Hoosiers hope to dominate conference

For the fifth season in a row, IU has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the Big Ten, and they’re backing up that prediction so far in 2007. \nWithin the first three weeks of the season, the Hoosiers knocked off 2006 national title runner-up UCLA, tied 2005 national champion Maryland, brought home a tournament championship and had two players recognized nationally for their efforts. IU has been ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation. However, the Hoosiers still have a long road ahead as fellow Big Ten competitors are continuing to climb the national rankings. \nIU’s greatest conference threat this year comes from the Northwestern Wildcats, who were the only other Big Ten team ranked nationally in the preseason, coming in at No. 14. \nNorthwestern notched a 14-win season last year, while coming within one win of the NCAA College Cup. The Wildcats have won 45 games in the past four seasons and are 4-2 in NCAA play, according to the 2007 Big Ten season preview press release. \nWith that success, Northwestern coach Tim Lenahan said he’s looking forward to a big season and sees his team as a growing powerhouse in the Big Ten.\n“We know that it is important for us this year to have a good Big Ten campaign,” Lenahan said in the release. “Our seniors were able to get a glimpse of that success in 2004 when we made the Big Ten Championship game and hope to return to that level this year. ”\nNorthwestern has a major offensive presence in senior David Roth, who was named to the Hermann Trophy watch list and was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2006. \nAnother team expected to make a splash in the Big Ten this year is Ohio State. The Buckeyes were recently voted into the Top 15 under the direction of head coach John Bluem, the winningest coach in OSU history. \nAlthough OSU lost six seniors last season, they are returning seven other starters, including Xavier Balc, last year’s Big Ten leader in scoring. The Buckeyes were awarded the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament each of the last three years. \nPenn State stands in second place in all-time wins in the Big Ten with a record of 45-30-6. However, it was the only Big Ten team that did not receive a vote in the Sept. 11 edition of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Top 25. The Nittany Lions have won three of their last four contests with the Hoosiers – IU’s victory coming in their first game in the Big Ten Tournament last year. Junior midfielder Brian Ackley remembers some frustrating contests with Penn State.\n“Penn State always gives us trouble,” Ackley said. “For some reason, we don’t bring it to them.”\nThe Nittany Lions had a rough season last year after the loss of forward Jason Yeisley to knee and foot injuries. Yeisley is expected to return this season and is looking to add to his 11 goals and seven assists in his 29 career starts. \nRounding out the bottom three in the preseason rankings are Wisconsin, Michigan State and Michigan. \nThe Wisconsin Badgers placed third in the Big Ten last season and hope to continue their success under coach Jeff Rohrman. Last year, the Hoosiers defeated the Badgers in the last game of the regular season, securing their Big Ten regular season title and guaranteeing them a first-round bye in the conference tournament. The Badgers return their entire midfield as well as their leading point scorer, junior Victor Diaz.\nMichigan State returns 13 letter winners and eight starters this year. The biggest hole in MSU’s roster is at goalkeeper, where the Spartans lost senior Jason Tillman and must rely on fifth-year senior Chris Austin – the only MSU netminder with collegiate experience.\nMichigan, in only its eighth year of varsity play, recently jumped to No. 18 in the Sept. 11 national poll, despite being ranked last in the conference in the preseason. In their last meeting, the Hoosiers and Wolverines tied 2-2 in a double-overtime match.\nIU coach Mike Freitag has respect for the rivalries that exist in the Big Ten and looks forward to a competitive season.\n“We always like the Big Ten rivalries,” Freitag said. “They’ve really developed over the years. From the looks of these first couple weekends, the Big Ten is going to be a strong conference this year.”