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(02/12/08 4:46am)
A victory over Purdue does wonders for a Hoosier team.\nIU’s 143-100 win over the Boilermakers Saturday left the men’s swimming and diving team feeling confident heading into the Big Ten Championships. It also gave the Hoosier seniors a positive end to their careers at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.\nThe No. 8 Hoosiers defeated rival No. 12 Purdue both in the pool and on the boards in the team’s last home meet of the season. IU divers took first, second and third place in platform diving and three of the top four spots in the 3-meter board. Freshman standout Landon Marzullo continued his recent dominance, racking up nine points on \nthe platform. \nIU swimmers also saw several victories, including the 400-yard medley squad comprised of four upperclassmen. Seniors Ben Hesen, Todd Patrick and Pat Penoyar and junior Matt Lenton won the medley relay with a season-best time of 3:15.62. \nFourteen individual members of the team also saw season-best times, including senior John Kevin Koehler in the 1000-yard freestyle.\nThree divers also earned season-best marks. Hesen attributed some of these victories to a change in attitude from \nhis teammates.\n“A lot of guys who most of the season would maybe be low on confidence seemed to have a breakthrough swim,” Hesen said. “That’s really going to open us up for Big Tens.”\nAlthough Hesen dominated the 200-yard backstroke in previous few meets, it was freshman Kurt Bassett who placed best of the Hoosier swimmers, winning the event and helping to show just how deep the team truly is.\n“Ben (Hesen) and Todd (Patrick) have really carried us this year,” IU head swim coach Ray Looze said. “It was great to see some other guys joining in.”\nNext up for the Hoosiers is the Big Ten Championships, which runs from Feb. 28 to March 1, and is hosted by heavily favored Michigan. Although IU lost its last meet against the No. 4 Michigan, Hesen said he looks forward to upsetting the Wolverines in their home pool. \nPatrick also said he is looking forward to the meet, but knows there is still some preparation to do.\n“It’s going to be a real, real hostile meet,” Patrick said. “We know that going in there. We’re getting ready.”
(02/08/08 6:26am)
Even though they have had a three-week break, the No. 8 men’s swimming and diving team is still riding the momentum of its victory over Tennessee into this weekend. The Hoosiers will be hosting the Purdue Boilermakers in their last regular season meet on Saturday, where they hope to avenge a tough loss to their in-state rival last season. A year ago, the then-No. 11 Hoosiers lost to then-No. 18 Purdue 125-118.\nThis will be the final home meet for 10 seniors, including standout Ben Hesen. In their last competition, the Hoosiers defeated No. 7 Tennessee by a 32-point margin thanks to several victories from Hesen, including the 100- and 200-yard backstroke. The Boilermakers most recently split a tournament, defeating Wisconsin but falling to Minnesota in the Big Ten Duals. They are currently 4-1 in Big Ten competition.\nAlthough they are coming off an extended break, several members of the Hoosier squad said the thought of competition has pumped them up where the momentum of a big win may have tapered off.\n“Everyday it’s just as important to come in ready to race hard,” said junior swimmer Steffan Troxel. “And since Purdue is a big rival, it’s easy to get up for it.”\nFreshman diver Titus Knight agreed, and said the rivalry is going to help get everyone in a winning mindset, but knows that since Purdue is ranked, this meet could be more competitive than expected.\n“Rivalry is definitely going to pump you up,” Knight said. “You want to beat your rival, obviously. But we’re not going to underestimate them at all.”\nSenior diver Taylor Roberts said although their last meet was a success, the Hoosiers have been working on several weak spots in their performances and are ready to put that practice to the test.\n“We’re looking forward to really showing how hard we’ve been working,” Roberts said. “We’re ready to step up for some big competition.”\nIU coach Ray Looze said he is looking forward to this competition because it is the highest he has seen both squads ranked and expects it to be a good competition. Looze also felt his team will be racing “with a chip on their shoulder” after the loss from last season.\n“We feel like we’ve got a lot to prove,” Looze said. “I remember (last season’s) losses more than any victory. I just hope they remember as well as I do.”
