen led his high school team to its first state tournament berth in school history. Adding to his resume, Nguyen was the only high school player to be named to the USA U-20 roster for the 2005 FIFA World Championship in Holland. In 11 appearances for the U-20 national team, Nguyen scored two goals and had one assist. Playing in such prestigious events helped prepare him for the transition to Big Ten college soccer.\n"It is something you cherish for the rest of your life," Nguyen said. "Not many people get the chance to do that. I learned a lot playing against top professionals."\nPeterson represented the only other Hoosier on the U-20 World Championship team. Playing in Holland gave Nguyen and Peterson time to form a relationship on and off the field. The time the two scorers spent overseas helped ease Nguyen's jump from high school to collegiate soccer.\n"The soccer is so much faster here in Division I because everyone here can play," Nguyen said. "Playing with Jake all summer before I came here, he made me believe I can do whatever I wanted. He made me feel real comfortable."\nNguyen has made an immediate impact on the Hoosier offense that only scored 1.8 goals per game last season. IU is currently averaging three goals per game, including two five-goal games. The team didn't score five goals in any single game last year.\n"He is the type of player that can create," IU head coach Mike Freitag said. "That is why we recruited him. We knew he was special, and he has some special offensive creativity and effectiveness a team needs. We are glad we have him."\nWhile the individual awards have -- and will most likely continue to -- come for Nguyen, he is searching for some hardware his elder teammates already have: a national championship ring.\n"We are working towards another national championship," Nguyen said. "That is on our minds right now, so we are taking it one game at a time."\nAll in a day's work for The Kid.
(09/22/05 4:47am)
Last Saturday started out like a normal fall Saturday for me. I rolled out of bed, jumped on the couch and turned on College Gameday in anticipation for the upcoming slate of football games later in the day. While opening the morning Indianapolis Star, a headline disgusted me more than watching the IU football team try to defend the triple option: "IU proposal: Students pay more, get less."\nAfter reading the article, I am more convinced than ever that the athletics department does not care about the students who currently attend IU. While many people will be pleased to see the $30 athletics fee waived, the alternatives proposed by IU Athletics Director Rick Greenspan should anger the student body.\nFirst and foremost -- cutting 500 student basketball tickets? They have to be kidding. Monday's Indiana Daily Student said the athletics department cites data that show IU students get more tickets to basketball games than any other school in the Big Ten. \nThis may be true, but look at the quality of the tickets we get compared to other schools in our conference. Michigan State's Izzone, Illinois' Orange Crush and Michigan's Maize Craze student sections are all located right on the court to create an advantage when playing at home. While those student sections are really exciting to be a part of, we are stuck in the balcony, or even worse, in the top 10 or so rows, which I call "The Cave." I mean, you can't even see the scoreboard from those seats. Meanwhile, most of the best seats in the house are occupied by old people who only get off their butts when the cheerleaders wave flags during a TV timeout or to boo Mike Davis. \nThe 500 seats the athletics department takes away from us will not be in "the cave," they will be in the few good seats we have on the sideline or even from behind the basket. To sweeten the deal, Greenspan is going to make us pay $4 more for our worse tickets. Geez, thanks.\nThe second horrible idea Greenspan came up with is to charge $4 for soccer, volleyball and wrestling events. The athletics department claims this will bring in $25,000 of additional revenue per year. I think Greenspan and his colleagues need to sit in on an E201 lecture in Wylie Hall -- as prices rise, demand goes down. \nThe athletics department has no one else to blame for the financial mess it faces but itself. Instead of building new practice facilities for the basketball and football teams, money is being wasted on buying out the contracts of fired coaches Cam Cameron and Gerry DiNardo, the changing of the IU logo and the odd "not getting fired" bonus given to Davis this summer after going .500 over two seasons. \nThese poor decisions have alienated donors because they are not confident of how their money is being used. To get future money from donors, the athletics department needs to show it is a better steward of money and that it can make smart decisions like it showed in hiring Coach Hoeppner.\nHep says fans help win games. Having an excited crowd gives any team a home court advantage. The ultimate goal of the athletics department should be to have championship teams. Once that is established, the money will follow. The most vocal and supporting fans at an IU game are the students. Don't alienate us students, Greenspan -- we are the best support you have.
