Hoosiers in familiar situation

For some reason, the familiar strains of that Barenaked Ladies song "It's All Been Done" have been racing through my head all week long. It might have invaded the minds of some of the men's soccer team as well. After all, this weekend's quarterfinal match against the North Carolina Tarheels is eerily similar to the road they took on the way to their fourth national championship just two years ago. Uh oh, it's flashback time ...\n The time was early December 1998. The economy was thriving, the Yankees had just won the World Series and kids everywhere were bopping along to such hits as "How's It Going To Be" and "Tubthumping." Okay, I still don't know how that last part happened, but I digress. Anyway, I remember making an all-night drive with about a dozen cohorts to Clemson, S.C. on a Sunday morning to witness what, in all actuality, was the unofficial national championship game:\nNo. 1 Clemson versus No. 2 IU.\nACC powerhouse Clemson featured a prolific goal scorer in the person of junior forward Wojtek Krakowiak. IU was led by the talented trio of Aleksey Korol, Dema Kovelenko and Yuri Lavrinenko, who, with their powers combined, created the formidable "Ukrainian Connection."\nOkay, time to come back to the present. But notice the similarities ...\nIt's December 2000. The nation has no president, but is still financially strong. The Yankees just won the World Series. And the country is just nuts over that Baha Men ditty "Who Let the Dogs Out." \nOnce again, don't ask me how that one happened. But anyway, I find myself traveling down to the Carolinas with a car full of cohorts, this time to Chapel Hill, N.C., to see what could turn out to be the game from which the national champion will emerge:\nNo. 1 North Carolina versus IU.\nACC powerhouse North Carolina is led by a talented scorer in the person of junior forward Chris Carrieri. The Hoosier offense features the three-headed monster of Ryan Mack, Pat Noonan and Matt Fundenberger.\nScary, isn't it?\nAll of this leads me to list the reasons why the Hoosiers should book their hotel rooms for Charlotte next weekend. Due to space restrictions, I cannot list every reason, but here's my abbreviated version.\n1) The "Clemson '98 Experience." What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and what didn't kill us in '98 shouldn't bite us this year either. The main difference between these two scenarios is that in '98 we played two home games in the tournament and were one of the heavy favorites for, what was then, Richmond, Va. This year, according to most experts, we come in as true underdogs after playing the first two rounds on the road, which leads me to ...\n2) "The Great Western Road Show" (sponsored, in part, by the NCAA). I know I complained a good deal about it, but playing the first two games of the tournament on the road might have been more of a blessing than a curse. By now, the team is certainly used to traveling and knows the rhythm and routine of playing away from home. \n3) "A-C-C, Schmay-C-C." Just ask Maryland and Virginia how intimidated we are of playing ACC schools on the road. Both fell to the Hoosiers 2-1 back in September at the Maryland Classic. Both victories were in come-from-behind fashion, showing that this squad has the "intestinal fortitude" to grind out wins against tough opponents on the road. And, by the way, Virginia was ranked No. 1 when we beat them. Coincidence? I think not.\n4) Tradition and Experience. IU has traveled the road to the College Cup before, 13 times to be exact. The Tar Heels also have quite the soccer tradition, making it to the national semifinals an incredible 19 consecutive seasons. Unfortunately for North Carolina, the soccer team I speak of belongs to the women, not the men. While I'm sure the UNC men's side has played their share of big contests at Fetzer Field, the pressure of this game will match nothing they've faced in the past. For the IU players, this type of game is what they expect when they sign on the dotted line to play in Bloomington.\n5) Insignificant Stat of the Week -- Every time IU has won the national championship, they have given themselves the chance to defend their title by making it to the College Cup the following year. Sure, this stat really doesn't mean anything, but it's kind of cool to bring up! Coincidence, perhaps. But it also shows that Hoosier teams have ripped the word "complacency" out of their collective dictionary. Whatever successes have been achieved, they are never enough, and you gotta' love that.\nSo there you have it. Deja vu and five big reasons why this will not be the last road trip of the year for the Hoosiers, or yours truly. But this time I think the Chumbawumba tape will stay in Bloomington. Then again ... "I get knocked down, but I get up again. You're never gonna' keep me down ..." Damn, that's catchy stuff!