Hoosiers host annual tournament

If anything can be taken out the men's soccer teams two exhibition games last weekend it's that IU's defense is capable of completely shutting out a ranked opponent, and the Hoosier offense is capable of scoring several goals against a ranked opponent.\nThis weekend, IU will try to combine both in the same match as they host the 19th annual adidas/IU Credit Union Classic at Bill Armstrong Stadium to kickoff the 2001-2002 season.\nThe Hoosiers proved the former when they battled to a 0-0 tie with No. 17 South Carolina, and then the latter with a 3-3 deadlock with No. 19 Alabama-Birmingham in Ft Wayne.\nRounding out the four-team field at the Classic are the Butler Bulldogs, Kentucky Wildcats, and St. Johns Red Storm.\nIU opens today at 7:30 p.m. against No. 11 St. Johns, and then concludes the tournament tomorrow night at 7:30 against No. 23 Kentucky.\nThis will be the first ever meeting between St. Johns and the Hoosiers. St. Johns head coach Dave Masur returns 7 starters from a team that went 14-5-2 last season.\nIU has owned Kentucky over the years, holding a 14-1-0 career edge, including the last three meetings at Bill Armstrong Stadium.\nCoach Jerry Yeagley is at the helm for his 29th season, seeking his 6th national championship.\n"We answered a lot of questions last weekend at the IPFW Soccer Classic," Yeagley said. "Both teams we will face this weekend play a 4-4-2 formation, similar to South Carolina. We will be working hard to generate offense against this style of play and penetrate more quickly."\nGenerating most of the offense will be National Player of the Year candidate and All-American, junior Pat Noonan. Noonan led the team in scoring last season with eleven goals and 6 assists.\nSeeing quality minutes up front with Noonan will be freshman newcomer Mike Ambersley, who is a familiar face to Noonan. The duo made up the front-line for Desmet Jesuit High School in Ballwinn, Missouri during during Noonan's senior and Ambersley's sophomore year in high school.\n"(Noonan helps me a lot on and off the field," Ambersley said. "It helps to have the experience of playing with him in the past, but we've had two years off, so it may take some time to adjust."\nTwo-time All-American and senior Ryan Mack could be out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL, and highly touted freshman Ned Grabavoy is out 4-6 weeks with a broken foot. With the loss of both of these offensive threats, the IU defense looks to carry a big load.\nSenior defenseman Josh Rife is up for the challenge.\n"I think there has been a little added pressure on the defense with some of the injuries we've had," Rife said. "That is where we are the most experienced. Our job is to play well and give the offense time to gel, and a lot of our guys have stepped up."\nYeagley has taken a mental approach to preparing for this weekend.\n"We've been doing a lighter work this week, with lower and intensity and having them do more quality work," he said. "We've been working more on practicing the brain and have had several tactical and film sessions.\n"Right now we feel like we have the tools in position, but we are doing the fine tuning and trying to get our legs back," he said. "We want the quality but we don't want to push the intensity too hard"