(09/19/05 5:08am)
The IU roster might have changed during the course of a year, but the defending national champs proved they still have the same flare for dramatics in this weekend's Oregon State Diadora Classic in Corvallis, Ore.\nIU shutout No. 16 California State-Northridge 5-0, then dominated the stat sheet for 55 minutes against tournament host Oregon State University, only to trail 2-0. But with 35 minutes remaining, the weekend was far from over.\nJunior forward Jacob Peterson cut the Beavers' lead in half in the 56th minute of play when freshman forward Lee Nguyen redirected a pass from senior midfielder Mike Ambersley to Peterson, who tallied his fifth goal of the season.\n"Lee has been finding me lately and giving me opportunities," Peterson said. "I'm glad I was able to get one for him finally."\nTwenty minutes after the Peterson goal, IU committed a foul in the 18-yard box, which gave Oregon State a penalty kick that would virtually ice the game. Living up to his role in the IU theater, sophomore goalkeeper Chris Munroe made the save to keep IU within one goal.\n"I just tried to guess the right way," Munroe said. "I was lucky he shot it where I dove. I'm just happy we were able to salvage a tie."\nIt didn't take the Hoosiers long to capitalize on the Munroe save when Nguyen continued to escalate his role in a breakout weekend, scoring the equalizer with seven minutes left on the clock. The reigning High School Player of the Year beat two defenders on a streaking run toward the goal, and finished with a floating shot over the head of the Oregon Sate goalkeeper. The 18-year-old's goal went unassisted.\n"I saw that ball and got to it," Nguyen said. "Once I got by the two defenders, all I had to do was lift it over the goalie's head and it was a goal."\nThe Hoosiers had several opportunities to score in the overtime period, but were unable to convert, so the game ended in a 2-2 tie. IU took home its second tournament title of the year as it beat Oregon State in total goals scored during the tournament 7-5. The No. 1 Hoosiers improved their record to 4-0-2 as they head into Big Ten play this coming weekend against Michigan State. Although the game ended in a tie, IU head coach Mike Freitag was happy with the way the team responded when faced with adversity on the road.\n"This was an interesting game once we made a mistake to give them their first goal," Freitag said. "We showed a lot of championship qualities with how we played after falling behind 2-0."\nThe Hoosiers opened the tournament with an offensive explosion, breezing by No. 16 California State University, Northridge 5-0. After a 0-0 first half, junior midfielder Josh Tudela headed home a Nguyen corner kick to open the scoring for IU. Minutes after recording his first collegiate point, Nguyen scored his first goal as a Hoosier on a give-and-go with senior midfielder Brian Plotkin.\n"I finally shot it and it went in," Nguyen said. "It is nice to finally have that out of the way and to move on."\nFellow freshman Brad Ring notched his first collegiate goal three minutes later when he blasted a poor clearance into the back of the net 35 yards from goal. Two IU penalty kicks from Plotkin and junior midfielder John Michael Hayden rounded out the scoring for the Hoosiers who reached the five-goal mark for the second consecutive match.\n"We got a wake-up call this weekend," Freitag said. "Sometimes you can cruise, but we rose to the occasion. I'm very proud of the way we played this weekend"
(09/16/05 5:14am)
The last time junior defender Jed Zayner wore a Hoosier uniform he was celebrating IU's back-to-back national championship last season. \nAfter starting every game last season, Zayner has yet to see action four games into the 2005 season. The Hoosiers have gone 3-0-1 in their stint without their defender, who has to sit out to keep his NCAA eligibility after trying out for professional teams in France.\nZayner was ruled ineligible because the French teams for which he tried out helped pay his expenses following the 2004 national championship. \nOnce he decided to come back to IU, Zayner needed to gain clearance from the NCAA, whose rules say a player must repay the teams to regain amateur status. Zayner is excited to re-enter the Hoosier lineup in the second game of the Diadora Classic this Saturday.\n"I just thank God that I get to play," Zayner said. "The NCAA could have kept me out longer -- five games isn't too bad. I just thank God I can step in and do as well as everyone else has been doing."\nZayner has been a constant fixture in the Hoosier lineup during his first two seasons, starting in all 48 games he has played for IU. Last season he helped lead the Hoosier defense to the seventh best goals against average with .63 goals per game and was named second team All-Big Ten. Zayner assisted on IU's only goal in the national championship game and was a member of the College Cup All-Tournament team. Zayner, along with senior midfielder Brian Plotkin and junior forward Jacob Peterson were named to the preseason Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy watch.\n"Jed is just a quality player," IU head coach Mike Freitag said. "Any time you can add a player like that to your lineup you will be better."\nThe IU defense has been one of the stingiest in the Big Ten, allowing only one goal during the first four games of the season. The insertion of Zayner in the defensive lineup will add experience to the squad.\n"The coaches have instilled in me communication through the years, and I think that's what our team is needing right now," Zayner said. "I can talk from behind and help organize the team before the play \nhappens."\nAlthough the Hoosiers have not lost a game all season and have outscored their opponents 11-1, they are no longer the unanimous No. 1 team in the country. \nAfter placing second in the Mike Berticelli Memorial Classic last weekend with a 1-0-1 record, the Hoosiers maintained their No. 1 ranking in the College Soccer News, SoccerTimes.com and National Soccer Coaches Association of America polls. However, the Hoosiers dropped to No. 2 in TopDrawerSoccer.com and No. 4 in the Soccer America polls.\nThe schedule continues to be difficult for the Hoosiers, who will be playing their fourth ranked team in five games when they take the pitch tonight against No. 16 California State University, Northridge. IU plays host Oregon State University in the second game of the tournament Saturday.\nThe Hoosiers head into the tournament searching for consistent offensive production. IU has had games where it has exploded for four and five goals, and games where they have scored zero and one goal. As the season progresses, so will the offense, Freitag said.\n"Offense takes a little bit longer because it is easier to destroy than to create," Freitag said. "That creativity, it takes a little while for the players to get an understanding of one another and how they work together."\nWhile the addition of Zayner will bring more experience to the Hoosier defense, Freitag hopes they can keep the chemistry that has proven to be successful over the early part of the season.\n"I want to continue to be solid defensively, that's the key," Freitag said. "If we are solid defensively I feel we have enough firepower and offensive creativity to produce chances and goals"
