Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Begin Practice for 2006 Campaign
8/9/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug. 9, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana University men's soccer team began practice on Wednesday, Aug. 9 to start the 2006 campaign. The team will be aiming for its 20th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, as well as its 10th Big Ten Tournament title.
"I was very happy with what I saw today. Everything looks very, very promising. The attitude is great, the work ethic is great, and there are some talented players out here," head coach Mike Freitag said following practice.
The Hoosiers will continue practice at Karst Farm Park until Monday, when they travel to Fort Wayne to continue training camp, facing Illinois-Chicago on Aug. 15 and Maryland in the IPFW Soccer Showcase on Aug. 18th.
"The first day is so we can see how everyone plays, and get used to the different players that are coming in. I think today was one of the best first practices we've had," senior midfielder Josh Tudela said.
Senior back Julian Dieterle noted that the team played some small-sided games. They also scrimmaged through the final two hours of practice, using different combinations of players.
"The first day is a lot of one-on-one, and some tactical sessions. It's a chance to get your feet under you a little bit," said Dieterle, who is a three-year starter for Indiana.
With two scrimmages coming up against tough competition, Freitag is anxious to nail down a winning combination.
"We need to get into it right away and get into our team. Find out what the best team is and how we want to play. Our first scrimmage is not too far away, so we're trying to get into it pretty quickly," Freitag said.
Dieterle and Tudela, who serve as team captains for the Hoosiers, are also excited about the upcoming season.
"We've got a bunch of young guys. I think everyone's got the work ethic and everyone's going to be on the same page coming out of this training camp. We're going to be a good team," Dieterle said.
"This team has 30 of the best players. Our second team is one of the best teams that we play. It's going to make us better and hopefully put us at the top," Tudela said.
The Hoosiers, ranked 13th in the College Sports News preseason top-30 poll, begin the regular season on Aug. 25 against Creighton.
