Team welcomes top-ranked squads for weekend matches

By Chris Hopper \nIndiana Daily Student\nThe IU men's water polo club will be in action this weekend against many of its Big Ten foes along with some nationally ranked opponents from around the country.\nThis weekend the Hoosiers will play host to the Hoosier Classic at Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center and will be opening up competition against some accomplished teams. Saturday's play will consist of a round-robin format to determine the best teams out of the three brackets. There are nine teams competing in the tournament, and of the nine, five squads come from the Big Ten.\nMichigan State, Michigan, Purdue and Ohio State will join IU as Big Ten participants. Michigan is the top ranked team in the tournament and in the Big Ten. IU enters the tournament third in the tournament and the Big Ten. The Big Ten Championships await the Hoosiers next weekend, so this tournament will provide the team with a gauge for next weekend's event.\nTeam president and senior leader Dave Johnson said he feels the team is fully prepared, and he is happy with their efforts so far this season. \n"We are definitely good," Johnson said. "We beat 10th-ranked Georgia Tech, and we are 2-0 against 12th-ranked Purdue."\nJohnson said the Hoosiers would be ranked in the top 10 in the country had they not used a non-student player for part of the season. Following one of the team's victories over Purdue, the Boilermakers logged a protest citing that an IU team member was not a student. Therefore, no matter how many votes the Hoosiers receive, the team cannot be ranked. The player in question will not be competing with the team in the upcoming Big Ten Championships, erasing any doubt lingering over the team's successes. \nThis weekend at the Hoosier Classic, IU will face off against two tough teams. At 1 p.m. Saturday, the Hoosiers play the Indy Master's Team, a squad the Hoosiers have never played. Then in the evening portion of Saturday's docket, IU will meet familiar faces, the Boilermakers, who they have defeated twice this season. Sunday afternoon, the team will start its day with a matchup against the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines. The Hoosiers will end round robin play against the Spartans of Michigan State. \nTeam treasurer and senior Dave Doerr said he is looking for a strong performance this weekend eventually leading to a spot at Nationals. \n"I think if we can get everyone to step up for the Big Ten tournament, we have a good shot at winning that and giving us a seat in the National tournament," Doerr said. "If we make it to Nationals, the Big Ten teams have always fared well there, and we can expect another strong performance." \nJohnson, a St. Louis native and eight-year veteran of the sport, has a bright outlook for the rest of the season. Player and coach Aaron Eisberg is a key part of the team as the defending Big Ten Player of the Year. Overall, the men's IU water polo club has some promise for the Big Ten Championships and possibly Nationals. \nDoerr has set the bar high for himself and the team, and said he feels these goals are possible. \n"I'm looking for a spot at Nationals," he said. "I think we have a very strong team this year, and it wouldn't be unrealistic to look to win the Big Ten tournament."\n-- Contact staff writer Chris Hopper at chopper@indiana.edu.