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(11/08/07 5:00am)
Psychology Professor Phillip Summers steps down from the lecture podium at the front of Morrison Hall's lecture hall and walks over to a student.\n"How's Ryan doing?" he asks the student, beginning a conversation with him that transcends typical small talk. After wishing the student luck on his remaining midterms, Summers walks over to a female student and inquires about her weekend.\nIn a class of 251, Summers knows every student's name and interests. \n"Over the past six years, I have had 99 percent accuracy," he said. "I missed one female student's first name by one letter two years ago."\nIt is this approachability that led the IU student body to vote Summers "Best Professor." The retired Vincennes University president remained humble about the award.\n"I know of many, many professors who are far more deserving than me," he said. "IU and the psychology and brain sciences department are fortunate to have very talented and dedicated faculty and staff who work diligently to provide IU students with the highest quality undergraduate and graduate education."\nHowever, his students disagreed, each stating in a brief written survey that he was the best professor IU has to offer.\nFreshman Katherine Fay said Summers is the best professor because "he helps to understand difficult subjects by making the class fun and interesting."\nHe always tells jokes, shows movie clips and demonstrates complex ideas, she said. \n"He makes psychology so much fun, you can't wait to get to class."\nFreshman Lauren Dardanes echoed Fay's statements, saying, "He gives students the benefit of the doubt and wants us to do good in his class."\nMost students who were surveyed said that the extra-credit opportunities and Summers' sincere concern about his students' well-being make him IU's best professor.\n"He makes you feel wanted," student Bryan Jones said. "To him, you're not just another face in the crowd."\nSummers said that he wants his students to be challenged and to learn and enjoy their experiences in his class.\n"My goal is that all students who take my class can say I knew them and even in a large lecture setting, they felt I had a personal interest in their learning and academic success," he said.\nReceiving his bachelor's degree in education from IU in 1960 and his master's degree in guidance and counseling from IU in 1963, Summers said he is proud to be able to give back to his alma mater.\n"I have the wonderful opportunity each semester to teach and get to know 250 interesting, trusting, motivated and success-oriented IU students, which in itself is a great reward," he said.
(11/05/07 4:24am)
All the stats were on the Hoosiers side when they stepped out on the pitch against Wisconsin in their regular season finale. Thirteen Big Ten championships, eight consecutive Big Ten games without a loss dating back to last year’s Big Ten tournament, and they were competing against a team who had not posted a win against them since 1995. \nNone of that mattered, as the No. 10 Hoosiers fought tooth and nail in their 0-0 tie against the Badgers at McClimon Soccer Complex in Madison, Wisc.\nThough the Badgers’ put up a fight, the Hoosiers’ record stayed unblemished, and their tie allowed them to clinch the Big Ten regular season title. IU became the first Big Ten team to go undefeated since Penn State in its 2005 season and the only undefeated IU team since its 2003 National Championship season. IU coach Mike Freitag said he was proud of his team’s accomplishment, and that it is nice to be the Big Ten regular season champions. \nThe Hoosiers and Badgers came into the game on different ends of the spectrum, as IU (12-4-3, 4-0-2) looked to finish the Big Ten season undefeated and Wisconsin (6-6-6, 0-3-3) searched for its first conference win. Both teams had something at stake and played like it.\nSenior midfielder Charley Traylor said the game’s toughness was \npositive. \n“Every game in the tournament, we’ll see team’s playing for the rest of their season, so every game will be like this,” Traylor said. “This game was definitely beneficial for us heading into the postseason.” \nThough there are stark differences in the teams, both played tough in a physical game. Traylor sustained an ankle injury when he was trampled by Wisconsin forward Victor Diaz. Other injured players included defender Kevin Alston, forward Darren Yeagle and midfielder Brian Ackley.\nFreitag said he’s worried about his team’s health. \n“My only concern is my team,” Freitag said. “I’m worried about Traylor, and we have to get healthy before the \npostseason.” \nDespite multiple scoring opportunities for both clubs, the Hoosiers and Badgers played to a scoreless first half. IU has only allowed one goal in the last four games and stayed true to that statistic with a steady dose of defensive pressure on \nthe Badgers.\nAt the start of the second half, IU increased its pressure on the Wisconsin defense with three corner kicks in 40 seconds and a numbers of good shots on goal. Wisconsin answered the call, but it seemed as if the Hoosiers had turned a corner that would lead to offensive success.\nThe Hoosiers couldn’t capitalize on that build up; the teams entered overtime with the score at 0-0, and it would stay that way. \nTraylor – who was injured at the end of regulation and sidelined for the remainder of the game with an ankle injury – said the Wisconsin game was tough. \n“It was a hard fought game,” Traylor said. “It was one of those games where you have to capitalize on your opportunities, and we weren’t able to do that today.” \nIn the first of two 10-minute periods, IU got another shot on goal by Alexander that went right of the goal. The game continued into a second overtime that saw IU goalkeeper Chay Cain – who has eight shutouts on the season – and Wisconsin goalkeeper Alex Horwath both make big saves to keep the game at\na stalemate. \n“We aren’t ever satisfied with a tie,” Traylor said. “We’re disappointed, and we’d like to have a win.” \nSenior defender Greg Stevning said this tie was a comforting one. \n“We knew we needed a win or a tie to win the Big Ten,” Stevning said. “We knew it’d be a battle and getting to win the Big Ten outright and having a bye, it’s a relief.”
