Hoosiers hold annual soccer classic

IU soccer coach Jerry Yeagley remembers the last time one of his teams played Portland. He found his Hoosiers in a familiar situation ' an NCAA final four.\nThe year was 1988, and the Pilots boasted Kasey Keller, current U.S. national team goalkeeper, in the net. They had allowed six goals on the season to the Hoosiers' 11.\nIU won 1-0 at Bill Armstrong Stadium, then claimed its third national title on its home turf.\nYeagley remembers his most recent UCLA match, as well. \nThe year? 1999. \nThe situation? Same as before ' a final four. \nThe result? IU beat the Bruins 3-2 in four overtimes, then claimed its second straight national title and fifth overall.\nYeagley called the Portland match, "one of the roughest, toughest games" he remembers in all the years he's coached. And any IU-UCLA game is bound to be a close one.\nWhich brings us to this evening.\nIU plays host to the Adidas/IU Credit Union Classic this weekend, and will play both Portland and UCLA for the first time since beating each team in an NCAA semifinal.\nThese matches should prove just as challenging as the previous two. They could, in fact, be even more challenging.\n"Well, let's say this: We have not faced, in our first two contests or in practice, the strikers that we'll be facing this weekend," said Yeagley, whose Hoosiers won exhibition games against IU-Purdue University at Fort Wayne and Rutgers last weekend. "That's my big concern. How will we hold up against two of the nation's best?\n"Defensively, we didn't give up much (against Rutgers). But they weren't a team that really committed a lot of people to attack. (Senior goalkeeper) T.J. (Hannig) really only had to come up with one tough save."\nHannig should get tested this weekend more than he did in preseason action. Here's a breakdown of what he and the Hoosiers will see Friday from Portland and Saturday from UCLA, as well as a preview of Butler, the fourth team participating in the Adidas/IU Credit Union Classic.\nPORTLAND\nThe Pilots return what Yeagley calls "without question, the nation's top forward" in sophomore Conor Casey. Casey, a member of the Olympic team, led the nation in scoring last season with 23 goals and is a Hermann Trophy finalist.\nYeagley expects a lot offensively from the Pilots, whose coach, Clive Charles, is also the Olympic team coach. Yeagley said the Pilots will play more direct and play plenty of balls in the air, something the Hoosiers have yet to see.\nThe Pilots aren't afraid to play on the road, either. Last season they played two of the Big East's top teams in Rutgers and St. John's and won both games on the road.\nHannig still thinks the Hoosiers have an advantage playing at home.\n"Having these games at home is a huge advantage," he said. "Hopefully we get, you know, 5,000 people sitting in the grandstands like we did last year against Maryland. I think having the fan support is what's carried us the last couple years, and the more that come out the better it is for us. It'll help our chances."\nUCLA\nThe Bruins, like the Pilots, have a potent attack. They also, like the Pilots, have a Hermann Trophy finalist in senior McKinley Tennyson, Jr., an Indiana native. The Bruins landed a loaded recruiting class to go along with their returning talent. Five of their freshman are national team players, including four that played on the U-17 national team that finished fourth at the 1999 U-17 World Cup. Three other recruits are national pool players.\nThe combination of Tennyson, other returners and a strong freshman class should spell for, as usual, a tough game. IU senior forward Matt Fundenberger, however, dismisses previous close games as making any difference on this one.\n"Against UCLA, it doesn't matter what decade it is, it's always a big game," said Fundenberger, who played high school soccer with Tennyson at Indianapolis' North Central high school. "This game, we're looking forward to it, but we have to play Portland first, get a (win) there and then worry about UCLA."\nBUTLER\nNew head coach Todd Bramble brings the Bulldogs to IU following a 7-12 season last year. Bramble faces a tough schedule in his first two games as coach. The Bulldogs play UCLA Friday night and Portland Saturday.\nNot only does Butler have a new coach, it also has to replace its top player from last season ' Stephen Armstrong. Giancarlo Barraza, who scored five goals and has seven assists last season, will pick up much of the slack. The Bulldogs also hope to get contributions from five freshmen, two of which earned all-state honors last season as seniors in high school.