Hoosiers look with anticipation toward next season

After a disappointing finish to any season, no matter how successful the season was, there is always a phrase that echoes through the corridors of the locker room.\n"Wait till next year."\nFor most teams, those four words are just a coping mechanism, giving the team something to focus on other than losing. For the IU men's soccer team, it is a promise.\nEven after five successive trips to the final four, and winning five NCAA titles in the past 29 seasons, coach Jerry Yeagley has not lost his desire to return to Dallas, Texas next year for the final four.\n"Believe me, you want to be there more than ever the more you're there," Yeagley said. "Like your favorite dish. You can't get enough of it."\nUnlike the start of this season, when IU was not considered a top team, next season the Hoosiers will be favorites for making the trip to the College Cup.\nIU will get back the talents of senior Ryan Mack, who, after hurting his knee last summer, opted to sit out this year in hopes of returning next season. Mack was the 2000 Big Ten Player of the Year, and an All-American. \nAlso suffering an injury early in the season was Ned Grabavoy, the highly touted freshman who broke his foot of the first day of practice. Grabavoy eventually rejoined the Hoosiers late in the season to give an offensive boost but never had the advantage of tuning his skills during the regular season.\nIn addition, IU has its top two scorers coming back, junior All-American Pat Noonan and freshman Mike Ambersley.\n"Those guys are some of the best playmakers in the nation," junior John Swann said. "As coach says, we need piano players and piano carriers. And I think we have more piano players on this team than anybody else. We just have to find some people who are going to stick it out and do the hard work."\nYeagley agrees.\n"Certainly we have some outstanding players returning to push us towards our goal of a final four every year," Yeagley said. "It will be the same next year. We have to sort out our defense, because we lose key players and a lot of height. That will be the challenge.\n"But offensively, with Ryan Mack returning to the team and Ned being healthy, we should be stronger. If we can be just as effective defensively or close to as effective, it should be a lot of fun."\nThe challenge of replacing the defense will not be a small one -- literally.\nThe Hoosiers lose all of their height in the back, with 6-foot-3 Ryan Hammer graduating. Hammer was a marking back that consistently shut down the opposing team's tallest forward.\n"It's hard to replace Hammer," said Swann, a fellow back. "He's a warrior."\nAlso leaving will be All-Big Ten sweeper Josh Rife and goalkeeper Colin Rogers, whose 0.40 goals against average was the second best in the country.\nFilling those huge holes would be a daunting task for anyone, but the Hoosiers think they have the personnel.\nEarly indications point toward freshman Danny O'Rourke moving from his defensive midfield spot back into the sweeper position. O'Rourke was the most consistent freshman this year, starting all but two games. O'Rourke saw time at sweeper in the Big Ten Tournament when Rife went down momentarily with a head injury.\nIn goal will be redshirt freshman Jay Nolly. A heavily recruited player, Nolly has had limited experience in the goal with the Hoosiers.\nO'Rourke said nothing would be possible next year without the groundwork laid down by this season's seniors, a group that has won two national championships in its time at IU.\n"You have to give all the credit to the seniors, the leaders on this team," O'Rourke said. "Hopefully we will follow their footsteps and be in Dallas next year"