(11/05/07 1:52am)
All the stats were on the Hoosiers side when they stepped out on the pitch against Wisconsin in their regular season finale. Thirteen Big Ten championships, eight consecutive Big Ten games without a loss dating back to last year’s Big Ten tournament, and they were competing against a team who had not posted a win against them since 1995. \nNone of that mattered, as the No. 10 Hoosiers fought tooth and nail in their 0-0 tie against the Badgers at McClimon Soccer Complex in Madison, Wisc.\nThough the Badgers put up a fight, the Hoosiers stayed unblemished, and their tie allowed them to clinch the Big Ten. IU became the first Big Ten team to go undefeated since Penn State in its 2005 season and the only undefeated IU team since its 2003 National Championship season. IU coach Mike Freitag said he was proud of his team’s accomplishment and that it was nice to be the Big Ten regular season champion. \nThe Hoosiers and Badgers came into the game on different sides of the spectrum as IU (12-4-3, 4-0-2) looked to finish the Big Ten season undefeated and Wisconsin (6-6-6, 0-3-3) searched for its first conference win. Both teams had something at stake and played like it.\nSenior midfielder Charley Traylor said this tough game was positive. \n“Every game in the tournament we’ll see team’s playing for the rest of their season so every game will be like this,” Traylor said. “This game was definitely beneficial for us heading into the postseason.” \nThough there are stark differences in the teams, both played tough in a physical game. Traylor sustained an ankle injury when he was trampled by Wisconsin forward Victor Diaz. Other injured players included defender Kevin Alston, forward Darren Yeagle and midfielder Brian Ackley.\nFreitag said he’s worried about his team’s health. \n“My only concern is my team,” Freitag said. “I’m worried about Traylor and we have to get healthy before the postseason.” \nDespite multiple scoring opportunities for both clubs, the Hoosiers and Badgers played to a scoreless first half. IU has only allowed one goal in the last four games and stayed true to that statistic with a steady dose of defensive pressure on the Badgers.\nAt the start of the second half, IU increased its pressure on the Wisconsin defense with three corner kicks in 40 seconds and a numbers of good shots on goal. Wisconsin answered the call, but it seemed as if the Hoosiers had turned a corner that would lead to offensive success.\nThe Hoosiers couldn’t capitalize on that build up; the teams entered overtime with a score of 0-0, and it would stay that way. \nTraylor – who was injured at the end of regulation and sidelined for the remainder of the game with an ankle injury – said the Wisconsin game was tough. \n“It was a hard fought game,” Traylor said. “It was one of those games where you have to capitalize on your opportunities, and we weren’t bale to do that today.” \nIn the first of two 10-minute periods, IU got another shot on goal by Alexander that went right of the goal. The game continued into a second overtime where IU goalkeeper Chay Cain – who has eight shutouts on the season – and Wisconsin goalkeeper Alex Horwath both made big saves to keep the game at a stalemate. \n“We aren’t ever satisfied with a tie,” Traylor said. “We’re disappointed and we’d like to have a win.” \nSenior defender Greg Stevning said this win was a comforting one. \n“We knew we needed a win or a tie to win the Big Ten,” Stevning said. “We knew it’d be a battle and getting to win the Big Ten outright and having a bye, it’s a relief.”
(10/31/07 4:29am)
The IU men’s soccer team (11-4-2, 4-0-1) has a chance to win the Big Ten regular season title outright for a second straight year in what should be a competitive matchup with Wisconsin on Sunday. But the Hoosiers will have to go through a tough Kentucky team (6-7-2, 4-2-0) Wednesday before getting a shot at the Badgers.\nThe Hoosiers will travel to Lexington, Ky., where they will take the pitch at 7 p.m. tonight at the UK Soccer Complex.\nIU has been successful against Kentucky historically, posting an all-time record of 19-1-1. However, when faced with a similar challenge against another Kentucky team the Hoosiers had historically dominated – Louisville – IU fell in a 2-1 defeat, tarnishing a previously unblemished all-time record of 14-0-0 against the Cardinals.\nHowever, momentum might be on the Hoosiers’ side this time. They have won four of their last five matches, the only exception being an Oct. 21 tie with Ohio State, a game that ended at 0-0. This recent success has paved the way for the possibility of an undefeated Big Ten season for the team. \nDespite the team’s recent success and good fortune against Kentucky, defender Ofori Sarkodie said he is sure tonight’s game will be a tough one.\n“We know it’s definitely going to be a physical game,” Sarkodie said. “We have to be mentally prepared, and we’re nursing a lot of injuries, and trying to get guys healthy so we can compete for 90 minutes.”\nContributing to the Hoosiers’ recent injuries may have been Sunday’s 1-0 win against Penn State, which saw physical play from both sides. There were a total of 22 fouls in the game, with Penn State committing the bulk of them – 14.\nThe Hoosiers have been resting up in anticipation of the back stretch of their season to make sure those injuries don’t affect their performance. IU coach Mike Freitag said at this late point in the year his team needs rest, because some players seem to tire from having a number of obligations along with training every day. To that effect, he’s given players who play regularly two days off to prepare for Kentucky.\nThough they have some injuries and two tough games ahead of them, freshman midfielder Rich Balchan said the team will be looking to take the remainder of the season one game at a time to start a streak that will help with consistency in the Big Ten and \nNCAA Tournaments. \nPart of the reason Freitag has been resting his team might be the Wildcats’ physical play. He said he’s sure they’re in for a good game.\n“Kentucky will be a hard-fought game,” Freitag said. “Lexington’s a hard place to play, especially on Halloween. They’ll be pumped up, and (Kentucky coach) Ian Collins always has his team ready to play the Hoosiers.”
(10/29/07 4:23am)
Senior Day for the IU men’s soccer team was highlighted by a 1-0 win against Penn State on Sunday at Bill Armstrong Stadium. It was also the end of an era for three Hoosiers, all former high school teammates. \nThough Sunday was a successful day, a three-way tie for first place in the conference could hurt the No. 11 Hoosiers’ (11-4-2, 4-0-1) chance of an outright conference title. Ohio State and Michigan State each have one loss, and the Buckeyes could tie IU if the Hoosiers stumble next weekend at Wisconsin. And no one on the team would be satisfied with that.\nSenior defender Charley Traylor said his team isn’t interested in tying for the regular season title.\n“It’s exciting to reach our goals,” Traylor said. “But, we’re never satisfied, and I expect to win (the Big Ten) outright when we play Wisconsin.”\nThe contest against Penn State was yet another game where IU had to turn in a strong defensive effort. \nIU junior midfielder Brad Ring scored the lone goal of the game after a scoreless first half when he converted on a one-on-one opportunity in the 49th minute off of an assist by freshman forward Michael Roach. \nRing said it feels good to be on top, but IU still has unfinished business.\n“All that matters is the victory,” Ring said. “And we now have momentum heading into these last two matches and the Big Ten Tournament.” \nThe Hoosiers are looking forward, but some have reached a point that may cause them to reflect. Seniors and former North Central High School teammates Traylor, defender Greg Stevning and goalkeeper Chris Munroe all played in their final regular season game at Bill Armstrong Stadium. \nWhen asked about that final milestone, Munroe responded with some sadness. \n“That’s the most depressing question I’ve ever heard,” he said.\nBut it’s a question that must be asked of someone every year, and Munroe took the opportunity to dispense advice he would give to his younger brother, freshman goalkeeper Michael Munroe, and the rest of his team.\n“Take everything in stride,” he said. “There are going to be good times and bad times, but it is how you handle those situations (that) shows the kind of person you are, and he (Michael Monroe) knows that. “\nFreitag said this year’s seniors are a special group\n“What I like about them is they’re kids from Indiana,” Freitag said. “They’re kids who came to a national program and proved they can play here, and not too long ago, that was hard to say.”\nFreitag described his three seniors in further detail.\n “I’ve seen them mature, and they’re special,” Freitag said. “They all bring something different to the table. Munroe is ‘Mr. Brainiac,’ Stevning is just like a big puppy dog, but he’s tough, and then Charley, who’s ‘Mr. Social’ and comes with his lunch pail every day and ready to go to work. They’re great guys.”\nThese Hoosiers have been part of IU’s success. All three were there for IU’s 2003 and 2004 National Championships. \nBoth Traylor and Stevning said they’ve relished the success they’ve been a part of at IU.\n“It’s a good ending to my career to be undefeated in the Big Ten,” Stevning said. “My freshman year, we won the Big Ten, and now I get to go out on top.”\nTraylor said there are a few special moments in his IU career that will always stick out.\n“Winning a couple national championships is something that’ll always be special in my mind,” Traylor said. “But, this last season, getting to be captain and having a more active role in leading the boys, that’s something I’ll never forget.”