(09/12/05 5:23am)
A hat trick by junior forward Jacob Peterson led the IU men's soccer team to a 5-0 victory over Boston University and a second place finish behind host Notre Dame in the Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament this weekend in South Bend. The No. 1 Hoosiers finished the weekend 1-0-1 after tying Saint Louis last Friday night.\nAfter the IU offense started the weekend slowly, the Hoosiers exploded for five goals in the second game of the tournament. IU wasted little time before notching its first goal against the Terriers when senior midfielder Brian Plotkin sent a through ball to Peterson, setting up a one-on-one situation with Boston goalkeeper Zach Riffett. Peterson slid the ball to the left corner past Riffett's outstretched hands to give the Hoosiers a 1-0 lead 15 minutes into the match.\n"It was nice to get on the score sheet early," Peterson said. "Coach said we needed to be more aggressive so it was nice to get a goal early."\nThe Plotkin-Peterson connection hooked up again 12 minutes later when Peterson was on the finishing end of a Plotkin cross from the right side. Peterson's header from three yards increased the Hoosier lead to 2-0. IU outshot the Terriers 10-2 while dominating possession during the first half.\nThe Hoosiers did not give up once the second half got underway when, 12 minutes into the second frame, Peterson notched his third goal of the match. Junior midfielder Josh Tudela passed the ball back to Peterson, who shot from 18 yards out into the lower left corner of the goal. It was the second career hat trick for the Portage, Mich., native who also scored three goals in one game last season against Michigan State.\nIU extended its lead when freshman Kevin Noschang made a run up the right sideline, cut the ball back and passed it across the box. The Boston goalkeeper deflected the ball to Plotkin, who scored from a yard out. Freshman Billy Weaver rounded out the scoring for the Hoosiers with his first career goal with six minutes remaining. The first five-goal performance for the Hoosiers in two years is motivating to a team who has struggled at times to find the back of the net.\n"We have been doing a lot of stuff really well," Peterson said. "We still need to work on scoring, but today was good."\nThe Hoosiers kicked off the tournament last Friday by playing Saint Louis to a 1-1 tie. The Billikens took a 1-0 halftime lead on a goal from senior midfielder Ryan Wileman. The Hoosiers tied the score 10 minutes into the second half when Noschang took a pass from senior midfielder Mike Ambersley and centered the ball to Peterson, who shot the ball in the right corner from 15 yards out. Peterson, who scored four goals during the weekend, Plotkin and sophomore Greg Stevning were named to the all-tournament team.\n"It was a good feeling," said Noschang of his first career assist. "I'm more happy we tied the game. Jake made a good finish."\nIU improved its record to 3-0-1 after the weekend tournament. IU head coach Mike Freitag said he was happy with the way the team played, but there are things they need to work on heading into next weekend's tournament in Oregon as the No. 1 team in the country. \n"All our opponents are going to play us hard," Freitag said. "It's human nature to take the foot off the pedal, but we can't do that. Champions don't do that and we have to have the attitude of a champion"
(09/05/05 5:16am)
Freshmen receivers Hardy and Marcus Thigpen led all Hoosier receivers with performances of 107 and 92 yards, respectively. Hardy became the first freshman receiver to gain more than 100 yards in a game since Oct. 10, 1998, when Levron Williams racked up 105 yards against Ohio State.\n"We made plays when we had to," IU coach Terry Hoeppner said. "James Hardy. Wow, what a special player he's going to be and was for us tonight."\nBoth receivers scored a touchdown in their first collegiate contest. Hardy followed his 21-yard touchdown reception with a spectacular one-handed grab on a 54-yard pass that set up the second Hoosier touchdown. Thigpen created some magic of his own, scoring a 74-yard touchdown -- the majority of those yards coming after the catch -- that gave the Hoosiers a 20-13 lead. The freshman duo showed they could rise up and play at the Division I level.\n"We had confidence before the game," Hardy said. "We talk about it every day while watching film. We knew this was going to happen."
(09/05/05 5:00am)
For the third consecutive season, the IU men's soccer team captured the season-opening a didas/IU Credit Union Classic. The No. 1 Hoosiers emerged as champions from a field that included three of the top teams in the country -- No. 7 Southern Methodist University, No. 10 Wake Forest and No. 16 Notre Dame. IU won the classic by defeating SMU 4-0 Sunday at Bill Armstrong Stadium on the strength of senior leadership.\n"I was very proud of our seniors all weekend," IU head coach Mike Freitag said. "They have the leadership and the play also to show the younger players, to see how Indiana soccer plays and how we go about things." \nThe Hoosiers controlled their destiny as they entered their second game of the classic against SMU. Wake Forest defeated Notre Dame 1-0 in the morning game, giving every team but IU a loss during the classic. A win would clinch the title for the Hoosiers.\nIU wasted little time scoring against SMU, getting on the scoreboard 12 minutes into the contest. Streaking down the far sideline, senior midfielder Mike Ambersley placed a cross on the head of senior midfielder Brian Plotkin to give the Hoosiers a 1-0 lead. \n"Mikey and I have been combining well in the preseason," Plotkin said. "The ball was there, it was a great service."\nLess than a minute after his goal, Plotkin returned the favor by assisting on an Ambersley goal. As the SMU defense closed in on Plotkin, he turned on the ball and laid it off to Ambersley, who shot the ball past SMU goalkeeper Steve Sandbo to extend the lead to 2-0.\n"I thought the key to this game was that we moved the ball very quickly," said Ambersley. "Once we got that first goal, it was on from there."\nAlthough IU had only a 9-6 advantage on shots in the first half, the quality of shots for the Hoosiers was much higher. Twenty-one minutes into the half, junior midfielder John Michael Hayden finished another Ambersley cross to round out the scoring for the first half.\nThe Hoosiers came out a little slow in the early stages of the second half, but soon regained control of the game when junior midfielder Josh Tudela scored on a 12-yard shot after completing a spin move around a SMU defender. \nThe Hoosiers opened up the season by hosting Wake Forest in front of 4,272 fans. The game was close the entire time until a Plotkin goal broke the 0-0 deadlock with eight minutes remaining in the game. \n"We really didn't know what it was going to take (to score)," Plotkin said. "In the locker room, they kept telling us to keep plugging away, just keep going at the goal to find ways. We were just trying to get the ball to go in."\nPlotkin was awarded the offensive MVP of the classic. Sophomore defender Greg Stevning was named defensive MVP. Freshman forward Lee Nguyen, Plotkin, Tudela and Ambersley represented the Hoosiers on the All-Tournament team.
