Waiting is the hardest part: IU takes home Big Ten title

The IU men's soccer team regained the Big Ten regular season championship Friday night by defeating Wisconsin 1-0. The cream and crimson finished third last season behind Penn State and Ohio State after nine consecutive seasons -- from 1996 to 2004 -- as outright or co-champions.\nFourteen Hoosiers celebrated their first Big Ten championship as the team won its 12th title in program history.\nSophomore midfielder Brad Ring said bringing the championship back to Bloomington has been a goal for the team.\n"It feels great," Ring said. "We got the championship back in Indiana, and that's what we wanted. That's what we wanted last year, but we slipped up a bit. We got it back where it belongs."\nFor fifth-year seniors John Michael Hayden and Josh Tudela, Friday's victory marked the fourth championship in their Hoosier careers. They celebrated senior night Friday with fellow seniors Julian Dieterle and Kevin Robson, who won their third regular season championship.\nEach championship has been special for Dieterle, but after a disappointing start to the season, winning the title means a lot for this team, he said.\n"They all feel good," he said. "This is nice because we are finally meshing together, coming together at the right time."\nThe Hoosiers finished the regular season 4-1-1 with each of the four wins by one goal. IU has struggled with scoring this season but has found the way to win close games, sophomore forward Brian Ackley said.\n"We like to keep it close so the fans will keep coming back," Ackley said with a wink. "We know we are going to win every game, so we don't worry about it." \nThe second game of the Big Ten season became the turning point for the Hoosiers. Twenty-three minutes away from starting the season 0-1-1, the Hoosiers scored goals in regulation and then overtime to defeat Michigan State 2-1. From that point, the cream and crimson went 3-1 to capture the title.\nAlthough Michigan State ended the season with the second-worst record in the Big Ten, every conference game is a battle, IU coach Mike Freitag said.\n"The Big Ten is tough," Freitag said. "I don't care what anybody says. Every game is tough game. I don't care who you are playing. Whether in first place or last place, it's going to be a battle."\nThe victory gives the Hoosiers the No. 1 seed in this weekend's Big Ten Tournament. As a result, the Hoosiers will have a bye from Thursday night's games and an extra day of rest.\n"Soccer is a long season, and an extra day off means a lot," Ring said. "We don't miss another day of school, and it just feels good going in as the No. 1 seed."\nWith one goal accomplished Friday night, the Hoosiers will focus on their second goal of the season: winning the Big Ten Tournament.\n"So far, one of goals was to win the Big Ten regular season," Freitag said. "We've done that. So now we are going to hopefully win two more games and win the postseason tournament"