Hoosier quest for repeat titles starts today

Seven. Seven deadly sins, seven days in a week. Seven: the name stolen from George Costanza.\nSeven is also the number of games that lies between the IU men's soccer team and a successful defense of last year's NCAA Championship season. The Hoosiers will begin that defense at 11:30 a.m. today against Michigan State in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament in Ann Arbor, Mich.\n"I feel like I should have seven more games left in my year," said senior goalkeeper Jay Nolly. "I don't want to look anything shorter than that."\nThe Hoosiers will start the Big Ten tournament the same way they started their Big Ten regular season schedule -- in Michigan -- against the Spartans of Michigan State. And after beating the Spartans 3-1 on a hat trick from sophomore forward Jacob Peterson, they hope to mirror the results, as well.\n"I think we're looking good," Peterson said, "but anything can happen during the tourney. We'll just have to hope for the best."\nIU was able to rest up and get back to basics with the team's longest break in scheduling since the beginning of the season. The Hoosiers' last match came nearly a week and a half ago against IU-Purdue University Indianapolis, a 4-0 victory for the cream and crimson. \n"I think we just tried to make training fairly competitive and made the guys work," said IU coach Mike Freitag. "During the season, you only have so much time because you've got to ease off for games, and when you get done with a game, you don't want them working too hard the next day. So we were able to get in several good sessions."\nOne of the primary focuses for the extended break was getting the team back to preseason physical shape and stamina, something achieved with extended practices and training sessions in the days before and after last weekend, Peterson said.\nIU also looked to iron out its final kinks, as even the slightest mistake could spell a shortened season from this point out.\n"With the games right on top of each other during the season, it's hard to work some things in because you are constantly traveling and stuff," said sophomore back Julian Dieterle. "We are just really sharpening up to get ready for the big push."\nIU faces the challenge of squaring off against opponents who have already seen them before. Having already played every Big Ten team, the approaches and styles of each team will be no surprise to anyone.\n"They will definitely be closer games because they know your tendencies and they know what to expect," Dieterle said.\nLast season the Hoosiers entered the tourney on the heels of a nine-game winning streak and continued riding that streak right through to the championship match. This season IU has won five straight, but the real difference between this year and last has come mentally.\n"I think we are just as strong (as last year)," Peterson said, "but it's the mental part that we have to get taken care of."\nIU will play Michigan State in the Big Ten semifinal and then either Northwestern, Ohio State or Michigan in the finals depending on how things shake out. The Big Ten winner then receives an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament.\n"We have to focus on ourselves," Freitag said. "I'm not one who worries too much about the opponent. We are a team that, if we are playing our best, we can beat anybody. So I just want us to be sharp and do everything we can. We can't control the other team, but we can control ourselves."\n-- Contact staff writer Brian Janosch at bjanosch@indiana.edu.