Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Play to 0-0 Tie with Notre Dame
4/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
April 11, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana men's soccer team continued its spring schedule with a 0-0 tie against Notre Dame at Knutz Field in Indianapolis on April 8. The game was a rematch of the second-round NCAA Tournament affair played last season in Bloomington. The tie moved Indiana to 2-0-3 on the spring season with its upcoming match against the Mexican Youth National team.
The International match is set for Tuesday, April 18, at 7:30 p.m., on Yeagley Field at Armstrong Stadium. During the spring of 2005, Mexico downed the Hoosiers, 2-1, in an exciting and fast-paced soccer affair. The game was part of Mexico's preparation for the 2006 FIFA World Youth Championships. They went on to capture the world championship at the event with a 3-0 victory over Brazil.
Through their partnership with the Indiana University Student Foundation, the Indiana-Mexican Youth National team exhibition will kickoff Little 500 week festivities. Indiana Youth Soccer will assist IU Soccer in promoting this special international soccer event through their membership across the state of Indiana. General admission for the game is $5, and children under 2 are free. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or by calling the IU Athletic Ticket Office at 866-IUSPORTS. Group discounts are available by contacting the ticket office.
IUHOOSIERS.com sat down with Indiana head coach Mike Freitag to get his take on the spring season to date, the Notre Dame matchup and the upcoming tilt against the Mexican Youth National team.
On the spring season to this point:
MF: "We are a work in progress. We lost six of our 10 field players from a season ago, but I am proud of the development of the team. It can be frustrating at times and it is going to take some time. This spring has been frustrating from the sense that we haven't had everyone together due to injuries and other reasons."
On the game against Notre Dame:
MF: "The first half I didn't think we played smart. It was like playing in mud with the high grass, and we like to play with a build up out of the back. Notre Dame was a better team in the first half. In saying that, we really didn't give them many chances. At halftime, we talked about playing differently. We wanted to play more direct because of the field conditions. I thought the first 25 minutes of the second half were very good. They could not get the ball out of their half of the field. In the last 20 minutes, I felt like we didn't sustain what we did at the start of the half. We gave up several good scoring chances in the second half. I was happy with the way we played for a good portion of the second half. It showed how we can play. I am excited for the opportunity to get everyone together and work toward next year. Notre Dame is a good team and those are the kind of games you get better from."
On the players that stood out against Notre Dame:
MF: "Brad Ring continues to show he is a dominant player. I thought Julian (Dieterle) showed why he is wearing the captain armband. He has done a very good job all spring. I thought Charley Traylor played well. Darren Yeagle is going to be a handful to deal with in the future."
On what the team will work on with 10 days until the match against Mexico:
MF: "There are so many facets of the game to work on from finishing to defending. Each day we just try to whittle away at it to make it the best puzzle we can out of the pieces we have. We have the pieces and they will all come together. I am excited to see this team take the field next year when everyone is healthy."
On the match against the Mexican Youth National Team:
MF: "I look back at the game last year, and it was a game that helped us grow. Last year, we played a team that was very technically gifted more than your normal college team. These are the best players in their age group in Mexico, so they are all very gifted. It took us out of our comfort zone a little bit because we are use to be able to pressure our opponent and the pressure we produce usually creates some type of tournament. With the Mexican team, they are used to pressure and it wasn't pressure to them because of their technical ability. I thought we generated the better scoring opportunities, but fell short on the day (2-1). I look forward to playing them again because it is a game that is universal. It helps our team grow to play a team to see how different people play and how good players are in other countries."
On the crowd for the game against Mexico:
MF: "Last year was a festive and enthusiastic crowd. The Mexican-American community came out as did the IU Soccer fans. It was one of the most enjoyable games that I have been involved with at IU because of its festive atmosphere. I feel like this year will be even better."
