Indiana University Athletics
Indiana's Big Ten Tournament Notes (11-12-03
11/12/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - After clinching the Big Ten regular season title, Indiana (11-3-4, 5-0-1 Big Ten) will set its sights on capturing the Big Ten Tournament crown this weekend at Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington. Since the Hoosiers are the tournament's top seed and receive first round bye, they will not play until Friday, Nov. 14, at 5 p.m. Indiana will face the winner of No. 4 seed Ohio State and No.5 seed Wisconsin. The match between the Buckeyes and the Badgers kicks off at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.
IU's student radio station, WIUS 1570 AM, will broadcast the Hoosiers' matches. In addition, live, in-game updates for all matches can be found on the Indiana web site at IUHOOSIERS.COM and the Big Ten site at www.bigten.org.
Big Ten Tournament Schedule
The 2003 Big Ten Conference Championship Tournament kicks off on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 11 a.m. when No. 3 seed Michigan State meets No. 6 seed Penn State in the first game of a triple header. At 1:30 p.m., No. 4 Ohio State faces No. 5 Wisconsin. No. 2 seed Michigan battles No. 7 Northwestern at 4 p.m. to round out opening day action. Live updates for all matches will be available at Inidana's official site, IUHOOSIERS.COM and on the Big Ten Conference site at www.bigten.org.
All matches will be played at Bill Armstrong Stadium. Here's a complete look at the game schedule:
Thursday, Nov. 13
#3 Michigan St. vs. #6 Penn State at 11 a.m.
#4 Ohio State vs. #5 Wisconsin at 1:30 p.m.
#2 Michigan vs. #7 Northestern at 4 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 14
# 1 Indiana vs. 4/5 winner at 5 p.m.
#7/2 seed vs. 3/6 winner at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 16
Championship Match
at 2 p.m.* LIVE ON COLLEGE SPORTS TV
Indiana Claims Eighth Straight Big Ten Regular Season Crown
Indiana captured its eighth straight conference regular season championship with a dramatic, come-from-behind, 3-2 victory over Penn State &Mac195;last Saturday . The match between IU and PSU polished off the Big Ten regular season schedule and the Hoosiers came in needing a victory to claim the regular season title. A tie or loss would hand the title to Michigan.
The Nittany Lions came out firing and controlled the opening stanza. Penn State went into the locker room at halftime with a commanding 2-0 lead. IU had a tough road ahead of it.
The Hoosiers responded to the challenge. IU broke up the shutout in the 62nd minute when Pat Yates scored on a give-and-go with Ned Grabavoy. About 10 minutes later, the Hoosiers tied the game as Drew Moor scored his first goal of the season on Brian Plotkin's corner kick. At the 83:37 mark, Plotkin headed home the game winner on a cross from Grabavoy.
Hoosier Update
Indiana is riding a nine-game winning streak entering the Big Ten Conference Tournament that includes five victories at home. National Player-of-the-Year finalist Ned Grabavoy finished the regular season as IU's leading scorer with 29 points on 10 goals and nine assists. In Big Ten play, the co-captain's 13 points tied with Michigan's Knox Cameron for the most of any league player. Grabavoy also led the conference in scoring last season with 15 points. Sophomore midfielder Brian Plotkin, who is this week's Big Ten Player of the Week, is second with 17 points on five goals and seven assists.
Junior goalkeeper Jay Nolly sports 0.68 goals-against average to go with eight shutouts and 48 saves. Nolly's GAA is the best among Big Ten goalkeepers and ranks No. 14 nationally.
Overall the Hoosier defense is No. 11 in the country in GAA (0.68) and ranks tied for 25th in shutout percentage (.044).
Indiana All-Time In The Big Ten Tournament
The Hoosiers have captured nine Big Ten Tournament championships in the 12 seasons the conference has sponsored the event. IU is 18-3 all-time in tournament games. Here's a look at Indiana's record against the rest of the Big Ten in tournament games:
vs. Penn State, 8-2
vs. Northwestern, 2-0
vs. Wisconsin, 3-0
vs. Michigan State, 2-0
vs. Ohio State, 2-1
vs. Michigan, 1-0
Tournament Trivia
• Since the inception of soccer in the Big Ten in 1991, a conference tournament has been played and the Hoosiers have claimed the crown nine times. (In 1995, IU and Wisconsin were declared Co-Champions when the title game was cancelled because of weather.)
• &Mac195;&Mac195;Indiana has hosted the championship in Bloomington three times (1991, 1992 and 1997). The Hoosiers walked away with the championship trophy all three years.
• Of the nine times Indiana has won the tournament, it was the No. 1 seed coming in seven of those years.
Hoosiers in the Polls
The Hoosiers appear in the top 15 in all four national polls this week. In the Soccer America poll, the Hoosiers remain atNo. 9. IU moved up a spot to No. 11 the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll. Indiana is No. 9 according to Soccer Times and No. 10 according to College Soccer News.
In addition, IU is No. 2 in the NSCAA's Great Lakes Region Poll, trailing only Notre Dame.
A Tale of Two Seasons
After its first nine games, Indiana had sputtered to a 2-3-4 record and its worst start in program history. With half of the Hoosiers' schedule behind them and second half remaining, head coach Jerry Yeagley had some instructions for his players. While this team was off to the worst start in school history, its goal should be to accomplish the best turnaround in school history. The Hoosiers have racked up nine straight wins to run their record from 2-3-4 to 11-3-4 at regular season's end.
In the Last Nine Matches...