(01/22/08 4:53am)
It was a top-10 showdown in Knoxville this weekend, where two powerhouses brought their expectations and intensity to the meet. But it was the No. 8 Hoosiers who pulled away with the upset, beating the No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers, 166-134. \n“It was the best competition we’ve had thus far,” said IU coach Ray Looze. “But the good news is there’s still room for improvement. We’ve still got a few guys we want to get locked in.”\nSenior swimmers Ben Hesen and Todd Patrick continued their dominance this season, posting three individual wins, including the 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke. \n“We kicked ass,” Hesen said. “I’m real glad because we came together in a way we haven’t shown all year, and two meets before Big Ten’s, it’s exactly what we needed.”\nSenior swimmer Ronald Hehn agreed and said it felt like the team cheered every stroke, which made it feel more like a conference meet.\n“(The meet) was great,” Hehn said. “It felt like it was the first meet where we finally came together and wanted to race harder than the other team.”\nDespite an intense atmosphere, including an entrance by the Tennessee team through a cloud of dry ice smoke, Looze credited his team for keeping their composure and overcoming a few tough losses in the beginning. Patrick agreed with his coach, and said the rivalry that has developed between the two schools makes for a good atmosphere.\n“Anytime you can go into Knoxville and come out with a win is a good accomplishment,” Patrick said. “They take the dual-meet season really seriously and they got a lot of tradition there, so to come out with a win on that point margin is really good for us.”\nThe diving squad also continued its domination, including another first-place finish by freshman Landon Marzullo. Senior Taylor Roberts took second, while senior David Legler took sixth.
(01/18/08 6:05am)
With the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments quickly approaching, IU head coach Ray Looze is doing all he can to prepare his team – including pitting them against some of the toughest competition in the country. No. 7 IU is set to face No. 6 Tennessee on Friday in what is bound to be a difficult competition for both teams. \n“Any team that is inside the top 10 is a quality team,” junior swimmer Matt Lenton said. “Any type of racing where we can race quality competition is going to be beneficial for us. A team like Tennessee is definitely going to help the guys traveling to the (NCAA Tournament) later in the year.”\nIU most recently fell to No. 4 Michigan, 165-133. Although the Hoosiers started the meet strong, they had a hard time keeping the lead. Looze hopes that the meet versus Tennessee is more successful, for both the team and individual races.\n“We’d like to get a lot closer than the 30 points that we lost to Michigan with as many races as we lost,” Looze said. “That’s the real big key; we want to win more races, especially close ones.”\nFreshman diver Landon Marzullo posted a major win on the platforms at Michigan last weekend and IU diving coach Jeff Huber hopes Marzullo and the rest of the team are able to keep up their progress. Although the diving squad did very well overall in its last meet, Huber knows Tennessee is going to be a definite \nchallenge.\n“Tennessee is a great program and (Tennessee diving coach) Dave Parrington is a great coach,” Huber said. “They always have some great divers so we know it will be a very competitive meet this weekend.”\nLooze knew both Michigan and Tennessee were going to be superior programs this season and made sure his team would be facing them toward the end of their season. \n“Even if we lose, I’d rather go against competition that’s really going to put our feet to the fire than to have a false sense of security,” Looze said. “There’s no hiding at the end of the season, so we’re not going to hide now.”
(01/11/08 5:24am)
It is a new year, an old rival and another chance for the Hoosiers to make their mark in the Big Ten.\nThis weekend, IU is set to face the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor, Mich. for the second time this season. IU fell to the Wolverines 167-133 in November in a triple meet with Texas, but IU coach Ray Looze expects to see a different team in the pool this time around.\n“We’re excited,” Looze said. “This meet will really give us a chance to show we are better than what we were first semester, which I firmly believe.”\nIn their last meeting, the Hoosier swimmers put up a hard-fought battle. Senior swimmer Ben Hesen brought IU their first lead of the day in the leadoff leg of the 200-yard medley relay. Hesen later helped put the Hoosiers ahead of Michigan during the 100-meter backstroke. The diving squad also finished with three top-10 finishes, including a second place finish from freshman diver Landon Marzullo. \nIU diving coach Jeff Huber knows his team did well last semester, but agreed with Looze - his team is better than last time. \n“It’ll be a really nice test to see where we’re at (at) the big boy event,” Huber said. “We’re a lot better team since the Ohio State invite back in early December. These guys really worked hard over break.” \nAlthough he is looking forward to competing in the swimming portion of the meet, junior swimmer Steffan Troxel believes it will be the diving squad that will help bolster the Hoosiers score.\n“I think our diving is really going to help us out,” Troxel said. “We’re traditionally a really good diving squad. That is definitely one of our strong points.”\nIn past seasons, the teams agreed that whichever team hosted first would also host the second meeting between the two rivals. However, this season the Hoosiers volunteered to make the trip to Michigan even though they were the host team of the triple meet early last semester. Looze hopes the loss of home advantage will help prepare his team for the Big Ten Tournament, which will take place at Michigan in late February.\nEven though the Michigan team is known for having consistent competitors in nearly every area, Looze thinks the Hoosiers are on an equal playing field.\n“We’re a deep team, too,” Looze said. “We just haven’t been as visible.”
