IU drops 1st collegiate exhibition game of spring

IU men’s soccer coach Mike Freitag treats the spring season as an opportunity for individual improvement and experimentation with the lineup. Based on the last two games, it seems he hasn’t quite found the killer combination on the field that he needs to win. \nThe Hoosiers lost 1-0 on Saturday to the Saint Louis Billikens at Bill Armstrong Stadium. In the first half the Hoosiers had a hard time retaining possession of the ball and were unable to execute on penalty and corner kicks.\n“We started off a little timid,” said freshman back Ofori Sarkodie. “We were able to find our rhythm a little later into the half.” \nThe Billikens got their first open look at a goal a little more than a minute into the game, but it was kicked out. From the moment the game started, everyone could feel the high level of aggression between the two teams. \nSophomore midfielder Brad Ring was called for a foul as he attempted to drive his shoulder into a defender. Not long after, IU freshman Daniel Kelly and Billikens midfielder Kyle Hayes got into a tangle and exchanged words before a referee separated the two. \n“They’re always more aggressive toward us,” said freshman Darren Yeagle. “Because (they know) we’re better than them.” \nThe closest the Hoosiers came to scoring came midway through the first half. Sophomore Billy Weaver was tripped up and a foul was called on the Billikens. Freshman midfielder Eric Alexander took the free kick, which bounced off the goal post. \nGoing into halftime the Hoosiers’ stats looked dismal. They only had two shots to the Billiken’s five. But, the pace of the game changed coming out of the locker room, as the Hoosiers proceeded to take nine shots the second half to the Billiken’s two. Kelly attributed this to a change in the style of play discussed during the half. \n“I think it was moving quicker in the back,” Kelly said. “Finding both the wides and the forwards first.” \nSeveral times the Hoosiers got the ball into dangerous territory for the Billikens, but they were unable to finish plays before having the ball kicked out. But when the Billikens moved the ball into IU territory, they found more luck. Early into the second half, Saint Louis midfielder Eric Sweeten headed the ball over the hands of IU’s sophomore goalkeeper Chay Cain, making the score 1-0. The Hoosiers were unable to catch up. \nDespite the loss, Freitag said he saw many positives throughout the game, especially in the second half.\n“First half, I thought we were sloppy,” Freitag said. “Second half, I liked what we did. I felt we came out and put them under pressure.” \nFreitag knows his team is still young and has a few more standards to meet, but indicated that things could only improve as the season goes on. \n“It’s springtime. Buds are just starting to show,” he said. “I’m waiting for things to bloom. We still got a little ways to go.”