But the last few years, and this year in particular, have been the exception.

Ending the 2009 season with a record of 12-10-1, the team has little to celebrate. “It’s ridiculous,” says Nick Sutter, former IU midfielder from 2006-2008. “It should never even be close to that. It’s got to be the worst record in the history of the program.”

In fact, Sutter’s right. Since its first year as a varsity sport in 1973, the Hoosiers have only ended a season three wins above .500 two other times, 1985 and 1986. Never before has the program experienced 10 losses in one season.

To salvage the “hallowed program,” as he puts it, IU’s Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred Glass has decided not to renew the contract of former head coach Mike Freitag.

“I support the decision,” says Sutter of Freitag’s dismissal. “As head coach at a program like Indiana, when you don’t produce national championships the blame’s going to fall on someone. If you can’t come up with national championships — the reason you go to Indiana as a soccer player — something’s got to give. There was no other choice really.”

Though Freitag has stated that he, for one, does not agree with the decision or how it was done, it is the hope that new leadership will help bring the program back to its tradition of winning.

BLOOMINGTON

Senior forward Darren Yeagle had an impressive two goal performance propelling the Hoosiers into the second round of the tournament.

“Its tourney time.  This is what we strive for,” said Yeagle after the game.

IU is slotted to play No. 12 Butler (14-2-2) in round two action on Sunday, November 22nd.

Louisville led the Hoosiers in the shot department, and held the ball in their offensive zone for the majority of the game. IU played extremely disciplined defense, which was the main reason for their success Thursday night.

“I thought we defended very well today, because really they had possession, but they didn’t get a lot of clear cut chances or shots on goal,” said head coach Mike Freitag. “Today we defended as a unit. Possession doesn’t win games, goals wins games.”

The contest was very competitive throughout the game, but particularly in the first half. With great play by goalkeeper Luis Softner, the Hoosiers were able to hold off the Cardinals powerful and dangerous offense. The game was 0-0 going into the second half.

The star player of the game was senior forward Darren Yeagle. With two goals on two shots, Yeagle displayed his poise and control under high pressure situations in a win or go home game.

Yeagle took a beautiful pass from senior defender Ofori Sarkodie and headed it past the Louisville keeper to score the game’s first goal. IU finally showed some passion and determination on this play, taking the lead and the momentum of the game.

“That’s what I told the guys in the locker room. Make something happen, don’t just sit back. I knew when Ofori made that run something good was going to come of it,”

The Hoosiers are now looking to the second round of the NCAA tournament where 12th ranked Butler waits.

Butler enters the tournament earning a first round bye with a very respectable record.  With 14 wins on the season the Bulldogs will be a tough challenge for the Hoosiers.

IU continues its run for their eighth national championship on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Armstrong Stadium.

There is no doubt that this has been a tough year for the Hoosier men’s soccer team.  They came into the regular season with a top-ten ranking and high hopes for bringing an 8th national championship to Bloomington.  They came out as a team plagued by inconsistency and holding a 9-8-1 record.

However, the beauty of the College Cup is that is gives teams a clean slate.  Thursday night, it seemed evident that the Hoosiers put their past behind them and are ready to play up to their full potential.

The seniors in particular stepped up in a big way, with senior Darren Yeagle scoring both second half goals and senior captain Ofori Sardokie playing tenacious defense and passing beautifully.

Sardokie spoke for the seniors after the game when he said, “I think the most important thing is to just be an example for everyone else on the team, to show them how bad we want it.” Keep your eye on seniors Eric Alexander, Lee Hagedorn, Darren Yeagle, Ofori Sarkodie,  and Nemanja Kostic, because they are all tremendous leaders.

Focus is a word that came up frequently while talking with Coach Freitag and seniors Yeagle and Sardokie after the game.  They all emphasized how important it is to remain focused if they are to sustain their success.

Freitag stated, “Because of what’s on the line, you have to be more focused.” Team focus proved to be fleeting in the regular season, a trend that the Hoosiers had better put an end to now.

