Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Anxious To Start NCAA Tournament Run
11/22/2015 8:46:00 AM | Men's Soccer
By: Sam Beishuizen | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Derek Creviston still hasn't forgotten the disappointment of losing 2-1 to Xavier in the opening round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament. He may never be able to clear it from his memory.
He isn't alone, either. The No. 16-seeded Indiana Hoosiers will begin their quest for a ninth national championship against the UConn Huskies in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at noon Sunday in Bloomington fully aware of what losing feels like. It's an emotion they don't soon want to be reminded of.
"It's definitely there. It's in the pit of your stomach," Creviston said. "You can't forget something like that. It definitely fuels us for this one."
Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley said he likes his team's confidence heading into Sunday's match against UConn, who advanced to the second round with a 3-1 victory over Boston College on the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. With nine days between games, he said the Hoosiers (12-4-3) have been anxious at practice to return to the field.
The Huskies (10-5-6) earned an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament after finishing third in the ACC regular season and losing in penalty kicks to Tulsa in the ACC Tournament final. The two programs haven't met since 2006, but Yeagley said UConn plays a similar style of game to Rutgers, who defeated Indiana 4-1 earlier in the season.
The Huskies are outscoring their opponents 26-17 through 21 games and haven't lost since Oct. 13 against Louisville. Their led with 11 goals from freshman forward Abdou Mbacke Thiam and 12 assists from junior midfielder Kwame Awuah.
"They're on a really good run," Yeagley said. "Obviously, we've seen a little bit of them throughout the year. They're a team that's got a lot of talent and maturity with some of their internationals. Very good composure."
Keeping composed could prove to be a key on either side. In Indiana's NCAA Tournament loss last year, junior forward Tanner Thompson said the Hoosiers let one or two too many opportunities slip away.
In a game holding as much magnitude as a win-or-go-home style NCAA Tournament game, he said teams can't afford to make mistakes.
"The key moments in games, we've got to be better," Thompson said. "Those kind of moments in games are crucial. Those goals matter, especially in tourney time, so we've just got to be locked in."
In an effort to make his team more comfortable after losing to Maryland in penalty kicks in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, Yeagley finished practice simulating penalty kicks on Jerry Yeagley Field on Friday. He had his team take kicks in both directions so they'd have more composure should the game end in a tie Sunday.
Indiana would rather not be in that situation to begin with, but the Hoosiers have played in enough postseason soccer to realize anything is possible, Yeagley said.
But emotions tend to run high in tournament games, so Yeagley wants his team to be prepared. They know what's on the line, he said, now they just need to go play.
"We're just pumped," Creviston said. "The NCAA, this is what we play for."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Derek Creviston still hasn't forgotten the disappointment of losing 2-1 to Xavier in the opening round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament. He may never be able to clear it from his memory.
He isn't alone, either. The No. 16-seeded Indiana Hoosiers will begin their quest for a ninth national championship against the UConn Huskies in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at noon Sunday in Bloomington fully aware of what losing feels like. It's an emotion they don't soon want to be reminded of.
"It's definitely there. It's in the pit of your stomach," Creviston said. "You can't forget something like that. It definitely fuels us for this one."
Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley said he likes his team's confidence heading into Sunday's match against UConn, who advanced to the second round with a 3-1 victory over Boston College on the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. With nine days between games, he said the Hoosiers (12-4-3) have been anxious at practice to return to the field.
The Huskies (10-5-6) earned an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament after finishing third in the ACC regular season and losing in penalty kicks to Tulsa in the ACC Tournament final. The two programs haven't met since 2006, but Yeagley said UConn plays a similar style of game to Rutgers, who defeated Indiana 4-1 earlier in the season.
The Huskies are outscoring their opponents 26-17 through 21 games and haven't lost since Oct. 13 against Louisville. Their led with 11 goals from freshman forward Abdou Mbacke Thiam and 12 assists from junior midfielder Kwame Awuah.
"They're on a really good run," Yeagley said. "Obviously, we've seen a little bit of them throughout the year. They're a team that's got a lot of talent and maturity with some of their internationals. Very good composure."
Keeping composed could prove to be a key on either side. In Indiana's NCAA Tournament loss last year, junior forward Tanner Thompson said the Hoosiers let one or two too many opportunities slip away.
In a game holding as much magnitude as a win-or-go-home style NCAA Tournament game, he said teams can't afford to make mistakes.
"The key moments in games, we've got to be better," Thompson said. "Those kind of moments in games are crucial. Those goals matter, especially in tourney time, so we've just got to be locked in."
In an effort to make his team more comfortable after losing to Maryland in penalty kicks in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, Yeagley finished practice simulating penalty kicks on Jerry Yeagley Field on Friday. He had his team take kicks in both directions so they'd have more composure should the game end in a tie Sunday.
Indiana would rather not be in that situation to begin with, but the Hoosiers have played in enough postseason soccer to realize anything is possible, Yeagley said.
But emotions tend to run high in tournament games, so Yeagley wants his team to be prepared. They know what's on the line, he said, now they just need to go play.
"We're just pumped," Creviston said. "The NCAA, this is what we play for."
Players Mentioned
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