(11/29/07 5:53am)
The Hoosiers’ season ended Wednesday night when they were knocked out of the NCAA Tournament by the Bradley Braves in penalty kicks. \nIn their 32nd postseason appearance as a varsity team, the Braves outshot the Hoosiers, 5-4 in penalty kicks, following two overtimes that did not break the stalemate. The seven-time national champions lost to a team that had never won a NCAA Tournament game until last week.\nDespite the frustrating loss, IU coach Mike Freitag was proud of his team, both in this game and in \ntheir season.\n“I want to commend my team for an outstanding year,” Freitag said. “It didn’t end the way we wanted, but I was proud of this team. I know this team will continue to grow.”\nIU was the first to strike in the game. Freshman Rich Balchan brought the ball up the right side of the field on a fast break, where he was met by two defenders. Balchan crossed the ball into the middle of the 18-yard box, where junior John Mellencamp sent a rocket into to back of the net at the 1:37 mark. \nWith a little more than 16 minutes left in the first half, the Hoosiers lost Hermann Trophy semi-finalist Brad Ring to a sprained ankle, and his absence made an obvious impact in the second half. \nFrom the very beginning of the second half, the Hoosiers had a difficult time retaining possession of the ball. Not only were possessions lost, but the Braves made sure to not let any opportunity slip by. Several times, they brought the ball within the six-yard box, where the Hoosiers also had difficulties clearing it out. They managed to keep the ball out of the goal until the 68:35 mark, when Bradley midfielder Steven Brust managed to capitalize in traffic and score the game tying goal. \n“It was just one of those instances where the ball just slipped through,” senior Charley Traylor said. “No one was able to step to it quick enough and they were able to get a shot off.”\nIU stepped their offense up in both overtimes, nearly scoring with a little more than three minutes ticked off the clock in the first overtime. Mellencamp sent a corner kick to sophomore Ofori Sarkodie at the top of the box where he sent it towards goal, but it was tipped by Bradley goalie Mike Haynes over the top and out \nof bounds.\nThis was the first game action the Hoosiers had seen in 17 days. Several members of the team who were plagued with injuries had time to recuperate, including junior Brian Ackley who had been battling a hamstring injury for the latter half of the regular season. Ackley was one of the four Hoosiers who made their shots in the penalty kick period, along with Billy Weaver, Andy Adlard and Eric Alexander. After Bradley made all five of their penalty shots, the game rested in the hands of freshman Michael Roach. Roach sent his shot high, and although the Bradley goalie got his fingers on the ball, it ultimately bounced off the crossbar to seal the victory for the Braves.\nIU goalkeeper Chay Cain said ending a game in penalty kicks is one of the worst parts of soccer, and that it can be a make-or-break situation.\n“You go in with the best expectations possible,” Cain said. “You don’t always come out on the upside. Penalty kicks just come down to that instance, that moment, and you either step up or you don’t.”
(11/28/07 5:53am)
It was 25 years ago that the IU men’s soccer team fought Duke through a record eight overtimes to come out with what might be one of the most important victories in IU history. The victory sealed the championship trophy that IU coach Jerry Yeagley had seen slip through his fingers three times before, and kicked off one of the most storied college soccer dynasties of all time.
(11/21/07 12:28pm)
The IU men’s soccer team was awarded the fourth seed Monday as the NCAA released the bracket for this season’s tournament. Boston College was awarded the one-seed.\nIU is one of the 16 teams granted a first round bye, and is set to face the winner of the DePaul versus Bradley game. The Hoosiers are scheduled to face either of these opponents at Bill Armstrong Stadium at 7 p.m. on Nov. 28. \nThis is the 21st consecutive season the Hoosiers have played in the NCAA tournament and 32nd tournament appearance overall.