(10/24/07 3:17am)
When the IU men’s soccer team – who won last year’s Big Ten tournament – faces Evansville – a team that went 9-8 last year – fans expect a win.\nHowever, despite the teams’ stark differences and game expectations, IU will be approaching the match against the Purple Aces, at 7 p.m. today at Bill Armstrong Stadium, just like any other. \nIU coach Mike Freitag said his team is aware of the expectations placed upon them. \n“It’s a game a lot of people expect us to win,” Freitag said. “But I know it’s going to be a battle.”\nThe Hoosiers faced \nsimilar expectations in their Oct. 10 loss to Louisville – a team that went 5-10-3 last year. That defeat ended IU’s four-game winning streak, and the Hoosiers don’t want to repeat that result. \nFreitag said he knows that each year teams are different, and he doesn’t try to make year-to-year comparisons based on past results. \nIU could be in danger of losing focus coming into the Evansville game. The team’s chance to go undefeated in Big Ten play could be it’s biggest distraction.\nHowever, junior goalkeeper Chay Cain said his team has been trying to keep the focus squarely on Evansville. \n“Every game in the Big Ten is important,” Cain said. “We can’t take the last two games against Penn State and Wisconsin lightly, but we can’t look that far ahead, and we have to take it one game at a time for the rest of the season.”\nIU has struggled offensively at times this season. \nTheir last game illustrated that as the Hoosiers played to a 0-0 draw at home against Ohio State. The Hoosiers outshot the Buckeyes by five and registered a total of 18 shots, including seven shots on goal. They failed to capitalize on those opportunities, however, despite playing two overtimes.\nJunior midfielder Brad Ring said his team needs to improve on concentration in front of the net and on creating better chances around the goal. He said the team knows this game is important.\n“This game is huge,” Ring said. “Because college soccer’s changed over the years, this game is really important. Anyone’s capable of being beat now, so this game is just as big as any upcoming games on our schedule.”\nIn the Hoosiers’ tie with Ohio State, the IU defense played exceptionally well, and Cain, who collected three saves in the contest, said the defense will continue to sustain the same attitude it has every time it goes out on the pitch.\n“Every game, our goal is to shut out the other team completely,” Cain said. “We’ll come out and put the same effort in against Evansville.”
(10/19/07 3:28am)
After defeating Notre Dame and last year’s Hermann trophy winner, midfielder Joseph Lapira, No.16 IU (9-4-1) will face Ohio State and Hermann hopeful Eric Brunner in Big Ten competition. \nIU will welcome the Buckeyes at 3 p.m. Sunday to Bill Armstrong Stadium with recent history on their side. The Hoosiers have defeated the Buckeyes in the last six contests – with five of those six wins being shutouts. \nThe Hoosiers are currently 3-0 in the Big Ten with three games remaining on their conference schedule. \nIU’s recent success will also be integral in their upcoming game as they enter Sunday having won their last two matches. The Hoosiers defeated No. 4 Notre Dame and then-No. 6 Northwestern. IU coach Mike Freitag said these two big wins will help them leading into the contest against Ohio State. \nFreshman midfielder Rich Balchan echoed his coach’s words but said the team hasn’t forgotten their Oct. 10 loss to Louisville that ended a four-game winning streak.\n“We’re pretty confident going in the game with a 3-0 conference record,” Balchan said. “The Notre Dame win was a big one for us, but we’re just taking it one game at a time now.” \nIf there is one thing that could shake the Hoosiers’ confidence, it’s Brunner. As a candidate for the Hermann trophy – which goes to the nation’s top Division I soccer player – Brunner only has three goals on the season, but has been playing well as of late. Brunner scored a game-winning goal on Oct. 10 against Oakland. Another threat for the Hoosiers comes in the form of Buckeye forward Xavier Balc who has 10 assists on the season along with two goals. Balc also recently gained his 30th career assist. \nBrunner’s knack for scoring along with Balc’s assisting ability could cause problems for the Hoosiers. Though the Buckeyes pose a threat to IU’s unblemished conference record, the Hoosiers are exuding confidence right now. Junior forward Kevin Noschang – who made an assist and a goal to lead IU to their last win – said the team is on top of their game. \n“We have all the confidence in the world right now,” Noschang said. “We got some great momentum from Northwestern and Notre Dame, and we’re doing great right now.”
(10/18/07 4:14am)
A year ago, Notre Dame forward Joseph Lapira gave the IU defense fits at the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic when he scored four goals including a game-winning goal that propelled the Fighting Irish to a 5-4 overtime win against the Hoosiers.\nThis year, the only difference for Lapira was the change in venue – and the result as the No. 12 Hoosiers took the match in South Bend, 3-2 despite giving up two goals to Lapira. IU coach Mike Freitag summed up Lapira’s performance when he talked about containing the Notre Dame forward.\n“We didn’t do too damn good,” Freitag said. “We cut him down from four (goals) to two, so we’re improving.”\nThough IU pulled out the win, Lapira persisted with his prolific scoring with a fourth minute goal, scoring an early 1-0 lead for his team. IU quickly countered with a goal from freshman midfielder Rich Balchan in the 18th minute. Balchan said he got the ball in space for his goal and took advantage of a one-on-one opportunity.\nBalchan also said he thought his team turned in a solid performance and countered Notre Dame’s energy at the opening of the game. IU maintained dominant time of possession for most of the contest. Their possession may have been the key to winning the game, as they limited the touches for Lapira, which may have caused the two-goal difference in his performance this year.\nFreitag said he’s dangerous, but his team performed better against Lapira this year. \n“He’s a quality forward, but guys made better decisions, and I think that made the difference,” Freitag said.\nIt seemed as if IU silenced Lapira and the Fighting Irish. The Hoosiers had put the clamps on them for 67 minutes, and junior forward Kevin Noschang added a goal in the 71st minute to put the Hoosiers up 2-1. Lapira promptly answered with a second goal in the 73rd minute tying the score at 2-2. \n“It was frustrating,” Noschang said of Lapira’s quick answer to his goal. “But we weren’t playing for anything but a win. We were determined to answer and come out with a win.”\nThis game began to look more like a shootout when freshman forward Neil Wilmarth scored a third goal for IU in the 80th minute off a Noschang assist. Wilmarth’s goal would be the last of the contest as IU held off Notre Dame for the win.\nSince their loss to Louisville, the Hoosiers have responded with two wins against Top 10 opponents, No. 6 Northwestern and No. 4 Notre Dame.\nFreitag said he was happy with his team’s performance Wednesday night.\n“I was pleased with the overall effort tonight,” Freitag said. “They get up for the big games, but it’s easy to do that. We have to do that for every opponent, and that’s what we’re working on.”