(08/31/05 5:31am)
A whole summer of work seemed to be crashing down as former IU golfer Jeff Overton stood on the fourth tee in the final pairing of the Walker Cup. Welsh golfer Nigel Edwards had stormed out of the gate to take the first three holes from Overton. Spotting three holes to a three-time Walker Cup verteran, 15 years his senior, put Overton in a seeminly inescapable corner.\nOverton recounts how, after halving the fourth hole, he stole a stroke back with a birdie on the sixth. Overton used his first birdie as fuel for the rest of the match, winning five of the next 10 holes to take a two-hole lead on the 14th. An Edwards birdie on the 15th cut Overton's lead to one. With everyone else waiting in the clubhouse, both players knew the fate of the Walker Cup rested on their final three holes.\nStill tied entering hole 17, Overton's drive found a burried lie in the rough. With little chance of making birdie, Overton said he knew he had to save par to stay ahead.\nHis second shot landed by the green, where Overton described how he made a difficult up and down to save par. Edwards also carded par on the hole, which meant the entire Cup would come down to the final hole.\n"Jeff is a competitor," USA Captain Bob Lewis said in a press conference after the Cup. "He's a great putter. He's got a great short game. You know what, that's what we needed at the end, and that's why (he) was back there."\nOverton and Edwards both reached the par-4 18th in two shots, leaving one thought in\nOverton's head.\n"I told Captain Lewis that I wanted Edwards to hit his 35-foot putt so I could drop (my putt) on him to win the Cup," Overton said. "He told me I should want him to miss, and to focus on hitting the best lag putt I've ever hit."\nOnce Edwards' putt slid past the hole, Lewis again tried to settle Overton down. Overton responded by rolling the ball within inches from the hole. \nAfter an innocent tap-in par, the celebration was on. IU's native son had returned the Walker Cup back to the United States after more than three years.\n"Captain Lewis told me he knew I wanted to make the putt, but I should just hit the lag putt for our country," Overton said.\nAfter ending his collegiate golfing career by capturing the Big Ten Championship, Overton wrapped up his amateur career by clinching the Walker Cup for Team USA Sunday, Aug. 14 at the Chicago Golf Club. The Walker Cup is a team competition that matches up the best amateur golfers from the United States against the best amateurs from Great Britain and Ireland.\nWhile many senior collegiate golfers spent their summers beginning their professional careers, Overton and fellow recent college graduates Michael Putnam, John Holmes, Nick Thompson and Lee Williams dedicated the summer to returning the Walker Cup to the United States.\nThe Walker Cup victory ended an accomplished amateur career for Overton, who won back to back Indiana Amateur titles and last summer made the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur before falling to eventual champion Ryan Moore of University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Overton has also represented the United States at the Fiji Xerox USA vs. Japan Collegiate Cup and in the Porter Cup earlier this summer. The Walker Cup provided Overton with additional experience to smooth the transition to the professional level.\n"The competition level was very high this week," Overton said. "Playing in front of such large galleries is something I am going to face in the next level."\nOverton could not celebrate for long because the organizers of the Buick Championship offered him a sponsor's exemption to play in the Professional Golf Association event. Overton does not have a PGA Tour card, so he can only participate in events this season through qualifying or receiving exemptions.\nOverton had a rough start to his professional career, carding a seven-over-par 77. \nThe next day he played better golf and scored a two-under 68. His 36 hole total of 145 was five strokes below the cut line of even par 140. Although he did not advance to the weekend, Overton looked at his first pro event as a learning experience.\n"I did not know what to expect going into the tournament," Overton said. "Now I know there is no difference in playing out there."\nOverton will spend the rest of the golf season trying to qualify for other events and exemptions. He plans to try to qualify for the PGA Tour this winter at the PGA Qualifying School and try to make his name known at the top level of golf in the world.\nRegardless of how his push for a PGA Tour card pans out this year, he'll always have one weekend in August to look back upon.\n"This was the most unbelievable experience -- it's not describable," Overton said. "Its something you dream about"
(08/29/05 6:47am)
IU coach Mike Freitag used his second different starting lineup in two games as the Hoosiers ended their preseason schedule by defeating University of Illinois-Chicago 2-1 Saturday. \nAfter a year of consistency in the Hoosier lineup, Freitag experimented with several different combinations of players throughout Saturday's match. \n"I just want to find the right starting 11, the right chemistry," Freitag said. "I've kind of been jerking the guys around a little bit because I've been making so many changes."\nA storm made the pitch at Armstrong Stadium unplayable, so the Hoosiers and Flames switched venues to the turf at Memorial Stadium. The wet, packed-down field provided a field of play more comparable to a gym floor than a soccer field, speeding the game up for the Hoosiers.\nAfter several untapped scoring chances early in the game, senior midfielder Brian Plotkin started the scoring for the Hoosiers in the 25th minute on a 30-yard blast, which found the back of the net after going past UIC goalkeeper Jeff Engelbrecht. Senior forward Mike Ambersley made his presence felt immediately, assisting the Plotkin goal only two minutes after entering the game.\n"It's nice getting one early. It builds the confidence a little bit," Plotkin said. "A few guys are struggling to find the net right now, but the more you shoot, the more go in. We will find ways to get goals, but if we can't get goals, we will just defend and find ways to win games."\nPlotkin's goal was the difference heading into halftime as the Hoosiers led the Flames 1-0. The Hoosiers dominated play in the first half, outshooting the Flames 9-0 and maintaining possession on the Flames' half of the field for the majority of the period.