(11/12/07 4:55am)
It was deja vu for the Hoosiers this weekend. \nAfter a physical and hard-fought game, IU and Ohio State saw themselves stalemated at a 0-0 tie, much as they had earlier in the season. This time, however, penalty kicks were assessed in order to determine which of the two powerhouses would win the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Although the score will go into the record books as a tie, it was OSU who came out on top, 5-4, and secured themselves a tournament bid. \n“It’s frustrating,” freshman Neil Wilmarth said. “Their two center backs are strong and hard to get by. It makes it hard to finish an opportunity when we get one.” \nWilmarth nearly scored a goal with 9:46 left in regulation. Freshman Daniel Kelly fed Wilmarth, who was wide open in front of the net, the ball inside the 18-yard box. He sent a shot toward the goal, but the ball bounced hard off the right pole and out of bounds. \nThe Hoosiers were a bit more fortunate in their first match, a 1-0 win on Friday. Against host team and No. 5-seed Michigan State, Wilmarth scored the only goal of the game off a cross in the box from senior Charley Traylor. Traylor sent the ball to the far end of the box where Wilmarth headed it into the lower corner of the goal. MSU goalkeeper Chris Austin nearly blocked the shot, but was a half-second too slow. \nDespite the frustrating end on Sunday, the weekend was still relatively successful for IU. Several Hoosiers garnered individual awards at the Big Ten banquet on Thursday evening. Juniors Chay Cain and Brad Ring and sophomores Ofori Sarkodie and Eric Alexander were named to the All-Big Ten first team. Junior Kevin Noschang and sophomore Kevin Alston were named to the second team, while Kelly and Rich Balchan made the roster for the All-Freshmen Team. Traylor was the recipient of the Sportsmanship Award for IU, while IU coach Mike Freitag was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for the second year in a row. While recognizing the honor in this award, Freitag said it was less of a testament to him than a testament to his team. \n“When your team is in first place, you’re Coach of the Year,” Freitag said. “It’s more of a team award than an individual award. It really says something about the guys.” \nThe NCAA tournament is set to begin Nov. 23, and Ring said there are some things his team plans to do between now and then to prepare.\n“We need to learn to concentrate more,” Ring said. “We have to try to get the ball into the corner.”
(11/05/07 4:29am)
History tends to repeat itself – or so the IU men’s soccer team hopes.\nWith their 0-0 tie Sunday in Madison, Wis., the Hoosiers closed out the regular season with a conference record of 4-0-2 and officially clinched the Big Ten regular season title. The last time the Hoosiers ended their conference season undefeated was 2003, when they not only captured the Big Ten regular season title, but also won the Big Ten Tournament and their sixth national championship.\nThat year was both the end and the beginning of an era. It was legendary coach Jerry Yeagley’s last season at the helm and the season before current IU coach Mike Freitag took over\nthe Hoosiers.\nYeagley’s 2003 team ended their regular season 11-3-4. With Sunday’s tie, this season’s Hoosiers finished with a record of 12-4-3 in Freitag’s \nfourth season. \nFreitag said consistent teamwork is crucial to continued success, an attribute he saw in the 2003 team, as well as this \nseason’s squad.\n“The thing that is similar between successful teams is their ability to work as a team,” Freitag said. “The individual comes second and the team comes first. This team has done well. They work together, and they don’t let egos get in \nthe way.”\nThough they have already played 19 games this season, some of the biggest tests still remain for the Hoosiers. Freshman midfielder Rich Balchan said the team is not looking ahead, but expects to do well in the postseason.\n“We got good results in the regular season,” Balchan said. “There’s no reason we can’t do well in the Big Ten Tournament and get a good seed for the NCAAs.”\nBalchan also said it was an honor to be a part of such a successful team in only his first year of college. Junior midfielder Brad Ring shared Balchan’s pride in his team, and noted how much work went into making this \nseason successful.\n“It feels good,” Ring said. “It’s a strong conference, so to come out on top really \nsays something.”\nFreitag said he is also proud of his team’s performance, and he is glad they were able to accomplish one of their goals for the season. However, he pointed out that several goals remain.\n“We’re proud of this season,” Freitag said. “Now it starts. In the NCAAs, you got to get it done. One loss and you’re out.”\nThe Hoosiers will arrive in East Lansing, Mich., later this week for the conference tournament with the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye. They will face either Michigan State or Penn State on Friday.
