IU’s College-Cup Goal is Clear – ‘Leave the Ultimate Mark’
5/14/2021 1:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Caleb Konstanski knows. He lived it once, this Indiana soccer dynasty two victories away from a ninth national title, and has a NCAA championship to prove it.
Once a member of Indiana's 2012 title-winning effort, he used Twitter to provide insight in the Hoosiers' 21st College Cup appearance, their fourth under coach Todd Yeagley.
Shortly after the third-seeded Hoosiers (11-1-2) beat Seton Hall Monday night to advance to Friday night's semifinals against second-seed Pitt (16-3), he tweeted this message:
"It's hard to win. Even harder to win consistently. Coach may make it look easy, but no one grinds more than Yeags. Also, no one wants it more than him either. That's infectious."
Winning breeds winning if done right, if achieved through substance and effort as much as talent and strategy.
You'd better believe IU has done that.
Yeagley and his staff recruit for this. They plan and prepare and convince standout players to embrace roles that sometimes lead to national accolades -- sophomore forward Victor Bezerra is a Hermann Trophy finalist; Bezerra, sophomore goalkeeper Roman Celentano and senior defender Spencer Glass made the United Soccer Coaches All-North Region first team -- sometimes mean coming off the bench in measured minutes.
"Their roles are very defined," Yeagley says. "They know where they are. If their 15 minutes come, they're loving it. They do it.
"They know what they need to do. They are not trying to do more than they need to."
IU is in its third College Cup in the last four years, including a runner-up finish in 2017.
"Every team is different in its makeup and experience," Yeagley says. "The 2018 team was very mature. They just came up short.
"This is not a team that has overwhelmed opponents. That's not the way we go out. But we can play good soccer against good teams."
For those into soccer specifics, Yeagley says these Hoosiers are, "Built well in the center of the field. We have guys who can change the game on the wings. We have an outstanding goalkeeper, a strong spine and a goal scorer. Those ingredients have been very important to us in our title runs."
Recruiting talented players is important. Developing them so that they thrive in biggest moments -- again and again and again -- is the difference maker.
"It's the grit that developed over the season," Yeagley says. "We didn't have that at first. It came from the belief we had in some of the games that were tight, games that we found a way.
"We have won in so many different ways. If you're a team that has been dominant all season, and then have a bad run, it could rattle you.
"We've had some bad runs, but we've also been dominant in big games against good teams."
Yeagley has been at every IU College Cup appearance, starting as a young boy when his father, Jerry, coached the Hoosiers to a national runner-up finish in 1976. The younger Yeagley later was there as a player, and then a coach.
He's guided the Hoosiers to four College Cups, three in the last four years. He hopes his father makes it to North Carolina now that he's done his part.
"My family told me if we get to the College Cup, they'll come over. Talk about pressure," he says with a chuckle.
Pitt coach Jay Vidovich knows all about IU tradition. He played for the Hoosiers in 1978 before transferring to Ohio Wesleyan.
Vidovich says he was Jerry Yeagley's "East-Coast experiment" because Vidovich was from Connecticut. The Hoosiers were national runner-ups that season.
"I was fortunate to go in at a tremendous time," Vidovich says. "My recruiting class was the one that got their first (national championship, in 1982). I didn't make it that far. I wasn't good enough for the program."
Vidovich was good enough to be an elite coach. That includes two national-coach-of-the-year awards and the 2007 national title, all during his 20 years at Wake Forest.
After one season trying the professional ranks, Vidovich took over a struggling Pitt program in 2015 and has them gunning for their first national title.
"I have a lot of respect for Jay," Yeagley says. "He was at IU for a short time as a player. I think there's some IU love in there somewhere. I know he has a lot of respect for the program and my father."
Adds Vidovich: "(Jerry Yeagley) still makes me feel like family to this day. He always did that when I transferred out.
"I learned a tremendous amount from coach Yeagley, how to run a program, how to treat people. (Observing) his drive for success, the way he did things, even though I was a young man, was a tremendous experience. It left a big mark on me."
Pitt has dominated all season, and has peaked in the NCAA tourney. It's outscored its three opponents 13-1.
"Jay has done an unbelievable job in rebooting Pitt and branding them into a strong team," Yeagley says. "They've been No. 1 or No. 2 all year. They are an absolute contender. We'll have to be really good."
The Panthers have their own Hermann Trophy finalist in Valentin Noel. He's scored 14 goals, two more than Bezerra.
IU might get insight from junior defender Nyk Sessock, a transfer from Pitt. He started 32-of-37 games in two seasons with the Panthers before joining the Hoosiers.
Yeagley won't focus on that. He certainly doesn't want Sessock dwelling on it.
"The psyche on a team is focus on what's controllable," Yeagley says. "With Nyk, it's enjoy where you are. He has some insight on their players. We'll talk with him about it, but he has a lot of friends on Pitt. We want him to enjoy it and not overthink it."
Enjoyment centers on winning it all. A victory Friday would set up a Monday finale against the winner between Marshall and North Carolina.
"Every one (of the College Cups) is special," Yeagley says. "It's No. 21 for us, and we're proud of that, but it's No. 1 for this group. That's what we're focused on -- letting this team have the opportunity to leave the ultimate mark."