\nFreitag continued to juggle the lineup in the second half by using seven different players who didn't see action in the first half. Six minutes into the second half, the Plotkin-Ambersley connection worked again to put the Hoosiers up 2-0. This time Plotkin played the setup man, streaking down the sideline and slotting the ball to Ambersley who put the ball just out of Engelbrecht's reach.\nThe Hoosiers had plenty more opportunities to score, but could not convert. In the 58th minute, junior forward Jacob Peterson set up junior forward Kevin Robson for a shot that hit the post and went out of bounds. Twenty minutes later, Peterson had a one-on-one breakaway with UIC goalkeeper Ross Cain, but Peterson's shot ended up wide left.\nThe Flames answered with a goal of their own in the 79th minute when UIC sophomore midfielder Pavle Dundjer's free kick from the sideline skipped though a crowd of players and found the side netting. The Flames outshot the Hoosiers 6-5 in the second half.\nSophomore Chris Munroe started his second straight game in goal for the Hoosiers, but he did not need to make a single save as the Hoosier defense kept UIC from attempting a shot on goal in the first half. Munroe again split time with freshman goalie Chay Cain, who allowed a goal for the second straight game.\n"I've been lucky not having to do too much because the defense has been playing really well," Munroe said. "I've been real pleased with the way the team is playing defensively. It's nice as a goalkeeper when you don't have much action -- that just means you aren't giving up goals."\nThe No. 1-ranked Hoosiers open up their regular season by hosting the Adidas/IU Credit Union Classic this weekend. The Hoosiers will welcome No. 7 Southern Methodist University, No. 10 Wake Forest and No. 16 Notre Dame at Armstrong Stadium. They will face Wake Forest at 7 p.m. Friday and SMU at 2 p.m. \nSunday.\n"I was happy with the way we played tonight," Freitag said. "I still think we are coming together as a team. It takes awhile to gel, but I'm pleased with the steps we are taking"
(08/25/05 5:20am)
INDIANAPOLIS -- The new faces of Hoosier basketball continued giving fans a glimpse of upcoming seasons Tuesday night as a statewide exhibition tour wound through Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis.\nJunior college transfer Earl Calloway teamed up with incoming freshmen Ben Allen and Joey Shaw in an exhibition game. The Hoosiers fell to a team of players from area high schools, 123-122.\nThe three newest Hoosiers will hope to follow the lead of last year's recruiting class of D.J. White, A.J. Ratliff, James Hardy and Robert Vaden, who all saw significant court time last season. \n"I'm just coming in trying to contribute," Calloway said. "Defense, leadership and just playing team ball -- and hopefully get to the tournament this year."\nCalloway, a 6-foot-1 junior college honorable mention All-American transfer from Georgia Perimeter College, showed his desire to one day man the point position in Assembly Hall. \nCalloway finished with 31 points while controlling tempo for much of the game. Most of his points came off aggressive drives to the basket, but Calloway also displayed his range by hitting some three pointers in transition. Although he has more than 25 points in back-to-back games, the team has gone 0-2 in the first two games of the statewide tour.\n"We are taking too many (losses)," Calloway said. "We a+ren't winning. We got to win. I don't like losing."\nTuesday's game added to an already packed basketball schedule for Allen, a 6-foot-10-inch center from Australia. After finishing his league play with the Australian Institute of Sport, Allen participated in a high school all-star game and competed for the Australian national team at the Under-21 World Championships this summer.\nThough having to take several breathers during the game, Allen gave Hoosier fans a glimpse of what he could provide to the Hoosiers in the upcoming seasons. He made several impressive post moves and showed his range by knocking down a three pointer on his way to a 15-point performance.\n"I think my inside-outside game is good," Allen said. "I can shoot the three, and I've got post moves that are pretty solid. I think I can step in right away and do that."\nThere were some noticeable absentees from the high school team when the two teams took the floor. O.J. Mayo, Bill Walker and Keenan Ellis were scheduled to play, but a death in the Mayo family prevented the trio from participating in the contest. Mayo and Walker are ranked as the no. 1 and 2 recruits in the class of 2007 by various recruiting sources and have expressed interest in playing for the Hoosiers.\nThe Ben Davis team came out hot in the early going and took the lead after the first five minutes of the game. The Hoosiers took back the lead soon after former Hoosier AJ Moye entered the game with loud applause from the crowd. \nAlthough Moye might have added the intensity, Calloway and potential IU recruit Deonta Vaughn stole the show in the first half. They connected on several passes while taking turns with the point guard duties. With seconds remaining in the first half, Vaughn stole the ball, gave an outlet pass to Calloway, who fed the ball to Moye for a dunk, which put an exclamation point on the first half. The Hoosiers led 63-60 at the break.\nFor the second straight game Vaughn had a solid performance for the Hoosiers, scoring 31 points. Vaughn has given a verbal commitment to IU, but will spend a season at a prep school in Cincinnati.\nThe Hoosiers skipped out to a 10-point lead in the early going of the second half, but Ben Davis kept the Hoosier lead to about five points for the half. A Ben Davis run gave them a one point lead with less than 30 seconds remaining, before Allen followed up a missed shot by Vaughn with 11 seconds remaining. A final desperation shot by Ben Davis was no good, but a last second tip cost the Hoosiers the game.\nMoye felt good about the youngsters, but after playing four years of Division I basketball, he knows the newcomers have much to learn, especially on the defensive side of the ball- as shown by the 123-122 final score.\n"Defensively, everyone as a freshman really doesn't have a clue what it takes to play college D," Moye said. "But these kids are talented. They are all pretty good"
(05/06/05 5:35am)
