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Culture Shock

Patience is key for men’s soccer team

Hoosiers extend their win-streak to three in game against Dartmouth.

The IU Men’s Soccer Team came down swiftly Monday, scoring within the first three minutes of play. It was all the Hoosiers would need to top Dartmouth in a make-up game at South Bend.

The game’s lone goal was made possible when Dartmouth picked up a foul right outside of the 18-yard box. The penalty sent IU senior defender Patrick Doody in for the free-kick, and he delivered, launching the ball 20 yards into the net. The split-second score would be an anomaly in an otherwise steadily-paced match, in which both sides created chances, but none that came to fruition. In the final minutes of the half, Dartmouth pushed into Hoosier territory determined to score, but the Hoosiers managed to bring the 1-0 lead into the locker room.

Dartmouth carried that aggressive style of play into the second half. It nearly scored in the 75th minute, but the cross-bar intervened, saving the Hoosiers from a 1-1 tie. Right before the clock expired, midfielder Stefan Defregger picked up his second yellow card for arguing with the referee, ending the game on a sour note for Dartmouth.

For the Hoosiers, this game was all about goalkeeper Colin Webb. He made a list of saves on Monday, with a key stop coming against a penalty kick from Dartmouth. Following the performance, the sophomore was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. Webb has started all four games this season, and will be a cornerstone for this IU team.

With the Hoosiers now ranked 12th in the country, the spotlight is shining on this young and talented squad. That spotlight will be even brighter on Saturday, when IU will go head-to-head with defending Big Ten champion, No. 16 Penn State. Coach Todd Yeagley said that this game will be “a good start for this season”. His team will have home-field advantage, giving them some confidence in facing the defending champion. A win against the Nittany Lions would be a solid building block for the Hoosiers moving forward.

Yet after the game against Dartmouth, Coach Yeagley still emphasized the importance not allowing his young team to get ahead of itself.

“The boys are not thinking the Penn State game at this moment,” he said. “This is a great team, and we take it one game at a time.”

The Hoosiers’ patient, defensive mentality against Dartmouth will certainly be an asset moving forward. As the old adage states, “defense wins championships”. IU didn’t need to score a bunch of goals to win on Monday. It simply needed to be patient, concentrate, and let its opponent make the mistakes.

By: Raymond Wato

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