Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers set for 2006 season
7/31/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
July 31, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - This week, IUHOOSIERS.com will take a closer look at the upcoming 2006 women's soccer season. On Monday, we looked at the overview and at the schedule for the Hoosiers, while Tuesday will bring a look at the goalkeepers and defense and Wednesday will delve into the midfielders and forwards.
OVERVIEW
Entering his fifth year as head coach, Mick Lyon has assembled a team in 2006 that should challenge the top teams in the Big Ten this season. Lyon returns seven starters from last year's squad that finished sixth in conference play, and the Boston, England, native has every reason to believe that his team will make the next step as it climbs the conference ladder.
"We've gone through a lot of changes over the last few years, as we've brought in the quality and level of players to compete in the Big Ten," Lyon said. "We've moved from the bottom of the conference to the solid middle level over the last four years. I consider this a transition year for us where we can move into the top of the Big Ten. This is the year to fulfill expectations."
The Hoosiers will continue to use a 4-4-2 formation, and the back four and goalkeeper will once again to be the backbone of the IU team. Last season, Indiana allowed a total of 30 goals in its 19 matches and just 15 goals in 10 conference contests.
Lyon and his staff will face the task of meshing the combination of experience and youthful talent, as the Hoosiers add nine newcomers for this year's squad, including several that are expected to have an immediate impact. Leading that task will be the Hoosiers' tri-captains - senior Carrie DeFreece and juniors Lindsay McCarthy and Shannon Vnoucek.
"The captains will be counted on for their leadership skills this year," Lyon said. "They were selected by their teammates, so they bring in that level of respect from their peers already. The way they go about their work - diligently, relentlessly - they have the personal characteristics that will pull the girls through no matter what. We look to these three to be total leaders on the team."
SCHEDULE
As it is every year for teams in the Big Ten, the 2006 schedule will feature a number of the country's top teams. In addition to the Hoosiers' conference slate, IU will take part in the Wisconsin Tournament, hosted by the University of Wisconsin, and the Big Ten-Big 12 Challenge. Additionally, for the second straight year, Bloomington will play host to the newly-named Old National Bank Hoosier Classic. This ultra-competitive non-conference slate should give the Hoosiers an edge when they face the rigors of the Big Ten schedule.
"Our schedule is demanding from the very beginning, and the Wisconsin Tournament will be a real test for us," Lyon said. "We start by playing California, one of the best teams in the country, and follow that up with Creighton, a team that has been an NCAA Tournament participant the last couple of years. It should be exciting and a real early test."
The Hoosiers will take on Baylor in Indianapolis in the opener of the Big Ten-Big 12 Challenge. The contest will be played at Lawrence Park, hosted by the FC Pride soccer club. The Hoosiers will play host to Texas Tech in the back end of the Challenge.
The Old National Bank Hoosier Classic, in its second year of existence, will see Northern Arizona, Rhode Island and Wisconsin-Milwaukee visit Bloomington in 2006. The Hoosiers will face off against the Lumberjacks and Panthers in the weekend tourney.
"We're bringing in teams from all over the country - East, West, Midwest," Lyon said. "It's an alumni weekend. It should be a great festival of soccer for those who come visit."
The Hoosiers also have a pair of games in North Carolina, against UNC-Charlotte and UNC-Greensboro, on their slate, and a non-conference contest with Lyon's former team, Evansville, on Oct. 4. Those contests, coupled with the always-tough Big Ten ledger, give the Hoosiers another demanding schedule in 2006.
IU will play host to Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, tournament champion Wisconsin and Northwestern this season, while the Hoosiers will travel to Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, Illinois and Purdue.
"The Big Ten is as brutal as ever," Lyon said. "Our travel balance is good this year, without too many tough trips. But every road game in this conference is tough."