While the rest of their classmates are attending commencement and graduation parties, IU senior golfers Jeff Overton and Heath Peters will be looking to cap off their careers in style at the Big Ten Championships at Wisconsin Friday through Sunday.\nDuring the duo's four years in Bloomington, both earned numerous honors between them. However, the two All-Big Ten golfers head up to Madison, Wis., this weekend searching for one title that has eluded them during their careers -- a Big Ten Championship.\nThe Hoosiers begin the weekend as one of the favorites to take home the hardware and an automatic NCAA Tournament berth which comes with a victory. The parity between the top teams in the conference makes predicting the favorites difficult, Overton said.\n"No team has established itself as the elite team in the Big Ten," Overton said. "As many as five to six teams have a pretty good chance to win if they play well."\nThe past two tournaments the Hoosiers competed in were full of Big Ten competition. During those two weeks, IU showed they can compete with any team in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers placed sixth at the Fossum/TaylorMade Invitational Sunday and fourth at the Boilermaker Invitational April 16.\nFor the Hoosiers to have a shot at winning the title, which would be their first since 1998, senior play will be key. Peters and Overton have been major contributors for IU and have enjoyed success since stepping on campus four years ago. Their talents were on showcase again Sunday as Overton tied for first and Peters had a solid 11th place finish.\n"We got really good play from our seniors this weekend," said IU coach Mike Mayer. "They can carry the load pretty well."\nThe recruiting class of Overton, Peters and Rob Ockenfuss was important for Mayer and the golf program. The recruiting class ranked as the eighth best in the nation by GolfStat.\n"When I came here, the cupboards were bare," Mayer said. "These three guys have really helped us."\nIn their four years, the seniors have done everything to prove they were one of the top classes in the nation. Since arriving on the scene from Evansville four years ago, Overton has been racking up awards. He owns nearly every record in the men's golf record book, including career scoring average and freshman scoring average. Overton has 23 top-five finishes, has been runner-up in eight events and has seven career titles including last weekend at the Fossum/TaylorMade Invitational. \nHe has been named Big Ten Player of the Week nine times, including this week, named All-Big Ten his first three seasons and last season was named Big Ten Player of the Year and PING second team All-America.\nOften overshadowed by Overton's accomplishments, Peters has been successful in his own right. He has the third lowest all-time scoring average and captured his only career championship at the Johnny Owens Invitational his sophomore year in 2003. Peters was named Big Ten Golfer of the Week twice and last season was named second team All-Big Ten.\nFor much of the season, the Hoosiers have been riding the seniors in the team's quest for a Big Ten title. Now that it is tournament time, IU knows it has to be on top of its game to have a shot at the title.\n"Right now it is really wide open," Mayer said. "Minnesota, Purdue, Michigan State and Indiana are probably the four teams to look out for. However, in golf anything can happen"
(05/02/05 5:29am)
Heading into the final weekend of preparation before the Big Ten Championship, coach Mike Mayer was looking for the men's golf team to finally pull all the pieces together to contend for a Big Ten Championship and a coveted NCAA berth.\n"We've come close all year," Mayer said. "Each weekend we want to come another step closer to our goal."\nThe Hoosiers looked like they had finally put all the pieces together for a run for the championship for the first two rounds of the Fossum/TaylorMade Invitational. Led by senior and reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Jeff Overton, the Hoosiers finished day one in a tie for third place with Big Ten rival Minnesota by shooting a two round score of 583. The Hoosiers only trailed host Michigan State and Xavier University, who was the overnight leader with a team score of 570.\nAfter the good opening day showing, the Hoosiers showed they still have some work to do before the Big Ten Championships next weekend. Overton was the individual leader by four shots heading into the final round, which was delayed because of frost on the course. The Hoosiers came out in the third round as cold as the weather conditions as they fired a 298, which dropped them in a finish for sixth place.\n"We got really good play from our seniors on the first day, but they didn't get any support," Mayer said. "Today just wasn't our day."\nOne bright spot for the Hoosiers was the tie for first place for Overton; however, even that was somewhat of a disappointment. The All-American gave back three shots to the field as he carded a three-over 75 in the final round. Ben Greve of Minnesota shot a six-under 66 to tie Overton for medalist honors.\n"In the first couple of rounds I hit some great iron shots which led to some good scores," Overton said. "As a team, we need to learn to let go and play. If we played our best in the final round we could have gone and won like Minnesota did."\nOverton finally earned his first victory of the spring season after narrowly missing out on winning medalist honors the previous two tournaments. It is the fourth top-five finish in five spring events for the Evansville native who has been named a finalist for the Hogan Award, which is presented annually to the top collegiate golfer.\nAfter being named to the second team All-Big Ten last season, senior Heath Peters has struggled this spring season. Peters turned in his best showing for the Hoosiers this spring with an 11th place finish. The play of Peters, who owns the third lowest scoring average in Indiana history, will be an important factor in this week's Big Ten Tournament, Mayer said.\nFreshman Santiago Quirarte continued his solid play as he finished in a tie for 27th by firing a three round score of 223. Rounding out the scoring for the Hoosiers were junior Scott Seibert who finished tied for 49th place and sophomore Aaron Harrell who tied for 67th place.\nThe Hoosiers look to put all the pieces together as they head up to Wisconsin to compete in the Big Ten Championships this weekend. Their finish could determine the NCAA fate of the Hoosiers as they seek back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Chris Engel at ccengel@indiana.edu.