(11/02/07 4:21am)
Before every season, teams make lists of goals they hope to accomplish by season’s end. This weekend, the No. 9 IU men’s soccer team travels to Wisconsin in hopes of checking off the first goal on its “To-Do” list – clinching the Big Ten regular season title. \nIf the Hoosiers (12-4-2, 4-0-1) defeat the Badgers (6-6-5, 0-3-2), they will clinch the conference title outright. They are currently in contention for the top spot with Ohio State and Northwestern. The Hoosiers hold a major advantage over both of these teams, however. IU is undefeated in conference so far this season, whereas both of these teams have at least one loss.\nSenior Charley Traylor said the team is feeling good going into this weekend’s game and hopes the winning momentum carries over to Sunday’s game. \n“We’re feeling very confident,” Traylor said. “Our first goal of the season is to win the Big Ten regular season, and I think we have a really good shot at it. We’re going into Wisconsin on a roll right now.”\nThe Hoosiers are currently riding a six-game unbeaten streak, including wins in their last three games. IU most recently defeated Kentucky by a score of 4-0.\nShowing their offensive depth, four different Hoosiers scored goals on the night. Junior midfielder Brad Ring was one of those four players, netting his fifth goal of the season. Earlier this week, Ring was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. Ring said the team looks forward to continuing the recent streak and is confident it can do so. \n“We played well against Kentucky,” he said. “We got a good result there. We’re hoping to go to Wisconsin and do the same thing.” \nAlthough the team has the opportunity to clinch the title away from Bill Armstrong Stadium, Traylor said he still expects a strong turnout of Hoosier faithful. \n“We have such a good fan base,” Traylor said. “They travel everywhere. It almost feels like it’s a home game everywhere we go. We don’t really worry about the venue, we just go out there and have the same mentality every game.” \nJunior midfielder Billy Weaver also feels his team is up for the challenge they face this weekend. Although they know how potentially big this game could be, Weaver said no one feels jittery. \n“We don’t get nervous.” Weaver said.
(11/01/07 1:42pm)
In the second to last game of the regular season, the IU men’s soccer team showed the Kentucky Wildcats just how dangerous it is. \nRiding high on a three-game win streak – including wins in five of their last six games – the Hoosiers defeated the Wildcats with a score of 4-0 in Lexington on Wednesday night. Freshmen Rich Balchan and Daniel Kelly, sophomore Eric Alexander and junior Brad Ring all scored a goal. Balchan also recorded an assist on Alexander’s goal in the 51st minute. \nJunior midfielder Billy Weaver was also a major contribution to the Hoosiers’ offensive attack, as he tallied three assists on the night. \n“We looked great,” Weaver said. “Defensively, we didn’t give them time to do anything. They were stuck kicking balls out of bounds.” \nRecently IU has had trouble finishing, most notably in the recent 0-0 tie with Ohio State despite 18 shots, seven of which were on-goal. Weaver said that although scoring has been an issue for his team lately, he wasn’t sure what was different in the game versus Kentucky that led to their offensive domination. \n“I really don’t know why we played like we did tonight,” Weaver said. “Everything was going right for us.” \nAlexander agreed with his teammate and said that his team looked great on the pitch tonight. \n“We played really well,” Alexander said. “We had more energy. It was definitely one of our better games.” \nNot only the players were pleased with their play. IU coach Mike Freitag said he was worried coming into the game because Kentucky has been a physical and demanding team in the past, but Freitag was happy with the result. \n“I am very pleased with the effort tonight,” Freitag said. “They played well. They made the ball do the work. It was definitely one of our better games.” \nThe Hoosiers will head to Wisconsin this weekend with the hope of clinching the Big Ten regular season title outright. With a victory in Madison, IU would be 5-0-1 in conference play and the only undefeated team in the Big Ten.\nAlexander said his team is enjoying the win streak and looking forward to tournament time, both conference and national. \n“It feels good (to win versus Kentucky),” he said. “We’re really getting excited about the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA’s.”
