Hoosiers finish Big Ten season at Ohio State

The men's soccer team's Big Ten season isn't done yet.\nThe Hoosiers might have already clinched a No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tournament, but they have one regular season conference game remaining.\nThat game takes place Sunday afternoon at Ohio State's Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.\nIn the Buckeyes, IU will face a team on the rise in collegiate soccer. Ohio St. posted its best record in 10 years last season, going 11-8.\nThis season, the Buckeyes are improving on that record. They're 7-2-4 entering Sunday's match, and that record has earned them national recognition. Ohio State is ranked 20th in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll and 24th in the soccertimes.com poll.\n"I picked them early on," IU coach Jerry Yeagley said. "I expected Ohio State and Penn State to be the toughest teams based on who they have returning, and Ohio State's done very well.\n"They have an upset loss at home to Wisconsin. Otherwise, we would be playing for the season here."\nThe Hoosiers, in a sense, are still playing for the season. They're playing to make it a complete one.\n"We want to make sure we end on a good note," junior sweeper Josh Rife said. "Just in the polls and everything, even though they're not important, I guess maybe to send a message to the rest of the teams out there that we're here to play.\n"And even though we have Big Ten wrapped up, it's not an excuse to let down."\nIU indeed can't afford to let down offensively against the Buckeyes, whose goalkeeper, Kerry Thompson, is tied for ninth in the nation in goals against. Thompson has allowed .71 goals per game, which is also tied for first in the Big Ten.\nThompson and the Ohio State defense have kept the Buckeyes in several games, including the past four.\nThree of the Buckeyes past four games have gone into double overtime. Two of them finished in 0-0 ties. The most recent was a double-overtime 1-1 tie at Penn State.\nOffensively, the Buckeyes boast senior midfielder Brian Feldhaus, the third leading scorer in the Big Ten. Feldhaus has scored eight goals and tallied four assists on the season.\n"They're a complete team," Yeagley said. "They play a ball control style of play. They're good on transition, and they have good speed. (Coach) John Bluem's done a very nice job slowly building that program.\n"Ohio State has really thrown a lot into that program with the new facility and everything."\nThe Hoosiers get to play at the Buckeyes' new facility just two weeks before the Big Ten tournament takes place at the same venue.\n"It will be nice to get down there," junior goalkeeper Colin Rogers said. "We'll get to see the field, play on the field and kind of see where we're going to be for the Big Ten tournament"