(04/29/05 5:44am)
With only one week to go before postseason play beings, the IU men's golf team knows there is a lot of work to be done to complete a successful season. \n"Right now we are in a race for an NCAA berth," said IU coach Mike Mayer. "We need to really find ourselves and come together this weekend."\nWith last weekend's weather washing away a chance for the team to practice for the postseason, the Hoosiers look to make final preparations this weekend at the Fossum/TaylorMade Invitational in East Lansing, Mich. The field is stacked with several teams contending for the Big Ten Championship, and should give the Hoosiers a good feel of where they are heading into postseason play.\n"Right now it is really wide open," Mayer said. "Minnesota, Purdue, Michigan State and Indiana are probably the four teams to look out for. However, in golf, anything can happen."\nThe teams in the Big Ten have had a lot of parity during the past few seasons. Last season, Ohio State came out of nowhere to capture the Big Ten Championship. This season could see the same as no team from the Big Ten has been dominant in tournament play.\n"No team has established themselves as the elite team in the Big Ten," said senior Jeff Overton. "As many as five to six teams have a good chance to win if they play well."\nOverton, a Big Ten and national player of the year candidate, will lead the Hoosiers into the weekend. Overton is coming into this weekend's tournament on the heels of back-to-back second place finishes that easily could have been back-to-back victories. As Overton's play has improved, so has the play of the team as a whole.\n"We need to play with more confidence like we have been lately," Overton said. "We can't be nervous when we play. We need to go out there to have some fun and try to beat everyone we play."\nFreshman Santiago Quirarte has greatly improved his play this spring. The talented recruit from Mexico finished in the top 11 in his last three tournaments and has adjusted to the college game at the right time for the Hoosiers.\n"I've finally settled down," Quirarte said. "I've found confidence in my swing and have had better mental play on the golf course."\nRounding out the top five for the Hoosiers this weekend will be senior Heath Peters, junior Scott Seibert and walk-on sophomore Arron Harrell who will compete in only his third intercollegiate tournament for the Hoosiers.\nAs the regular season comes to an end for the Hoosiers, Mayer knows that it will only be a beginning for how far the Hoosiers can advance in the postseason.\n"We've come close all year," Mayer said. "We are putting the pieces together and finding ourselves at the right time."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Chris Engel at ccengel@indiana.edu.
(04/22/05 5:19am)
Standing over the final putt of his first college tournament, Jeff Overton needed to make a 10-foot putt just to break 80. \nIt was not quite the start he had imagined, but Overton stepped up and hit the putt to score 79 for the round. It wasn't a great round, but at that moment, IU coach Mike Mayer knew he had landed a special recruit.\nFour years later, Overton is an All-American senior, ranked No. 9 nationally by Golfweek magazine, with goals set on playing on the PGA Tour. Mayer saw it all along.\n"Many kids would have missed that putt after a hard round with their tail between their legs," Mayer said. "Jeff never gives up."\nComing out of high school, lots of college coaches passed on Overton, but Mayer said he was interested in him because of his enthusiasm and love for golf.\n"Some of the coaches that knew I were recruiting Jeff laughed at me," Mayer said. "While I was recruiting Jeff there was something that intrigued me about him. He could shoot some incredibly low scores."\nOverton came to Bloomington with high expectations because of his success in high school. As a sophomore at Evansville North High School, Overton finished second individually at the IHSAA state championships. The following season he led North to the team state championship. Overton ended his career as a three-time All-State selection. Overton was joined by Rob Ockenfuss and Heath Peters in what has become one of the most important recruiting classes in Mayer's seven-year tenure as head coach.\n"When I came here, the cupboards were bare," Mayer said. "These three guys have really helped us."\nAs his career is coming to an end, Overton has rewritten every single record in the IU golf record book. IU has had some very successful golfers come through the program such as 2003 PGA champion Shaun Micheel and All-American Randy Leen, but Overton has surpassed them all.\n"It's tough to compare golfers across eras," Mayer said. "In the record book he will distance himself from everyone that has played golf for IU."\nOverton has won six career titles and been runner-up at eight different events. He has 22 career top fives. He has the lowest scoring average in IU history and has fired the second-lowest score in NCAA history as he shot a 61 in the final round of the 2004 Xavier Invitational Tournament. He has been honored as Big Ten Player of the Week eight times, and last season Overton was named Big Ten Player of the Year along with being named to the PING second All-American team.\nFor Overton, one accomplishment stands out from the rest.\n"Winning four tournaments in a row last year was amazing," Overton said. "It showed me that I could play and compete at the top level."\nOverton's amateur résumé is as impressive as his college accomplishments. Overton is the two-time defending Indiana Amateur champion. Last summer Overton made the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur before falling to eventual champion Ryan Moore of UNLV.\n"Playing in the U.S. Amateur really helped me prepare mentally for tournaments," Overton said. "You have to believe you are the best every time you are on the course."\nOverton has also represented the United States at the Fiji Xerox USA vs. Japan Collegiate Cup. This summer he will represent the United States at the Walker Cup, a prestigious amateur team competition. After the Walker Cup, Overton will begin his pro career.\n"My home pro, my parents, coach and some agents who have contacted me, have given me advice about turning pro when the season is over," Overton said.\nOverton will look to follow Micheel's success when trying to earn his tour card.\n"Jeff is going to be very successful on the pro tour," said Mayer. "He has things that cannot be taught, like his vision and feel for the game."\nNot only will Overton walk away from IU as the most successful golfer, he will walk away with plenty of memories.\n"It's going to be hard to leave my teammates behind," Overton said. "I remember the feeling when Ben Davidson graduated when I was a sophomore and now I know looking at Santiago and the other guys that it's going to be tough to leave. However, I need to look forward to what lies ahead."\nOverton does not have time to reflect on his success until the season is over. The Hoosiers still have two tournaments before the postseason begins. Overton still has unfinished business before he leaves Bloomington as he sets his sights on the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.\n"I want to continue to put IU on the map," Overton said. "I want to go out with a bang and leave as one of the great golfers to come out of IU."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Chris\nEngel at ccengel@indiana.edu.