(10/10/07 4:17am)
When it comes to IU and Louisville competing on the soccer pitch, “no contest” could be the two words that best describe the series.\nThe IU men’s soccer team will be defending its 14-0 all-time record against Louisville when it faces the Cardinals at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Cardinal Park in Louisville, Ky. Despite their recent fortune against Louisville, IU is focused on the game.\nIU coach Mike Freitag said his team is mature enough to know to take this season one game at a time. The Hoosiers are currently 2-0 in the Big Ten, but Freitag said he knows every game is important, both in the Big Ten and elsewhere.\nAlthough the Hoosiers are focused and arduously preparing for their upcoming game, a series history like theirs would make most teams relax. \nIn their worst defeat of the Cardinals, the Hoosiers handed Louisville a 14-0 loss in 1983. That win was just the tip of the iceberg, as IU has defeated Louisville by at least two goals 13 of the 14 times they have played, and the Hoosiers have shut out the Cardinals 11 times, including the past nine meetings. \nPart of the reason IU isn’t taking this Louisville contest lightly may have something to do with the three consecutive losses IU accumulated after starting the season undefeated. These losses include a 2-1 defeat at the hands of University of Alabama at Birmingham, IU’s only loss to an unranked team this season.\nJunior goalkeeper Chay Cain said the course of the Hoosiers’ season so far isn’t new.\n“We always start off good in our (adidas/IU Credit Union Classic), and then we take a few bumps,” Cain said. “But, we learn from it and come back better, and that’s what we’re doing now.” \nPart of the reason IU’s current squad has encountered these bumps is due to sporadic offense. However, the Hoosiers have raised their game in recent contests. \nSophomore defender Kevin Alston scored two goals against Michigan State on Saturday, and the Hoosiers have posted more than one goal in three of their last four wins.\n“We have the ability to score goals on this team,” junior forward Kevin Noschang said. “In practice, we’ve focused on maintaining that output and hope to replicate it.”\nFreitag said he wants his team to continue doing a better job in front of the goal and putting away scoring chances. He also said he wants to see how his team reacts to the Louisville atmosphere.\n“Going to Louisville is going to be tough,” Freitag said. “(Louisville) is going to be pumped, and they have a great crowd. They’ll be looking to knock us off, and I want to see how my guys handle that.”
(10/08/07 4:19am)
Sophomore back Kevin Alston has been a standout defender and playmaker for the No. 17 IU men’s soccer team (7-3-1) for two years, but the one thing that eluded him was a goal. He finally broke through that barrier in fine fashion when he scored two goals in the Hoosiers’ 2-0 win against the No. 24 Michigan State Spartans, moving their Big Ten record to 2-0.\nIU coach Mike Freitag said he was impressed with Alston’s performance on both sides of the ball.\n“I was happy to see him get those two goals,” Freitag said. “He had a great season up to this point and time, and I expect him to get better and better. I like when he makes things happen, sometimes he can click off and watch the game, but tonight I thought he was a 90-minute player.”\nPreviously undefeated Michigan State (7-1-2) is a largely one-dimensional team that couldn’t muster any offense because their offensive leader – junior forward Doug DeMartin, who has six of his team’s 15 goals on the season and leads the Big Ten in shots with 36 – was kept at bay by the Hoosiers, who only allowed him two shots all game. \nIU found their way offensively in the game when Alston capitalized on a defensive lapse by the Spartans, who left him open several times before he scored. Alston’s strike down the middle from ten yards out came in the 39th minute of the first half, giving IU a 1-0 halftime lead. \nThe goal was the first of Alston’s career, and he said it was an \nexciting one.\n“It was a rush,” Alston said. “I’ve been trying all season, and it feels great to finally get in the back of the net. It’s definitely a big \nconfidence booster.”\nA repeat of Michigan State’s first half defensive breakdown led to another Alston goal in the 54th minute on the left side of the field, which freshman midfielder Daniel \nKelly assisted. \nAlston scored his two goals in a 16-minute span after being held scoreless over his entire IU career. \nIU also played effective defense against the Spartans in their shutout and kept Michigan State contained for much of the game. Still, Michigan State had opportunities on goal in a series where the Spartans grabbed two corner kicks and let loose a desperate shot that junior goalkeeper Chay Cain – who had three saves on the game – jumped to save, knocking the ball off the top of the goal.\nThis exchange almost resulted in a score for Michigan State. Cain said the stops were the product of luck and positioning.\n“Most of it’s just luck, you just get in the right position and hope for the best,” Cain said. “Luckily for me, (the Spartan attacker) was able to put it kind of around me, and I was able to put a hand on it and keep it out of the net.”\nThough IU had a more offensively successful game than usual and also shut out the Spartans, Freitag said the Hoosiers have to play perfect before he’s satisfied.\n“I’m proud of the way they played, but I always feel like I’m the party pooper, because I always have to tell them they made some mistakes that could cost us,” Freitag said. “My object is to play the perfect game. That’ll never happen, but I’m going to keep pushing these guys until we get as good as possible.”
(10/05/07 4:09am)
The IU men’s soccer team is known by many as one of the greatest college soccer programs ever because of its winning tradition. Big-name players, now remembered as IU greats, have come through the IU soccer program on their way to the pros.\nBut IU’s success has also been based on the scrappy guys who do the dirty work that has allowed those greats to be remembered.\nFreshman forward Neil Wilmarth and junior midfielder Brad Ring are those players on this year’s IU soccer team. Both players hustle and provide offensive opportunities for their teammates but are a little different than the usual grind-it-out-type of player. They are threats to score on the field and have to be accounted for by opposing defenses.\nRing has been particularly successful offensively. He showed his skill once again in IU’s last contest Wednesday against the University of Illinois at Chicago when he scored IU’s lone goal in a win. Though he was the only source of offensive output for his team, he was still playing like himself on the field and was in the mix for every loose ball.\nIU coach Mike Freitag said he wouldn’t want to face someone like Ring on the field.\n“Ring is a warrior,” Freitag said. “I’d hate to play against him, because you know you’re going to get banged in the mouth, and he’s going to be fighting you for every head ball.”\nWilmarth said he takes cues from the work ethic Ring displays on the field.\n“How (Ring) acts on the field makes people follow in his footsteps and work hard,” Wilmarth said. “Because if one person on your team is working hard, it makes everyone want to do the same.”\nWilmarth is no slacker on the field himself, and his hard work has brought him opportunities he has taken advantage of. He helped the Hoosiers turn a major corner in their season during their Sept. 26 game against Butler. His hustle set up opportunities for junior midfielder Billy Weaver that led to two goals, giving IU the win. \nThe indirect effect Wilmarth has on the game is what sets him apart. Though it doesn’t show up in the statistics sheet, the plays he makes are imperative to IU’s success. \nWilmarth said he works hard to create opportunities that may change the course of a game.\n“With this team, we just needed someone to provide a spark offensively, and I was just lucky enough to get that opportunity,” Wilmarth said of the Butler game. “I just wanted to get out there on the field and make something happen, and it helped us to finally turn our season around.”\nFreitag said he thinks the effort Wilmarth puts forth on the field has affected other people’s play and made them work harder.\n“I’m proud of how hard he’s worked, and I think his example of hustle and fight has rubbed off on other players,” Freitag said. \nThough Wilmarth and Ring are both standouts on the field for one of the nation’s best soccer programs, they share a mentality that provides that extra push they possess in their game. Both Ring and Wilmarth said they don’t believe they’re the most skilled players on the field, and that they work harder to make up for what they don’t have. \n“You have to (make) do with what God gave you,” Ring said. “I’m not the most skillful player in the world, so I have to prove I deserve to be on the field through hard work.”\nRing went on to say that hard work has been his calling card, and that it got him to where he is today.\n“Hard work has always been one of my strong points and helped me excel,” Ring said. “I have to keep that up in order to be on the field and continue being one of the leaders on this team.”
