The IU men's soccer team clinched the Big Ten regular season championship with a 1-0 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers on Friday night.\nAnd on the team's senior night, it was a freshman who was the hero. \nFreshman midfielder Lee Hagedorn's goal late in the second half clinched the Hoosiers' 12th Big Ten regular season championship. Last year was the first time in 10 years the Hoosiers did not win at least a share of the regular season crown.\n"We got the championship back in Indiana," sophomore midfielder Brad Ring said. "We got it back where it belongs."\nBut doing so didn't come easily, especially on a night that was so rainy officials almost postponed the game. \nIU started the game with a crisp attack at the Badger defense. With sharp passes on a sloppy field, the cream and crimson booted six first-half shots at Wisconsin goalkeeper Jake Settle, who entered the match leading the Big Ten in fewest goals allowed. \nIn the sixth minute, senior midfielder John Michael Hayden fielded a pass five yards in front of the Badger goal and turned around, ready to shoot. But Wisconsin defender Jack Lambo slid in front of Hayden to knock the ball away. \nIU coach Mike Freitag said his team did not do a good enough job sneaking behind the Wisconsin defense. \n"Just playing in front, knocking around in front, is easy to defend," Freitag said. "Getting behind them ... creates chances for us."\nThe rain picked up in the second half, and so did the IU offense.\nIn the 78th minute, after a Badger defender knocked the ball out of bounds deep in his own territory, Ring launched the ball deep into the Badger penalty box. \nSenior midfielder Josh Tudela and sophomore midfielder Brian Ackley got their feet on the ball. Ackley moved the ball to Hagedorn, who, while slipping, knocked the ball into the Badger goal.\n"We were all just running there, crashing in. (The ball was) just bobbling around," Hagedorn said. "I was able to get to it first and luckily put it in the side of the net."\nRing said it's a play the Hoosiers practice, but to actually score with it takes some luck.\nIt was Hagedorn's first career collegiate goal.\n"Lee's one of those kids that has good timing to get behind defenses," Freitag said. "He makes good decisions on the ball, and he's a good soccer player."\nStill, Hagedorn's role on the team is limited, as he doesn't see playing time every game. But before the battle with the Badgers, Hagedorn said he believed he could exploit some of Wisconsin's defensive weaknesses and hoped he would get an opportunity to show his coaches.
Friday's 1-0 victory was the third Big Ten shutout for the Hoosiers in six games, even though typical starter junior Greg Stevning sat out with a concussion. Senior Julian Dieterle started in Stevning's place. \n"From our perspective, communication was about 90 percent of the battle," freshman defender Ofori Sarkodie said. "We've been working extremely hard on that -- getting into tussles, winning the first and second balls, not allowing anything from the attack of other teams' offense. And you've got to owe that to communication between the backs."\nThe Big Ten championship gives the Hoosiers the only first-round bye in the Big Ten Tournament. The tournament begins Thursday at Ohio State.\nIU will play Friday against the winner of the Penn State-Northwestern matchup. IU lost to Penn State 1-0 but beat Northwestern by the same score in the regular season.
