2 soccer players bring worldly experience home

As the IU men's soccer team prepared for their opening matches last week, two of the Hoosiers top scorers were nowhere to be found. Sophomore midfielder Ned Grabavoy and sophomore forward Mike Ambersley were in L'Alcudia, Spain, competing for the United States Under-20 National Team in the COTIF XIX Torneig Internacional.\nDespite missing the Hoosiers fall preseason matches and practices, the talented sophomore duo were representing their country and gaining beneficial experience they will be able to put to use for the Hoosiers this year.\n"It is obviously going to help us, because they are playing at the top level," senior forward Pat Noonan said of having his teammates playing in Spain. "Having them over there is going to help us because they are going to be in shape and ready to go."\nHoosier coach Jerry Yeagley also said he thought the international experience could only help Ambersley and Grabavoy when they return to the Hoosiers' team.\n"Anytime you can play international competition against some of the best players in the world, and many of the players in the other countries are pros, that is part of the maturity that helps move somebody to the next level," Yeagley said.\nIn the tournament, the U.S. Under-20 went head-to-head with some of the most storied soccer nations in the world. The U.S. team was in group play with Brazil, Italy and Ukraine. Brazil downed the U.S. squad 2-1 in the first group play match, but the U.S. responded and defeated Italy 2-1 and 5-2 to advance to the elimination round.\nIn the semifinals the U.S. took on Uruguay for a chance at a re-match with Brazil in the finals. Grabavoy helped out in the Uruguay match, scoring the eventual game-winning goal on a penalty kick after 34 minutes of play. Grabavoy's goal gave the U.S. a 2-1 lead, and they went on to win 3-1. Team USA did lose the rematch to Brazil, 1-0 in the final.\n"That is probably the best tournament that I have ever played in, because it is all international teams," Grabavoy said. "It is just amazing how our team did over there. I think it was good for me, because I got a lot of games in and right now I feel like my fitness is up."\nThe U.S. team played five matches in six days and Grabavoy started four of them. Ambersley started the Ukraine match and came in as a sub in the final. After the completion of the tournament, Ambersley and Grabavoy traveled 20 hours to return to Indiana and both played in IU's season opener last Friday against Rutgers. Grabavoy also played much of Saturday's game with Clemson, but Ambersley was sidelined with a back injury from earlier in the year.\nAmbersley was last year's Co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year and was IU's second leading scorer with 18 points on six goals and six assists. Prior to his freshman year, Grabavoy suffered an injury that sidelined him until mid-season, but he returned last season to start four games and notch four points with a goal and two assists. The sophomore duo will be looked to this year to add to the firepower brought by Noonan and senior Ryan Mack, who returns after a season long injury last year.\nYeagley said he encourages players to represent their country in tournaments such as the one in Spain, despite the time players must spend away from the team.\n"The media attention and the publicity is good news, but the bad is that they aren't with you," Yeagley said. "But in the end you hope that experience will help our team both in terms of being stronger this year and in terms of recruiting in the future"