Senior brings versatility, drive

Fifth-year senior midfielder Tyler Hawley has seen it all before.\nIn his four years as an active member of the team, he has helped the men's soccer team win three Big Ten and two National Championships and has been to four final fours.\nOf the three fifth-year seniors on this season's IU squad, Hawley is arguably the most experienced. In 1998, as a redshirt freshman, he started in five games. In his sophomore year of eligibility that number escalated to 17. Since then he has been a mainstay in the starting lineup.\nAside from the large amount of playing time Hawley has seen, he has also played nearly every possible position for the Hoosiers.\n"He's the man of all seasons," head coach Jerry Yeagley said. "He's played every position for us. He was our back up goalie last year. He's just done a great job everywhere we've asked him to play; he's a team player."\nLast Sunday, the Hoosiers began NCAA tournament play against Michigan State. In the first half, IU was awarded a penalty kick after junior midfielder Phil Presser was knocked down in the box. \nFreshman forward Mike Ambersley, who Yeagley said was the best penalty kick performer in practice, lined up to take the shot. \nJust before the whistle blew to initiate the kick, Hawley heard Yeagley call his name from the sideline.\n"I heard coach (Yeagley) yell, 'Tyler, you take it.'" Hawley said. "I was so surprised because it's taken me five years to let (the coaches) know that I can make the (penalty) kick."\nYeagley said Ambersley had the edge on penalty kicks in practice, but he chose to go with the more experienced player in Hawley.\n"Here's an NCAA game on the line and you've got a fifth-year senior out there and a freshman and I just felt for both their sakes it was best to have Tyler there," Yeagley said. "He wants to take them. There's something to be for somebody who steps up to the plate and is confident and wants to take (the penalty kicks). So does Mike, I have confidence in both of them, but I felt in that situation Tyler was the man."\nHawley blasted the penalty shot past Mike Robinson, the MSU keeper. It proved to be the lone goal for the Hoosiers as they shut out the Spartans 1-0.\nThe No.4 seeded Hoosiers are now preparing to face Rutgers this weekend for a chance to advance to the quarterfinals. \nSenior goalie Colin Rogers, who is also a fifth-year senior, said Hawley's defensive contribution will be a large factor in the game.\n"He's always playing good defense, cutting down on the wide serves," Rogers said. "Rutgers has a pretty good wide midfielder who Tyler will probably be matched up against so it's going to be important for Tyler to win that battle defensively and also help us out offensively -- serving some balls in and being big on restarts." \nAs a veteran of post-season play, Hawley has assumed a leadership role. It is a role he shares with the other seniors on the team, he said.\n"I think all the fifth-year seniors, and (true) seniors as well, have to pick up the younger freshmen and sophomores and show them what tournament time is like," Hawley said. "As years past have shown we excel in the tournament. In order to keep that flowing we need to pick up the younger guys and get the intensity level in practice and games at a higher level than usual"