(04/21/05 5:15am)
When classes begin next fall, most students look forward to reuniting with friends, learning new ideas and getting back into the flow of another academic year. One thing most students do not enjoy about returning from the three-month exodus from Bloomington is the trip to the IU Bookstore or T.I.S. to purchase their textbooks for the upcoming semester.\nThe Indiana Student Public Interest Research Group has joined with other student Public Interest Research Groups from around the country to protest the rising costs of textbooks and the release of new editions of current textbooks. INPIRG believes that the textbook industries are using unfair tactics to get money from students each year.\nMany students like freshman Bill Susott feel the burn each semester caused by increasing textbook prices.\n"I don't like paying for textbooks each semester," said Susott. "If you take a full load of classes, the books can cost quite a lot of money."\nPIRGs recently released a report, titled "Ripoff 101," documenting the costs of college textbooks. In this report, the PIRGs argue that textbook prices are increasing at an incredible rate; that new editions of textbooks are costly and limit the availability of used books; that bundling other products such as CD-ROMs with textbooks drives up textbook prices; and that textbook publishers charge more to American students than students abroad.\n"These gimmicks publishers use to put out new editions of textbooks are costing kids money," said PIRG National Student Director Dave Rosenfeld. "Our goal is to get fair prices for students."\n"Ripoff 101" quotes the Bureau of Labor Statistics, according to which, the wholesale prices charged by textbook publishers have jumped 62 percent since 1994. Prices charged for all finished goods increased only 14 percent during that same time. The report also found that 76 percent of faculty surveyed said new editions were actually beneficial less than half the time. In the opinion of the PIRGs, the publishers are taking advantage of college students across the nation.\n"(The publishers) cannot argue with a straight face that these new editions provide any new content to the old textbooks," Rosenfeld said.\nThe report points out that mathematics and science are the subjects in which textbook companies try to release more editions. Professors from universities across the nation have joined the fight to lower textbook prices since the release of "Ripoff 101." On April 6, 700 mathematics and science professors wrote a letter to Thomson Learning with their concerns about high textbook prices and the introduction of new editions, including IU mathematics professor Kevin Pilgrim.\nIn response to the professors, Thomson Learning responded with a letter of its own. The letter stated its popular mathematics book Stewart's "Calculus," which is one of the main targets of "Ripoff 101," was one of the cheapest calculus books on the market; that the new editions included 25 percent new problems, which were requested by professors; and that most students use Stewart's "Calculus" for an average of three semesters, which makes the book much cheaper per semester.\nThe letter goes on to refute other arguments made in "Ripoff 101." The company argues that the report was based on small and skewed samples of the college student population, using more mathematics and science students and only using a very small overall number of students to conduct the survey. The letter also quotes statistics from the College Board and the independent research firm Student Monitor about the rate of textbook price increase, which contradicts the figures reported in "Ripoff 101."\n"Unfortunately, both the letter and the report on which it is based contain many incorrect and misleading statements," said Thomson Learning CEO Ronald Dunn in the letter. "At Thomson Learning, we believe that our textbooks are among the finest in the world, and that our pricing practices are fair and reasonable."\nINPIRG is a student-lead organization that fights for various causes, including the environment, ending poverty, increasing financial aid for students and lowering textbook prices to make college more affordable for students. It is a member of student PIRGs.\nThe battle over textbook pricing is one that is just beginning. For INPIRG and other student PIRGs across the country, it's one battle they aren't going to retreat from.\n"Getting professors aware of this issue has really helped our cause," Rosenfeld said. "We are going to get the textbook companies to listen to us."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Chris Engel at ccengel@indiana.edu.
(04/20/05 5:27am)
The crowd of 3,472 at Bill Armstrong Stadium created a festive atmosphere as many fans came to support both the Hoosier and Mexican squads. The usual Hoosier backers were out in full force. However, the pep band and Hoosier student section were joined by enthusiastic Mexican fans cheering on the visiting Auglias.\nAbout half the fans in attendance were supporting the Mexican team with cheers, trumpets and tambourines. Parts of the near sideline and the entire far side of Armstrong Stadium was filled with Mexican flags, sombreros and replica jerseys of the Mexicans. The Mexican fans did not stop cheering from the opening kickoff to the final blow of the whistle.\nIU and the Indiana Youth Soccer Association both played host to the game, which was a fund-raiser for Latino soccer programs in Indiana. The game was promoted heavily across Indiana and surrounding states and was successful as many people showed up for the final spring game for the Hoosiers. Many families like the Castillo family of Bloomington came out to support the Mexican team.\n"We are very excited to see our national team for the first time," said father Victor Castillo. "It is a great honor that they came here to play."
(04/15/05 5:49am)
After back-to-back third-place finishes, the men's golf team will head to West Lafayette looking for its second win of the year and first win of the spring season. The team will be well-rested heading into the tournament after having the last two weeks off.\n"It has been nice to take a little bit of a breather," said IU coach Mike Mayer. "We are now ready to get into the main part of our season."\nThe Hoosiers will take their No. 48 Golfweek magazine ranking into this weekend's Boilermaker Invitational during which they will face a tough field that includes three teams ranked in the top 50. This weekend will give the Hoosiers a chance to get an early look at their main competition for the Big Ten championship, Minnesota and Purdue. The conditions at the Brick Boilermaker Golf Complex could cause problems for the players this weekend with wind and rain making the course more difficult than usual.\n"We never know what the conditions will be like," said Mayer. "It doesn't matter, because we are going to come to play."\nWalk-on sophomore Aaron Harrell will make his second appearance for the Hoosiers this year after a solid showing at the Pioneer Classic. The four-year varsity player for Bedford North Lawrence high school overcame a foot injury last season to make the team.\n"For me, this is just a dream come true," Harrell said. "Listening to guys like (senior) Jeff (Overton) really has improved my game and allowed me to step up."\nThe senior Overton responded laughingly.\n"He can flat out play," Overton said. "That's why he's coming this weekend."\nThe Hoosier's schedule kicks up starting this weekend as the team will play four consecutive weekends, concluding with the Big Ten Championship May 6-8. The Hoosiers have continued to improve as the spring season has progressed and they are looking to peak at the right time.\n"I feel really good about the team heading into this schedule," said Mayer. "Especially the five players we are sending to tournaments."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Chris Engel at ccengel@indiana.edu.