With Butler, the 12th ranked team in the nation, up next for Indiana, continued focus and leadership will surely need to be there.

Indiana Men’s Basketball finishes preseason with 95-67 victory over St. Joseph’s.

A strong 16-point effort by freshman guard Maurice Creek led the Hoosier to victory in the final preseason warm-up of the 2009-10 season. The Hoosiers were able to get to line 46 times compared to 19 by St. Joseph’s. Freshman center Bawa Muniru also saw his first game action following his clearance by the NCAA, and added seven points and three blocks in limited action.

Thursday November 12^th

Indiana Men’s Soccer opens Big Ten Tournament with 2-0 victory over Wisconsin.

A dominant offensive effort in the second half, including goals by Will Bruin (46’) and Darren Yeagle (68’) sends the Hoosiers to the semifinals and another shot at Big Ten Conference rival Ohio State. Indiana led by a wide margin on total shots (22-7), with the Badgers only sending one shot on goal for the entire match.

Friday November 13^th

Indiana Women’s Volleyball team earns key road upset at Michigan State in five sets.

The Hoosiers, by a score of 23-25, 25-21, 21-25, 29-27 and 15-12, defeat Michigan State in East Lansing to sweep the season series against the Spartans for the first time in 18 years. A much-improved Hoosier defense set the pace with 15 team blocks, more than the last two matches combined. Junior Ashley Benson led Indiana with 18 kills and 11 blocks.

Indiana Men’s Soccer overmatched by #1 seed Ohio State in Big Ten Semifinal 4-2.

A quick opening score by Indiana junior Andy Adlard in the 5^th minute was answered by a strong Ohio State attack, with three consecutive scores (14’, 31’, and 39’) that left the Hoosiers shell-shocked entering the first half break down 3-1. Indiana looked to be back into the game with a quick goal by Will Bruin in the 49^th minute. However, just two minutes later, a corner kick by Ohio State resulted in a goal to make it 4-2 and an eventual win for the Buckeyes, sending them into the Big Ten Tournament Championship Match. Indiana looks on to a possible postseason run, depending on the NCAA selection committee.

Indiana Women’s Basketball opens season with victory over Memphis 78-74.

A balanced attack by the Hoosiers, with five players in double figures, used an early 21-9 run to defeat non-conference foe Memphis. A late comeback by the Tigers tied the score at 74 apiece, before a clutch three-point play by junior Whitney Lindsay sealed the victory for the Hoosiers. Indiana shot 50% from the field, while Memphis shot 35%. Junior Jori Davis led all scorers with 21 points.

Indiana Men’s Basketball begins 2009 season with win over Howard 83-60.

A sold-out crowd watched as Indiana outran Howard in its season opener, led by a 17 point performance by freshman Maurice Creek in his first official NCAA basketball game. It was a very spirited performance by the Hoosier freshman class, with Christian Watford recording a double-double and Derek Elston scoring 14 points off the bench. Sophomore forward Tom Pritchard also scored in double figures for Indiana. The Hoosiers look to continue their hot start to the season when they play USC-Upstate on Monday, November 16^th at 8:30pm in Assembly Hall.

Saturday November 14^th, 2009

Indiana Football continues streak of fast starts, eventually fall at Penn State 31-20.

The Hoosiers jumped out to a familiar 10-0 lead following a 26-yard TD reception by receiver Demarlo Belcher. However, Penn State responded with 24 consecutive points, including a game-changing 73-yard interception return for a touchdown. Indiana attempted to get back into the game behind a strong passing performance of 298 yards by quarterback Ben Chappell, but eventually fell short. An ineffective running attack by the Hoosiers of only 48 yards on 24 carries ultimately kept the Hoosiers from upsetting the Nittany Lions. Indiana officially became ineligible for a bowl bid with the loss, their seventh on the season. They finish the season against rival Purdue (4-7) on Saturday at 3:30pm at Memorial Stadium.

Indiana Women’s Volleyball falls in five-sets to #14 Michigan after late Wolverine surge.