(11/01/07 4:00am)
1. Spoon -- "My First Time, Vol. 3"
(11/01/07 4:00am)
1. Jens Lekman -- Night Falls Over Kortedala
(10/29/07 4:23am)
Sunday was a sad day for seniors Charley Traylor, Chris Munroe and Greg Stevning, as they played their last regular-season home match on Jerry Yeagley Field. But there was no time for sulking. \nWith their 1-0 win over Penn State, the Hoosiers officially clinched at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title. This is the 12th time IU has been crowned regular season champions. \nThe Hoosiers currently sit at the top of the conference ahead of both Michigan State and Ohio State, but the team is still set to face one more conference foe. \nNext weekend, the Hoosiers will take on the Wisconsin Badgers on the road with the hope of clinching the regular season title outright. The team is also set to face Kentucky on Wednesday. \nSenior goalkeeper Chris Munroe said that although it’s a great accomplishment to be at the top of the conference, there are still two more hurdles to get over before the conference tournament begins.\n“It’s nice to reach one of our goals,” Munroe said, “but no one’s satisfied. We still have two regular season games and the NCAAs, so there’s still some work to do.”\nSenior midfielder Charley Traylor agreed with Munroe, saying it is exciting to achieve a preseason goal, but he also has his eyes set on an even bigger prize.\n“I expect to go to Wisconsin next weekend and outright win the conference,” Traylor said.\nEven though they have already clinched a title this season, the Hoosiers know they can’t simply coast until the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments. Junior midfielder Brad Ring said his team still has several hurdles to get over before tournament time.\n“Kentucky plays hard defense,” Ring said. “We’d like to get a victory down there and a victory at Wisconsin to win the Big Ten straight out and to have a streak going into the Big Ten Tournament.”\nIU coach Mike Freitag said his team has a long way to go before the season is over, and needs to fight through some recurring injuries. \nAlthough the team is still far from winning its eighth national championship, Freitag said his players should be proud of what they have accomplished so far this season, especially with the Big Ten conference being exceptionally strong.\n“I think in the past, we took (winning the Big Ten regular season title) for granted,” Freitag said. “Now it’s an accomplishment we’re proud of ... If we are to go up to Wisconsin and get through the regular season undefeated, that is a testament to these guys.”
(10/26/07 3:43am)
With 16 games down and three remaining in the regular season, the IU men’s soccer team knows there is no time for mistakes.\nAfter a short break from conference play that saw them defeat Evansville 2-1, the No. 11 Hoosiers return to the pitch at Bill Armstrong Stadium this weekend to take on Penn State. IU leads the all-time series 24-9-3, but the Nittany Lions notched wins in three of their last four meetings.\nIn their most recent regular season clash, Penn State stunned the Hoosiers with a 1-0 victory on Oct. 20, 2006, snapping a six-game IU winning streak. The Nittany Lions were able to put a goal on the board in the first two minutes of play, and the Hoosiers never answered. \nHowever, the Hoosiers managed to defeat the Nittany Lions in the Big Ten Tournament later in the season.\nAt Wednesday’s game against Evansville, IU coach Mike Freitag thought his team did a poor job on the field, but he has confidence they’ll be ready to play come Sunday’s match.\n“Based on your last game, you’re only as good as your last game,” Freitag said. “We weren’t very good (against Evansville). I challenged them a little bit ... and I know they’ll bounce back and be ready to play on Sunday.”\nPenn State has given the Hoosiers some trouble over the last few seasons, and several of the veteran players on the team have been looking forward to this game and the challenge Penn State brings. Junior midfielder Brad Ring said the Nittany Lions have always tested IU during his time as a Hoosier, and he foresees a good match.\n“We’re confident, for sure,” Ring said. “They’ve been struggling a little bit, but we still know they’re a quality opponent. We’re looking forward to (the game).”\nThis game comes at a crucial point in the season for the Hoosiers. They currently sit atop the Big Ten standings with a conference record of 3-0-1, but both Michigan State and Ohio State are tied for second place with records of 2-1-1. With only two conference games remaining, the Hoosiers can clinch the conference title outright if they win out. \nAlthough it is still his rookie season, freshman Rich Balchan knows the how critical this game is to his team.\n“We only have two more Big Ten games and we’re top of the conference, so these last two games are huge,” Balchan said. “It’s definitely a very, very important game.”