(10/03/07 2:39am)
IU men’s soccer coach Mike Freitag said the reason the Hoosiers lost three games in a row earlier this season is because they were missing the hustle – they didn’t focus for 90 minutes. \nThe No.17 Hoosiers (5-3-1, 1-0) seemed to have regained their form in their last two wins and will be looking to counteract that losing streak with a third win when they face the University of Illinois at Chicago (4-2-2) at 7 p.m tonight at Bill Armstrong Stadium. \nA recent 3-2 overtime win over Michigan should help the Hoosiers’ confidence heading into the match against UIC. Junior forward Kevin Noschang broke out of his scoring slump last weekend netting his fourth goal of the season in an overtime effort against Michigan.\nNoschang got off to a fast start to begin the season and received numerous accolades, including National Player of the Week for his two-goal weekend in the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic, but he hasn’t seen as much playing time lately. His presence will help the Hoosiers be successful in their trek through the tough Big Ten season. \nFreitag said Noschang responded well in the Michigan contest.\n“(Noschang) had a couple games where he was off form a little bit, but I like the way he responded,” Freitag said. “Whether you’re starting or off bench you have to make the most of the time that you’re given and Noschang did that.”\nIU lost to Creighton, Saint Louis and Alabama-Birmingham earlier in the season, but the Hoosiers seemed to have turned a corner since their 2-0 shutout of Butler Sept. 26. \nBilly Weaver was the catalyst behind IU’s two goals against the Bulldogs with two assists that led to scores by sophomore midfielders Lee Hagedorn and Eric Alexander. Weaver said he is enjoying his success, but knows his teammates will do the job when he’s not out there. \n“When you’re feeling good you want to be out there, and we come to IU because we’re all competitive,” Weaver said. “But we love each other as a team, and we’re confident that whoever is on the field will get it done.”\nWeaver followed up his Butler performance with a score of his own in the Hoosiers’ win over Michigan. His performance has not gone unnoticed since he was recently named to the Soccer?America and College Soccer News Teams of the Week.\nFreitag said he has been impressed with Weaver’s play.\n“Billy (Weaver) is just a good soccer player. He’s an upperclassmen – his leadership and play has been really good as of late, and we’re happy,” Freitag said. “We need everyone to step up at some point, (senior goalkeeper) Chris Munroe hadn’t played a minute, but he did his job when (junior goalkeeper) Chay (Cain) got hurt, and that’s what we expect from all our players.”\nAfter jumping back on the winning trail, IU now welcomes the unranked UIC Flames into Bloomington. Though the Hoosiers recently defeated No.16 Michigan, they aren’t overlooking anyone after UAB stunned them Sept. 21 with a 2-1 loss.\nGoalkeeper Chay Cain said his team won’t repeat the UAB game against UIC.\n“We can’t overlook them, they’re a very good team,” Cain said. “We competed against them in preseason games the past few years, and they always played us tough.”
(10/03/07 2:05am)
Playing in a World Cup is something that many soccer players all over the world dream of doing one day. But this dream is a feat that is commonplace in the Sarkodie household where brothers Kofi and Ofori live. Both play for the U.S. Men’s U-17 and U-20 World Cup teams, respectively. \nOfori, the older of the two and a sophomore defender for the IU men’s soccer team, said he has been trying to set a good example for his younger brother Kofi.\n“I’ve been trying to be a role model for him since he started with the 14-U,” Ofori said. “I told him to look at my mistakes and look at my successes through the past years in my career and use that to his advantage to become a better player, and he’s been amazing.”\nOfori Sarkodie was part of the U-20 U.S. Men’s National Team during their recent World Cup run in Ottawa, Canada. There he helped lead the team to wins against the likes of Poland, Brazil and Uruguay, before being defeated by Austria in the tournament quarterfinals.\nThough Sarkodie was a major contributor for IU in his freshman year and trained with the MLS team, the Columbus Crew, during the off-season for the past three years, he said he was excited to get the call letting him know he was officially on the U.S. team.\n“When I first got the official call from (men’s U-20 coach) Thomas Rongen, I was extremely excited and proud to represent my country on that level and so excited to play with such a talented group of guys,” Sarkodie said. “To get to showcase my own talents within that team was such a privilege, and to have my family come up and be able to watch me play against some of the best teams in the world at that level, it was an amazing experience.”\nSarkodie, who usually plays in 5,000-seat Bill Armstrong Stadium , competed in front of a sold-out crowd of 26,500, in America’s cup win against Brazil in the group stage. He said it was a different, but great, experience.\n“The atmosphere is unlike anything you’ve ever played in front of before,” Sarkodie said.\n“You have this feeling of pride and nationalism,and you get the tingles in the stomach. It’s an amazing experience to see so many people come out and support their country, support the players and support the game of soccer.”\nThe sense of pride and representing the U.S. that Sarkodie said he felt didn’t stop with him, as IU men’s soccer coach Mike Freitag said he was proud to see his talented defender participating in such a prestigious event.\n“When your player is on the(World Cup) team, you are proud for them and proud of the fact that they’ve been in your program,” Freitag said. “You hope that you’ve had some type of an effect on them, but ultimately, it’s them who got themselves there.”\nSarkodie’s teammate, junior goalkeeper Chay Cain , said Sarkodie will be a tremendous asset this season to the Hoosiers given his international experience.\n“He’s going play a huge role this year, because with guys we have, he’s probably one of the only guys who has that international experience,” Cain\nsaid. “We’re going need him to step up for us in tight situations and help our team get through this since he’s been through it before.” Sarkodie said what he wanted to take away from his experience was to grow as a player.\n“The main thing I wanted to take away (from the World Cup) was my development,” Sarkodie said.\n“As a player, what am I learning and where do I plan on being three months or three years down the road?\nAnd this is a step closer to being a national team player for our full team and my dreams of playing as a professional athlete either here or in Europe.”