The Hoosiers fell in Ann Arbor on Saturday night, 25-23, 25-14, 23-25, 16-25, 15-11, after surging out to a quick 2-0 advantage. Indiana returns to action with two home matches against Ohio State and #1 ranked Penn State this week, on November 20^th and 21^st.

Indiana Field Hockey falls to Wake Forest in NCAA Tournament opener 2-0.

Junior Alex Mann had an outstanding five-save performance in the loss for the Hoosiers, who were outshot 10-6. Indiana, however, led the game in penalty corners but was never able to put the ball in the back of the net. The Hoosiers finished a remarkable season at 14-7, and earned their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2005.

Sunday, November 15^th

Indiana Women’s Basketball shows strength in 75-52 victory over IUPUI.

Indiana was led by junior Hope Elam, whose 16 points led the Hoosiers over IUPUI. Freshman Aulani Sinclair had a great game off the bench with 15 points and six rebounds. Indiana opened a large 36-18 lead at the half to outpace the Jaguars. IU out-rebounded IUPUI 43-31 and led points in the paint 34-22. The Hoosiers will be back in action on Wednesday, November 18^th at Assembly Hall when they host Cincinnati.

Wednesday Oct. 28^{th –}

IU Men’s Soccer defeats Evansville 2-0 in important late season matchup.

-Goals by Senior Lee Hagedorn (68’) and Redshirt Freshman Nick Blevins (81’) lead Indiana over in-state foe Evansville. Senior goalkeeper Nemanja Kostic recorded the victory in his first career start as the Indiana defense allowed only one shot on goal for the match. Indiana improves to 8-7-1 on the year as the season winds down.

Thursday Oct. 29^th

IU Women’s Soccer defeated by Big Ten rival Penn State after late defensive lapse.

- The Hoosier tied the match in the 70^th minute on a goal by Jocelyn Moses before a goal in the 80^th minute on a bouncing Penn State cross proved the difference as 25^th ranked Penn State defeated the 23^rd ranked Indiana Hoosiers. The Hoosiers fall to 10-4-2 on the season. This was the first home loss of the season at Bill Armstrong Stadium.

Friday October 30^th

IU Women’s Volleyball falls in Five-Set thriller against 6^th ranked Illinois.

-A fiery comeback after being down 0-2 loses steam in the final set as Indiana is unable to stop the Illini attack. The Hoosiers stormed out following the halftime break forcing the deciding fifth set. However a talented set attack by Illinois overpowered the Hoosier block in the end (18-25, 17-25, 25-13, 28-26, 11-15). The Hoosiers fall to 14-11 on the season.

Saturday October 31^st

IU Football has upset bid denied in dramatic matchup with 4^th ranked Iowa.

-The Indiana Football team got off to another fast start at #4 Iowa leading 21-7 at the half. However, some questionable replay officiating helped keep Iowa within range despite Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi throwing five interceptions. With Indiana in the red zone, a Ben Chappell pass was deflected by multiple players and eventually intercepted by an Iowa defender who took it 86 yards for the touchdown to make the score 21-14 in favor of the Hoosiers.

Indiana seemed to have answered back with a Terrance Turner touchdown reception, but the replay official overturned the call and kicker Nick Freeland missed the resulting field goal. Iowa never looked back with Stanzi completing touchdown passes of 92 and 66 yards in a span of minutes to give Iowa the lead 28-24. Iowa later added two touchdown runs resulting in a final score of 42-24 in favor of the Hawkeyes.

Sunday November 1^st

IU Men’s Soccer falls in pivotal Big Ten matchup with Ohio State.

-A very heated back and forth matchup for over 90 minutes ends with an Ohio State goal in the first overtime as the Hoosiers back line allowed Buckeye Eric Shrigley to punch in a shot in front of the net as it passed by goalie Nemanja Kostic. The Hoosiers are now 8-8-1 and will need a victory in the regular season finale against Penn State on Nov. 6^th and a strong showing in the Big Ten Tournament to help salvage this season and get back on track in the NCAA Tournament. The Big Ten Tournament will be played at Bill Armstrong Stadium, November 12th – 15th.