Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Selected as Big Ten Favorite
8/29/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug. 29, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The two-time defending national champion Indiana men's soccer team was selected as the preseason favorite to win the Big Ten Conference title. The Hoosiers were chosen by the conference coaches as the championship favorite for the second straight season.
Indiana has won nine consecutive Big Ten Regular Season Championships and 11 in the 14-year history of the league. The Hoosiers also have captured 10 of the 14 Big Ten Tournament Championships. IU split the conference title a season ago with Ohio State. Both squads went 5-1 during the regular season, but the Hoosiers earned the top seed in the conference tournament due to the head-to-head victory over the Buckeyes during the regular season.
Penn State was selected second in the conference poll followed by Northwestern in third. Michigan, Ohio State, Michigan State and Wisconsin rounded out the preseason conference poll. The Big Ten sent six of its seven soccer teams to the NCAA Tournament in 2004, the most of any conference.
After a 1-0-1 record during the preseason, the Hoosiers will open up defense of their national title when they host a loaded field at the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic. The 23rd-annual event will kick off on Friday, Sept. 2, with No. 7 (NSCAA) SMU and No. 16 (NSCAA) Notre Dame facing off at 5 p.m. The preseason No. 1 Hoosiers will take on No. 10 (NSCAA) Wake Forest at 7:30 p.m. on Yeagley Field at Armstrong Stadium. The classic will conclude on Sunday, Sept. 4, with Notre Dame and Wake Forest battling at noon, following by IU and SMU at 2 p.m.
Fans that purchased tickets for IU's exhibition match against Illinois-Chicago on Saturday, Aug. 27, which was moved to Memorial Stadium due to wet field conditions, can redeem their ticket stub from the event for one of equal value at the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic. The transaction can be made at the ticket gate prior to either Friday or Sunday's competition. For more information contact the IU ticket office at 866-IUSPORTS.