(10/25/07 3:54am)
It was a brisk and windy evening at Bill Armstrong Stadium, but the Hoosiers were hot.\nComing off a frustrating 0-0 tie versus Ohio State on Sunday, IU came out with a vengeance against the Evansville Purple Aces, defeating them in a close 2-1 game. The Hoosiers totaled a whopping 21 shots to the Purple Aces’ 13. \nEvansville started off the game looking rushed and nervous, but it was the Hoosiers who saw themselves being outplayed in the first half. IU appeared flustered with several bad touches resulting in turnovers. The Hoosiers also saw several turnovers because of offsides calls, two of which came at critical scoring opportunities. \nDespite some of the miscues, the Hoosiers had their first opportunity for a goal with less than six minutes ticked off the clock. An Evansville foul awarded IU a free kick, and freshman forward Daniel Kelly took the ball to the top of the 18-yard box before firing off a laser toward the goal. The Evansville goalkeeper Alec Dufty blocked the ball, but junior forward Kevin Noschang corralled the rebound and let off another shot which Dufty knocked away in a spectacular one-armed save. \nEvansville was the first team on the scoreboard with a little more than 23 minutes remaining in the half. The Purple Aces’ Stephan Minyono passed the ball into Cory Elenio who worked the middle of the box. Carmel native and 2006-07 Gatorade Indiana Boys’ Soccer Player of the Year Robbie Lynch knocked the ball low and just to the lower right of the goal past goalkeeper Chay Cain. \nAlmost 21 minutes later, the Hoosiers answered with a powerful goal off the foot of junior midfielder Brad Ring. The ball crossed into the box from the corner and – although it looked as it would easily be cleared by the Evansville defenders – Ring broke through the line to nail the ball into the back of the net at point-blank range. \n“I was really just trying to get it on frame,” Ring said. “I ended up hitting it harder than I hoped to.” \nBoth teams came into the second half fired up and looking for the winning goal, but it was the Hoosiers who capitalized. With 22:14 left in the game, freshman Rich Balchan took the ball up the middle and attempted to shake an Evansville defender. It was nearly taken away, but managed to bounce back into Balchan’s \npossession and in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, Balchan knocked it into the lower right side for his third goal of the season and first game-winner. \n“I’m always just trying to look ahead,” Balchan said. “I saw their defender was taking too much time with the ball and our guy got a toe on it. I’m always just looking for scrappy plays, so I just burst through and got my foot on it and put it in.” \nDespite the win, IU coach Mike Freitag was frustrated with his team’s play. \n“We’re not playing well,” Freitag said. “We didn’t play well tonight. I want us to play to our potential. We’re far from potential.” \nAlthough he was disappointed in his team’s showing, Freitag has confidence his team will come ready to play in their next match Sunday versus Penn State.\n“I know the boys will bounce back,” Freitag said.
(10/22/07 3:55am)
With Big Ten season reaching the final stretch, the IU men’s soccer team tried to make the most of another opportunity this weekend as it faced the Ohio State Buckeyes at Bill Armstrong Stadium. But the No. 16 Hoosiers – winners of 33 of the 35 matches held between the two schools before Sunday – played to a 0-0 draw with the Buckeyes after two overtime periods could not decide a winner. \n“We came out a little flat,” junior goalkeeper Chay Cain said. “I don’t think we came out with the same fire we usually have.”\nThe first half was a roller-coaster ride for both teams, as the Hoosiers began the game with lackluster offensive play, leaving them to spend most of the first 10 minutes defending their goal. IU did a good job clearing the ball out of the box, but the Hoosiers had difficulty setting up offensive plays at the other end of the pitch. \nThe first half also saw great goalkeeping on both ends of the field. There were several opportunities for both teams, including a close call for the Hoosiers with roughly five minutes remaining in the half. \nThe Buckeyes fired a shot toward goal, and Cain was forced to make an acrobatic save in the six-yard box. The rebound was recovered by Ohio State, but Cain was able to get back on his feet in time to dive and save another Buckeye shot. \n“When it’s a 0-0 game like this, you just try to do what you can to keep your team in the game,” Cain said. “When the offense isn’t doing so much, then the defense has to pick it up, and today we did that.”\nIU began the second half with the same intensity it had at the end of the first half, but the Hoosiers had trouble sustaining it. They showed poor offensive intensity in the remaining 10 minutes of play, scrambling for a goal with the remaining two minutes ticking off the clock. Neither team found the net, and the game moved to overtime.\nJunior midfielder Brad Ring said he thought his team looked good on the field, but he said knew facing Ohio State would be tough from the beginning.\n“I thought we had the better of the play,” Ring said. “We had some opportunities to score, which could have made the game a lot easier. It’s always a hard-fought battle with Ohio State.”\nThe exhaustion factor affecting both teams showed in the first overtime period. However, the Buckeyes dominated offensively, leading to a close scare for the Hoosiers. The Buckeyes caught Cain off guard and brought the ball into the 6-yard box. But, despite having a wide-open goal in front of them, no Buckeye could get a foot on the ball before it rolled out of bounds. \nMuch of the rest of the game was uneventful, as the two teams played through a second overtime without a goal, ending the scoreless affair. \nAfter the game, IU coach Mike Freitag said he thinks his team played well, but that he has seen better performances.\n“I felt we were okay today,” Freitag said. “We just missed a little bit of zoom.”