@IndianaMSOC
For all the latest on Indiana University men's soccer, be sure to follow the team at @IndianaMSOC on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
#GoIU
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Caleb Konstanski knows. He lived it once, this Indiana soccer dynasty two victories away from a ninth national title, and has a NCAA championship to prove it.
Once a member of Indiana's 2012 title-winning effort, he used Twitter to provide insight in the Hoosiers' 21st College Cup appearance, their fourth under coach Todd Yeagley.
Shortly after the third-seeded Hoosiers (11-1-2) beat Seton Hall Monday night to advance to Friday night's semifinals against second-seed Pitt (16-3), he tweeted this message:
"It's hard to win. Even harder to win consistently. Coach may make it look easy, but no one grinds more than Yeags. Also, no one wants it more than him either. That's infectious."
Winning breeds winning if done right, if achieved through substance and effort as much as talent and strategy.
You'd better believe IU has done that.
Yeagley and his staff recruit for this. They plan and prepare and convince standout players to embrace roles that sometimes lead to national accolades -- sophomore forward Victor Bezerra is a Hermann Trophy finalist; Bezerra, sophomore goalkeeper Roman Celentano and senior defender Spencer Glass made the United Soccer Coaches All-North Region first team -- sometimes mean coming off the bench in measured minutes.
"Their roles are very defined," Yeagley says. "They know where they are. If their 15 minutes come, they're loving it. They do it.
"They know what they need to do. They are not trying to do more than they need to."
IU is in its third College Cup in the last four years, including a runner-up finish in 2017.
"Every team is different in its makeup and experience," Yeagley says. "The 2018 team was very mature. They just came up short.
"This is not a team that has overwhelmed opponents. That's not the way we go out. But we can play good soccer against good teams."
For those into soccer specifics, Yeagley says these Hoosiers are, "Built well in the center of the field. We have guys who can change the game on the wings. We have an outstanding goalkeeper, a strong spine and a goal scorer. Those ingredients have been very important to us in our title runs."
Recruiting talented players is important. Developing them so that they thrive in biggest moments -- again and again and again -- is the difference maker.
"It's the grit that developed over the season," Yeagley says. "We didn't have that at first. It came from the belief we had in some of the games that were tight, games that we found a way.
"We have won in so many different ways. If you're a team that has been dominant all season, and then have a bad run, it could rattle you.
"We've had some bad runs, but we've also been dominant in big games against good teams."
Yeagley has been at every IU College Cup appearance, starting as a young boy when his father, Jerry, coached the Hoosiers to a national runner-up finish in 1976. The younger Yeagley later was there as a player, and then a coach.
He's guided the Hoosiers to four College Cups, three in the last four years. He hopes his father makes it to North Carolina now that he's done his part.
"My family told me if we get to the College Cup, they'll come over. Talk about pressure," he says with a chuckle.
Pitt coach Jay Vidovich knows all about IU tradition. He played for the Hoosiers in 1978 before transferring to Ohio Wesleyan.
Vidovich says he was Jerry Yeagley's "East-Coast experiment" because Vidovich was from Connecticut. The Hoosiers were national runner-ups that season.
"I was fortunate to go in at a tremendous time," Vidovich says. "My recruiting class was the one that got their first (national championship, in 1982). I didn't make it that far. I wasn't good enough for the program."
Vidovich was good enough to be an elite coach. That includes two national-coach-of-the-year awards and the 2007 national title, all during his 20 years at Wake Forest.
After one season trying the professional ranks, Vidovich took over a struggling Pitt program in 2015 and has them gunning for their first national title.
"I have a lot of respect for Jay," Yeagley says. "He was at IU for a short time as a player. I think there's some IU love in there somewhere. I know he has a lot of respect for the program and my father."
Adds Vidovich: "(Jerry Yeagley) still makes me feel like family to this day. He always did that when I transferred out.
"I learned a tremendous amount from coach Yeagley, how to run a program, how to treat people. (Observing) his drive for success, the way he did things, even though I was a young man, was a tremendous experience. It left a big mark on me."
Pitt has dominated all season, and has peaked in the NCAA tourney. It's outscored its three opponents 13-1.
"Jay has done an unbelievable job in rebooting Pitt and branding them into a strong team," Yeagley says. "They've been No. 1 or No. 2 all year. They are an absolute contender. We'll have to be really good."
The Panthers have their own Hermann Trophy finalist in Valentin Noel. He's scored 14 goals, two more than Bezerra.
IU might get insight from junior defender Nyk Sessock, a transfer from Pitt. He started 32-of-37 games in two seasons with the Panthers before joining the Hoosiers.
Yeagley won't focus on that. He certainly doesn't want Sessock dwelling on it.
"The psyche on a team is focus on what's controllable," Yeagley says. "With Nyk, it's enjoy where you are. He has some insight on their players. We'll talk with him about it, but he has a lot of friends on Pitt. We want him to enjoy it and not overthink it."
Enjoyment centers on winning it all. A victory Friday would set up a Monday finale against the winner between Marshall and North Carolina.
"Every one (of the College Cups) is special," Yeagley says. "It's No. 21 for us, and we're proud of that, but it's No. 1 for this group. That's what we're focused on -- letting this team have the opportunity to leave the ultimate mark."
@IndianaMSOC
For all the latest on Indiana University men's soccer, be sure to follow the team at @IndianaMSOC on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
#GoIU
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