(09/28/07 4:33am)
Inside the lounge of the No.19-ranked IU men’s soccer team is a dry-erase board that has many random writings on it, but one statement on the board stands out from the rest. \nThe board reads “good luck this season,” and the Hoosiers just might need it as they head into a tough conference schedule that begins 7 p.m. Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich., against No.10 Michigan, who is 8-0-1 on the season.\nThe Hoosiers, who won the Big Ten last season and were picked to do so again by conference coaches, enter this game ranked behind the Wolverines and No. 3 Northwestern. IU (4-3-1) only has a better record than 2-4-1 Penn State entering the Big Ten season.\nThis may not be the way the Hoosiers wanted to begin the season, but sophomore midfielder Lee Hagedorn said the Hoosiers will try to ride the momentum from their recent win over Butler to a good start in the Big Ten. \n“We just want to get off to a fast start at Michigan,” Hagedorn said. “I think we can go out to their place and give them a good game. After this win (against Butler), I think we’ll be really confident and take it to them.”\nThe Hoosiers have recently fallen on some hard times, but sophomore forward Darren Yeagle said they are not fazed by the losses. \n“Our team forgets about losses,” Yeagle said. “We forget about the past, and we just focus on the next game.”\nDespite the confidence the players exude, IU coach Mike Freitag said the trip will be a tough one because of the untimely turnaround from their Butler contest.\n“It’s going to be a tall order,” Freitag said. “People don’t realize how physically demanding it is to go out and run for an hour and a half and recover for a game two days later. It’s not easy.”\nIU has a wealth of depth at many positions, and some players are not exactly getting the playing time they expected. Freitag talked about what it takes to get that time on the field for IU. \n“I think the message got out to the kids this week that the guys who are going to get on the field are the guys who get it done, guys who are going to hustle,” Freitag said. “(Freshman forward) Neil Wilmarth doesn’t come from a great soccer background, but he brings a hustle that I hope will be contagious to my team.”\nThe Hoosiers will need that hustle, because they have experienced some offensive woes this season. This is illustrated in their shot on goal \npercentage, which sits at 38 percent. IU also has a shot percentage of .088 – .002 points below their opponents’ .090.\nGetting healthy could be a major offensive asset for the Hoosiers, who are missing junior midfielders Brian Ackley and John Mellencamp. Yeagle, who recently returned from an anterior cruciate ligament injury is happy to be on the field. Yeagle said watching his team perform was the toughest part of his rehabilitation.\n“Sitting on the bench and watching the team play (was hard),” he said. “In the summer, I had rehab every day, so it was pretty tough, but you have to go through, it because this is what I want to do.”\nThough he doesn’t have a set date for a full return, Yeagle said he said he is thrilled about the Big Ten season.\n“I’m very excited,” Yeagle said. “Big Ten’s a big part of our season because of the NCAA (tournament), and it affects our confidence going in.”
(09/27/07 4:26am)
As the IU men’s soccer team took the field for pre-game introductions, there were three gaping holes in the lineup.\nForward Kevin Noschang, midfielder Brian Ackley and forward Darren Yeagle, the bulk of the Hoosiers’ offense the last two seasons, all sat on the bench to begin IU’s 2-0 win over Butler.\nOne of those holes was filled today when Yeagle stepped on the field for the first time this season after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the spring. He played in the latter stages of the game once the Hoosiers had the game at hand. Seeing him out there was a great sign for an IU offense that has been struggling to put points on the board.\nYeagle said it was great to be back on the field.\n“Amazing, the best feeling ever,” Yeagle said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better night than tonight.” \nIU coach Mike Freitag said he was happy to see Yeagle back on the field.\n“It’s good to have Darren (Yeagle) back. He was important to our success last year – and it’s a shame that he got hurt last year – but I know and everybody knows that he’s working hard, and he’ll be back in tip-top shape,” Freitag said. “What he needs is one hard tackle in practice or a game so he’ll get over that injury and psychologically heal.” \nAfter three games and 17 days, the Hoosiers finally returned to winning form after starting the season 3-0. Though the Hoosiers gained their first win in three games, obvious problems on offense were present in the first half. They couldn’t post a goal on the unranked Bulldogs for most of the game. The contest was a stalemate until midfielder Billy Weaver, who gained two big assists that led to the only two scores of the game, took control.\nWeaver said it was great to get over the losing streak.\n“It’s great to get the victory after losing three straight,” Weaver said. “In practice we all had a good attitude, and we all were really hard on ourselves for losing three straight.” \nIU sophomore midfielders Lee Hagedorn and Eric Alexander both scored within four minutes of each other at 64:03 and 68:26, respectively, to turn around an otherwise ugly game for the Hoosiers.\nFreitag said he was impressed with the team’s effort and Hagadorn’s play.\n“The effort was good, but the play was OK,” Freitag said. “I know we can play better. Hagi (Lee Hagadorn) makes things happen and makes runs that other people don’t run and has a good instinct for getting behind people.”\nThough there was room for improvement, the Hoosiers defense and junior goalie Chay Cain – who tallied six saves on the game – held IU together in the first half. Butler only attempted two shots with one on-goal in the first half. The Hoosiers continued their defensive dominance in the second half to earn the shutout.\nFreitag said he was impressed with Cain’s performance.\n“I gave (goalkeeper Chay Cain) compliments in the locker room,” Freitag said. “In the second half, they had a couple of good shots and he was ready to play.”
(09/27/07 4:00am)
Subtlety and nuance aren't familiar elements when it comes to the\nhorror works of director David Cronenberg. Here is a man who deals in the grotesque, whether it involves Jeff Goldblum mutating into a fly or\nJames Spader having sex with a leg wound. "Eastern Promises" is a whole\ndifferent kind of monstrosity where it isn't the gore that unsettles\nthe audience - it's what's going on in the minds of the central characters.\nOn a cold London night, a woman gives birth to a little girl and the\nmother dies in the process. Anna (Naomi Watts) is the nurse on duty to \nrecord the death and, in a bout of curiosity, lifts the dying woman's\ndiary from her purse. Unable to translate the Russian writing, Anna\ndiscovers a business card tucked in the pages which leads her to a Russian restaurant where the owner, Semyon (Armin Mueller-Stahl), is more than delighted to translate it for her. What Anna doesn't know is this seemingly harmless grandfather is one of the heads of the "Vory v Zakone" a.k.a. the Russian mafia, and the diary tells a lot more than what the dying, pregnant woman was eating on a daily basis.\nSemyon has a son named Kirill (Vincent Cassell) whose loose-cannon behavior could cost Semyon his position. But it's Kirill's driver and underling Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen) who is the real centerpiece of "Promises." He speaks softly and shows little emotion; his hair is perfectly groomed, his eyes are hidden by sunglasses and his face looks to have seen a few Siberian winters. When a man spits in his face, all Nikolai does is raise two fingers to his throat and point at the man to\nsummon fear.\n"Promises" is a movie that haunts the mind. Sure it's violent, featuring a brutal bathhouse fight that'll go down in the cinema history books for Cronenberg's unflinching vision, but what sticks in your head is the performances. The way Mortensen's eyes seem like giant black holes when the sunglasses are off or when Mueller-Stahl cracks a smile of deceptive reassurance. The dead woman's diary entries serve as narration throughout and you can hear the shift in her voice as she comes to realize that her hopes of finding a new life in London slowly\ncorrode into a horrifying mess. All of this perfectly accented by a somber score from composer Howard Shore who has been with the body horror auteur since 1979's "The Brood."\nSome of Cronenberg's most devout fans have lamented recently that he's \nsold-out, that he went mainstream with 2005's "A History of Violence"\nand "Eastern Promises" only reaffirms their suspicions. For a director\nwho has mostly dealt in the fantastical, of a man who becomes a fly or has a cavity in his stomach which plays video tapes, it only seems\nlogical for Cronenberg to head in a new direction towards the horrors that are all too real in our world.