(10/21/07 11:36pm)
As the Big Ten season reaches the final stretch, the IU men’s soccer team tried to make the most of another opportunity this weekend as it faced the Ohio State Buckeyes at Bill Armstrong Stadium. But the No. 16 Hoosiers – winners of 33 of the 35 matches played between the two schools before Sunday – played to a 0-0 draw with the Buckeyes after two overtime periods could not decide a winner. \n“We came out a little flat,” junior goalkeeper Chay Cain said. “I don’t think we came out with the same fire we usually have.”\nThe first half saw was a roller-coaster ride for both teams, as the Hoosiers began the game with lackluster offensive play, leaving them to spend most of the first 10 minutes defending their goal. IU did a great job clearing the ball out of the box, but the Hoosiers had difficulty setting up offensive plays from these opportunities. \nThe first half also saw great goalkeeping on both ends of the field. There were several opportunities for both teams, including a close call for the Hoosiers with roughly five minutes remaining in the half. The Buckeyes fired a shot toward goal, and Cain was forced to make an acrobatic save in the six-yard box. The rebound was recovered by Ohio State, but Cain was able to get back on his feet in time to dive and save another Buckeye shot. \n“When it’s a 0-0 game like this, you just try to do what you can to keep your team in the game,” Cain said. “When the offense isn’t doing so much, then the defense has to pick it up, and today we did that.”\nIU began the second half with the same intensity it had at the end of the first half, but the Hoosiers had trouble sustaining it. They showed poor offensive intensity in the remaining 10 minutes of play, scrambling for a goal with the remaining two minutes ticking off the clock. Neither team found the net, and the game moved to overtime.\nJunior midfielder Brad Ring said he thought his team looked good on the field, but he said knew facing Ohio State would be tough from the beginning.\n“I thought we had the better of the play,” Ring said. “We had some opportunities to score, which could have made the game a lot easier. It’s always a hard-fought battle with Ohio State.”\nThe exhaustion factor affecting both teams showed in the first overtime period. However, the Buckeyes dominated offensively, leading to a close scare for the Hoosiers. The Buckeyes caught Cain off guard and brought the ball into the 6-yard box. But, despite having a wide-open goal in front of them, no Buckeye could get a foot on the ball before it rolled out of bounds. \nMuch of the rest of the game was uneventful, as the two teams played through a second overtime without a goal, ending the scoreless affair. \nAfter the game, IU coach Mike Freitag said he thinks his team plays well, but that he has seen better performances.\n“I felt we were okay today,” Freitag said. “We just missed a little bit of zoom.”
(10/17/07 3:24am)
Rarely does a season get easier as it progresses, and that certainly is not the case for the IU men’s soccer team. After knocking off No. 9 Northwestern, the Hoosiers head north to South Bend to take on No. 4 Notre Dame on Wednesday in the final of three consecutive road games. \nJunior midfielder Brad Ring said he is looking forward to a good showing from the Hoosiers, despite some of the recent tough losses.\n“We’re feeling pretty good,” Ring said. “We had a slip against Louisville, but we stepped it back up again to where we can play against Northwestern, so hopefully we’re back on track.”\nIn their last match, the No. 12 Hoosiers defeated Northwestern 1-0 in Evanston, Ill. Freshman midfielder Daniel Kelly scored the lone goal at the 25:46 mark off of an assist from junior midfielder Billy Weaver. It was Kelly’s third goal of the season and second game-winning goal this term. Kelly is third on the list of top scorers for IU below sophomore midfielder Eric Alexander and junior forward Kevin Noschang, who are tied with four apiece. \nJunior goalkeeper Chay Cain tallied his fifth shutout this season. He is the first goalkeeper to shut out Northwestern this season.\nLast season’s showdown between the Hoosiers and the Fighting Irish was both exciting and disappointing. Notre Dame’s Joseph Lapira netted four goals – including the game winner in a 5-9 overtime victory for the Fighting Irish.\nSophomore defender Ofori Sarkodie said he knows Lapira is a threat, but feels his team is ready for the challenge.\n“He’s a talented player,” Sarkodie said. “You definitely have to give him that recognition. But we’ve trained hard since the Louisville loss and corrected some things against Northwestern. We’re feeling confident, defensively and offensively.”\nThe Hoosiers have an all-time record of 23-5-2 against the Fighting Irish, and IU coach Mike Freitag thinks his team is capable of adding another win to its record.\n“I know what my team can do,” Freitag said. “If we come to play, we’ll have a \ngood performance.”