• The Hoosiers outscored opponents, 20-4
• IU more than doubled its opponents in shots attempted, 141-71
• Leading scorer Ned Grabavoy has piled up 19 of his 29 points
• Second-leading scorer Brian Plotkin tallied 10 of his 17 points
• Freshman Jacob Peterson, IU's third-leading scorer, scored nine of his 11 points • The Cream and Crimson defense posted shutouts in six of nine games
Freitag Announced as Yeagley's Successor
On Tuesday, Nov. 11, Indiana Athletics Director Terry Clapacs announced that former IU All-American and current assistant coach Mike Freitag will take the reins of the Indiana University men's soccer program following the 2003 season. Freitag will succeed his mentor, Jerry Yeagley, who has served as the program's head coach since its elevation to varsity status in 1973. Yeagley will retire at the conclusion of this season.
Freitag has spent the last 11 seasons as a full-time assistant to Yeagley. Since his return to IU in 1993, the Hoosiers have compiled a 196-38-13 record. Indiana has made six College Cup (Final Four) appearances in the last nine years, including five straight appearances from 1997-2001. Freitag was also an assistant coach for back-to-back IU national championship teams in 1998 and 1999. With Freitag on the sideline, Indiana has also captured 10 Big Ten Conference regular season championships, including the last eight, and won seven Big Ten Tournament titles. In addition, 22 Hoosier players have earned All-America status during his time as an assistant coach at IU.
Freitag's involvement with the IU program, as a player, graduate assistant or assistant coach totals 18 years.
The Nation's Hottest Team?
The Indiana Hoosiers are one of the hottest teams in the country right now. IU is unbeaten in its last 11 matches and has won nine straight, the second-longest streak in the nation (as of 11/11). Only defending national champion UCLA, which has won 15 straight games, boasts a longer winning streak than Indiana.
A Chance at the Record
Jerry Yeagley's 538 wins are the second-most in Division I history, and though it may be tough, there is a possibility he could overtake the leader, Stephen Negoesco, who piled up 544 wins in 39 seasons at San Francisco. Since IU is the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, it will play a maximum of two matches. In the NCAA Tournament, the Hoosies could play up to five or six matches, depending on whether IU earns a first round bye.
Grabavoy a Semifinalist for the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy
Ned Grabavoy is one of 15 semifinalists for the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy, which honors college soccer's national player of the year, the National Soccer Coaches' Association of America announced Wednesday.
Grabavoy has scored 29 points, including 19 during the Hoosiers' nine-match winning streak, behind a balanced attack of 10 goals and nine assists. The Big Ten Conference Player of the Year nominee finished tied for first in the Big Ten in scoring with 13 points (4 goals, 5 assists) in league games. Grabavoy was also a three-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week this season and made Soccer America's National Team of the Week on two occasions. In addition, College Soccer News tabbed him its National Player of the Week on Oct. 13.
A nominating committee consisting of conference representatives from each Division I conference for men and women selected the semifinalist ballot of the top 15 male and female candidates. The winners of the award are selected through voting by Division I collegiate coaches who are members of the NSCAA. Three finalists will be announced at the NCAA Men's College Cup in Columbus, Ohio, the second weekend in December. All three finalists will be invited to the trophy presentation on Friday, Jan. 9, at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.
The Big Ten Unbeaten Streak
The Hoosiers completed their Big Ten regular season with an unbeaten record for the eighth straight season in 2003. Heading into 2004, IU will sport a 45-match unbeaten streak in league action. The last time Indiana dropped a regular season conference match to a Big Ten opponent was on Oct. 13, 1995, at Wisconsin. The last time the Hoosiers tied in the Big Ten regular season was on Sept. 21, 2003, when IU tied Michigan State, 1-1, in Bloomington.
Sweet Home Armstrong Stadium
Indiana has always been tough to beat at home as evidenced by its all-time record of 213-24-16 at Armstrong Stadium. The Hoosiers are currently in the midst of a 22-match unbeaten streak at their home stadium after finishing the regular season without a loss at home (6-0-3). In 2002, IU finished undefeated at Armstrong with a 6-0-2 record. The Hoosiers' last loss at Armstrong Stadium came on Oct. 17, 2001, when Notre Dame defeated Indiana, 1-0. IU has a 16-0-6 record since that time.
Big Ten Success
Since the inception of Big Ten men's soccer in 1991, the Hoosiers have dominated. Indiana's all-time record in league regular season play stands at 62-4-3 (.919). IU has won 10 Big Ten regular season titles, including the eight seven. The Hoosiers have also captured nine Big Ten tournament championships, the last one coming in 2001.
Moor, Plotkin Earn Weekly Awards
Sophomores Brian Plotkin and Drew Moor were named the Big Ten Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, on Monday. In addition to the Big Ten award, Plotkin was one 11 players named to College Soccer News' National Team of the Week. The tandem helped IU capture its eighth straight Big Ten regular season title and extend its conference regular season unbeaten streak to 45 matches by beating Penn State, 3-2, Saturday night.
Plotkin helped spark a second-half comeback as IU trailed 2-0 heading into the final 45 minutes of play. He assisted on IU's second goal, and converted the game-winning goal with just over six minutes remaining. He is the Hoosiers' second-leading scorer with 17 points this season on five goals and seven assists.
Moor tallied a goal, his first of the season, against PSU when he headed Plotkin's corner kick into the net to tie the match 2-2. He has started in all 16 matches he has played in this season, and helped the IU defense record eight shutouts.
Proving the Premintion Right
Prior to the start of the season, the Hoosiers were the Big Ten coaches' choice to win the 2003 conference title. The preseason poll was the first of its kind for Big Ten soccer. Since the inception of men's soccer in the Big Ten in 1991, IU has captured 10 regular season championships and nine tournament titles. Here's a look at the predicted order of finish for league teams:
Big Ten Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Indiana
2. Penn State
3. Michigan
4. Ohio State
Michigan State
6. Wisconsin
7. Northwestern
(Coaches were not allowed to rank their own team.