(09/26/07 11:57pm)
Freshman forward Michael Roach of the IU men’s soccer team doesn’t have to worry about curfew these days. But when he was in high school, it was a major issue. \nDuring his junior year, Roach was late for curfew and was in a rush to get home. He sped over a one-lane bridge in the rain and overcorrected while crossing, flipping the car over and landing in a ditch. \nDespite the injuries Roach endured as a result of the wreck, IU coach Mike Freitag and the Hoosiers never gave up on the standout forward. Their loyalty is paying off. \nAmazingly, Roach was able to walk away from the accident despite extensive damage to his car. But after Roach walked out of the totaled car and sat down at the scene of the accident, he couldn’t move his upper body. \nA neighbor heard the crash and called the paramedics, and Roach was rushed from hospital to hospital for a battery of tests. He received multiple examinations, and it was determined that he had broken his second vertebra. \nThe doctor gave Roach two options. The first was to have a screw placed directly into his spine, a process that would immediately end Roach’s chances of ever playing soccer again. The other option was to wear an iron halo, which would fuse the bone back together by preventing movement while it healed.\nBut the halo didn’t guarantee safety either. If Roach made any sudden movements or accidentally fell, it could have been extremely detrimental to his health because of the nature of the halo. \nThese circumstances were a blessing in disguise, because Roach was two millimeters from being paralyzed or dead. Roach said his father Mike explained to him that two millimeters was the width of a toothpick.\nWhen Roach returned from his injury, he said he wasn’t sure if he would still possess the soccer skills he once had. \n“When I was in the hospital, I wasn’t sure if I was going to get a scholarship,” Roach said. “I even had doubts about playing soccer again.” \nRoach’s play the previous year caught the eye of many colleges, but Mike Freitag said he had faith that Roach was going to be the player the Hoosiers initially recruited, and he stuck around when other schools left.\n“I was actually going to head over to his next game before the accident occurred,” Freitag said. “A lot of people were turned off, but I had faith in him.” \nFreitag’s faith was proved right, and Roach returned better than ever. He tallied 17 goals and 19 assists as a senior, while also garnering multiple awards en route to a 31-2 record and a Missouri state championship at Chaminade College Prep, the No. 4 nationally ranked team that he captained. \nOnly a year removed from a near-death accident, Roach was named a 2006 National Soccer Coaches Association of America High School All-American, the 2006 NSCAA Missouri Player of the Year, the 2006 Missouri Soccer Coaches Association Player of the Year and the (Missouri) Gatorade Player of the Year after his senior campaign.\nThough Roach received multiple awards and a state championship, he said he didn’t accomplish it by himself.\n“Winning the state championship was a great success for me and my team,” Roach said. “My teammates were a tremendous help. They came over and saw me at some of the worst times in my life, but they always stayed positive and told me that I was going to be back on the field with them.”\nFreitag said the perseverance Roach showed in his senior year was one of the reasons the Hoosiers recruited him.\n“That’s one of the things we admired about him,” Freitag said. “He’s a tough kid and a fighter, and he’s such a hard worker and an extremely positive young man.”\nRoach continues to overcome obstacles even after entering college, and he recorded his first career goal for the Hoosiers in IU’s 3-1 win Sept. 9 over Rhode Island.\n“When I scored, I was in shock,” Roach said. “I turned, and all my teammates were congratulating me, and for a second, I just stopped and thought about how far I’d come in the past two years.”\nRoach said he thought it was a great compliment that IU recruited him after the accident and that he will continue to take steps forward.\n“IU still had faith in me,” Roach said. “It was great to know I had support after so many people doubted me, and I felt like the (IU) scholarship was a second chance to prove everyone wrong.”
(09/24/07 3:47am)
Friday’s contest between IU and the University of Alabama at Birmingham was a reunion of sorts for the IU soccer family as Hoosier soccer legend Jerry Yeagley was reunited with two of his former players. \nThe reunion between the three was a bit unusual because one of the former players, UAB coach Mike Getman, was on the sideline opposite of the other former player, IU coach Mike Freitag. One of the two coaches had to lose the game, and unfortunately, IU (3-3-1) was on the wrong side of that equation, losing 2-1 to the Blazers.\nGetman said it was a pleasure to compete against Freitag.\n“We played together and were roommates when we were assistant coaches at IU,” Getman said. “We’ve been friends for 30 years, and I enjoy competing against him.” \nFreitag said he likes competing against Getman because it’s good competition, but he’s disappointed that things didn’t go IU’s way.\nGetman and Freitag faced each other for the fourth time in their careers – IU won last year’s contest 2-1, and the two other meetings were tied. This match resulted in coach Getman’s first win as a coach against his alma mater. \nGetman said he enjoys being back at IU and that this win will give his team \nsome momentum.\n“When I hear the IU fight song, it’s hard not to sing along. It’s a real pleasure to play against IU,” Getman said. “Though one game never makes a season, this is a big boost.” \nFormer coach Jerry Yeagley echoed Getman’s statement and summed up the mixed feelings that both parties felt.\n“I was cheering for IU,” Yeagley said. “I’m proud of both of them and I’m happy for Mike (Getman) getting his first win against IU, but still disappointed (about the IU loss).” \nBeyond the nostalgic element of the night, the game had real implications for the Hoosiers. This loss gave IU its first three-game losing streak since the 2000 team ended its season with three straight losses. \nDespite giving a valiant effort in the second half, IU didn’t exactly start its contest against UAB in ideal fashion, considering the recent two-game skid. The Hoosiers gave up a goal to UAB midfielder Dejan Jakovic only 11 minutes into the game, digging themselves a 1-0 hole that was still intact going into halftime. \nIU came into the second half reenergized, and freshman forward Neil Wilmarth was the source of much of that energy. His hustle kept a ball alive and led to a goal off a rebound for midfielder Rich Balchan in the 58th minute of the match. \nAfter the Hoosiers scored their lone goal of the game, both teams became offensively aggressive. The Hoosiers couldn’t capitalize on many potential goals and led the Blazers in shots 21-9 for \nthe game. \nFreitag said his team had opportunities to win.\n“(UAB) didn’t have a lot of chances, but they took them well.” Freitag said. “We were our own worst enemy at some times, but I’d be more concerned if we didn’t get chances. We’re doing some things right but finding ways to make silly mistakes.”\nThe Blazers made the most of the few opportunities they received, and Jakovic scored his second goal of the game in the 88th minute with a rebound shot off junior goalkeeper Chay Cain. IU scrambled to force overtime after the goal, but came up short.\nGetman said he has faith that his alma mater will recover from its recent losses. \n“They are so well-coached and I’m sure they will have a great season,” he said.\nFreitag agreed that this is just a short dryspell for the Hoosiers and said they’ll learn from it.\n“It’s a learning process,” Freitag said. “In some ways, I’m happy these things happened at this stage because players think they’re doing things right and don’t know it’s wrong unless they get punished. We’ve been punished the last three games, but I think it’ll make \nus stronger.”
