Former goalie returns to face Hoosiers

IU soccer Coach Jerry Yeagley had a tough decision two years ago.\nGoing into the '99 season, the legendary coach reeled in yet another star-studded recruiting class featuring the likes of current IU standouts junior forward Pat Noonan, and junior midfielders Phil Presser, and Michael Bock. \nBut arguably the most heralded recruit was a goalkeeper out of Palatine, Ill., named Doug Warren.\nWarren came into the program as the top high school goalkeeper prospect in the country. Although he was a Parade All-American and a U.S. National team member, Warren knew it would be a fight to see any playing time at IU. The incumbent goalkeeper at the time for the Hoosiers was junior T.J. Hannig, who led the team to a National Championship the previous season.\nDespite being a freshman, Warren challenged Hannig for the starting role. Yeagley used both keepers during the regular season, before deciding who would be the starting keeper in the postseason.\nExperience won. Yeagley gave Hannig the starting position for the Hoosiers, who ended up leading IU to its second National Championship in as many years.\nWarren, knowing Hannig had another year with the Hoosiers, decided to transfer from IU to a school where he would make an immediate impact.\nClemson was that school.\n"It was tough, but in goalkeeping you can only play one player," Yeagley said. "Doug and T.J. battled it out, and T.J. won as the upperclassman. Doug just didn't want to wait another year. We left on very good terms and he had our blessing. It has worked out well for everybody." \n As the Hoosiers went to their fourth-consecutive Final Four last season, Warren had success at Clemson.\n Warren started every game as a sophomore and was named All-ACC. He posted a stingy 1.19 goals-against average for the season. Warren also made 77 saves and posted six shutouts.\n This season has been no different. Warren was recently named first-team All-ACC for the second year in a row while allowing a mere 12 goals for a 0.75 goals-against average. \n Warren's strong play led Clemson to a fifth-seed in the NCAA Tournament, where Warren will play his former school for the first time this Sunday. The winner of the IU-Clemson game earns a trip to the Final Four.\n Warren said the magnitude of the game was enough to get him ready, not the past history.\n"I don't have anything against Indiana at all," Warren said. "They are a first-class program. I am going to prepare for Indiana just like I have every other game this season. I'm really looking forward to a great game."\nYeagley welcomes Warren back and thinks the game should be interesting.\n"He knows our players, and our players know we aren't going to get any easy goals," Yeagley said. "He probably has a little edge knowing the tendencies of some of our attacking players, because he played with them for a year."\nOne of those players is the All-American Noonan. The Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Year has been terrorizing goalies all year, and is familiar to Warren.\n"The one thing about soccer is its not predictable," Warren said. "I know players like (Noonan) well, but I don't think that once we get into the game that will be much of a factor. I know I will have to be ready for anything."\nWhen Hannig went down mid-season last year, senior Colin Rogers filled in at goal. This year Rogers has turned into one of the top goalies in the country, and is looking forward to facing Warren.\n"(Warren) is a great keeper, with a lot of national and international experience," Rogers said. "He is a good shot blocker who can really read the game well. But, this isn't going to be a goalkeeper war; it's Indiana versus Clemson. While we will have our part in the outcome, this is definitely just a battle of two good teams"