(09/13/07 3:49am)
As winners of seven national championships, the IU men’s soccer team is known by many as the most storied program in college soccer history. Saint Louis, however is the one school that leaves that claim up for debate.\nThe No. 2 Hoosiers will continue to compete for the title of “best program in the country” this week in the Saint Louis/Nike Classic. IU will face No. 24 Saint Louis 5 p.m. Thursday and No. 16 Creighton 7 p.m. Saturday.\nIU’s battle with the Billikens started only four years after the Hoosier soccer program was established as a varsity sport in 1973. IU men’s soccer coach Mike Freitag, a St. Louis native, played as a freshman for IU during the two schools’ first encounter in 1976. Freitag said that the 1976 contest was the one that put IU on the radar.\n“That ’76 game against Saint Louis was the one that put us on the map,” Freitag said. “They came to IU and we won 5-1, and my teammate Angelo Dibernardo (a 1991 IU Hall of Fame Inductee) scored five goals for us to win.” \nThe two teams have faced each other 28 times, with IU seeing a lion’s share of the wins, amassing a record of 18-7-3 against the Billikens. The Hoosiers have also been successful historically against Saint Louis in the postseason, ending their season in 1983, 1984 and 1990. \nThough their head-to-head record may seem lopsided, Saint Louis holds the advantage in the category that means the most: number of national championships. The Billikens lead IU 10 to seven in that department – although the Billikens’ most recent championship came 34 years ago. The Hoosiers still own the edge in College Cup appearances and NCAA victories.\nAnother chapter will be added to the rivalry this week, but the Hoosiers are approaching this weekend’s tournament as a chance to validate their No. 2 ranking.\nJunior midfielder Brian Ackley said this week’s competition will help the Hoosiers assess themselves as a team.\n“It’ll be a good test for us,” Ackley said. “As long as we prepare well and don’t think we’re as good as our ranking, this weekend will show us where we really are as a team.”\nWhen the Hoosiers competed against Creighton last year, Ackley scored the winning goal in overtime and IU finished with a 1-0 win. IU fell to Saint Louis 1-0 last season in their only meeting. Ackley said he believes this will be the toughest competition of the season.\n“I feel this will be the two hardest games all season,” Ackley said. “And with our ranking, a lot of people are looking to bite at our heels.”\nFreitag agreed that the Hoosiers’ ranking puts a target on his team and said he embraces it.\n“We’ve had a bull’s eye for 30 years, and we’re hoping it stays there for a long time,” Freitag said. “We get everyone’s best shot, and a win against IU could make someone’s season.”\nFreshman forward Michael Roach, a St. Louis native, said he thinks the game against the Billikens will be a competitive one. \n“I think it’s going to be a fast-paced game with a lot of action,” Roach said. “It’ll be a lot of people watching the game because they love the game of soccer and they know the tradition of IU and Saint Louis.”\nFreitag said Saint Louis tested IU last year and that they can redeem themselves this year.\n“Last year, Creighton was tough, but the Saint Louis game was the only one where I thought we were outplayed,” he said. “I know the guys were embarrassed by their performance (against Saint Louis), and now we have a chance to right that wrong.”
(09/07/07 4:40am)
After a successful weekend in the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic, the No. 4-ranked Hoosiers will be traveling to South Bend to compete in the Mike Berticelli Tournament hosted by Notre Dame.\nIU will face Northern Illinois at 5:00 p.m. Friday and Rhode Island at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. IU coach Mike Freitag said both matches will be tough. \n“Both teams have quality programs, and I worry about these types of games, because it’s easy to get up for the two games (one) weekend against Maryland and UCLA at home with great fans supporting you,” Freitag said. “But now we’re going to a neutral site and we’re ranked higher, so we’ll see how focused we are, because both teams can knock off anybody on a given day if they’re not ready.”\nThe Hoosiers faced Northern Illinois in the NCAA tournament last year, and came out with a 1-0 win in a tight game. Freitag said Northern Illinois is a tough opponent, and he expects them to play a physical game.\n“They’re a very direct team, and they get after the ball,” Freitag said. “We have to be ready to challenge and also be good on the ball, because if we take care of the ball, they’ll get fewer opportunities to launch balls into our box.”\nIU will go into this weekend tournament with a record of 1-0-1 after a 1-1 tie with now No. 6-ranked Maryland and a 1-0 victory against now-No. 11-ranked UCLA last weekend. The Hoosiers went the distance this weekend, playing all the way through overtime with Maryland and grabbing the UCLA win in the dying minutes of the match with goals in each match from junior forward Kevin Noschang, who was named both NSCAA Player of the Week and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts. \nSophomore defender Ofori Sarkodie said the Hoosiers learned a lot from last weekend’s games. \n“We learned a lot about ourselves and the depth of our team,” Sarkodie said. “I think we learned a lot about the characteristics of the team and the personalities of ourselves. This weekend, we learned how hard we have to work, and we want to make sure we stay sharp technically, mentally and physically.” \nThough both Northern Illinois and Rhode Island made the NCAA tournament last year, junior forward George Tembon said he expects the Hoosiers to perform well this weekend.\n“They’re Division I programs, so I’m sure they’ll bring their A-game and play hard. But we’re going to come out and continue what we’ve been doing this season,” Tembon said. “We have the right personnel and everyone seems to have the same goal, and I feel we should have a lot of success.”\nThe Hoosiers have thus far performed well against exceptional competition this season. Despite that good start, Freitag said he still wants to see better play from his team.\n“We played two good teams, so the guys know what level (the) competition is at, but we are making mistakes that we need to make sure to get cleaned up,” Freitag said. “I love the energy, the fight and the hustle that we had this past weekend. But if you keep making the same mistakes, sooner or later, they’ll catch up to you.”