Hoosiers face talented OSU squad

After defeating Notre Dame and last year’s Hermann trophy winner, midfielder Joseph Lapira, No.16 IU (9-4-1) will face Ohio State and Hermann hopeful Eric Brunner in Big Ten competition. \nIU will welcome the Buckeyes at 3 p.m. Sunday to Bill Armstrong Stadium with recent history on their side. The Hoosiers have defeated the Buckeyes in the last six contests – with five of those six wins being shutouts. \nThe Hoosiers are currently 3-0 in the Big Ten with three games remaining on their conference schedule. \nIU’s recent success will also be integral in their upcoming game as they enter Sunday having won their last two matches. The Hoosiers defeated No. 4 Notre Dame and then-No. 6 Northwestern. IU coach Mike Freitag said these two big wins will help them leading into the contest against Ohio State. \nFreshman midfielder Rich Balchan echoed his coach’s words but said the team hasn’t forgotten their Oct. 10 loss to Louisville that ended a four-game winning streak.\n“We’re pretty confident going in the game with a 3-0 conference record,” Balchan said. “The Notre Dame win was a big one for us, but we’re just taking it one game at a time now.” \nIf there is one thing that could shake the Hoosiers’ confidence, it’s Brunner. As a candidate for the Hermann trophy – which goes to the nation’s top Division I soccer player – Brunner only has three goals on the season, but has been playing well as of late. Brunner scored a game-winning goal on Oct. 10 against Oakland. Another threat for the Hoosiers comes in the form of Buckeye forward Xavier Balc who has 10 assists on the season along with two goals. Balc also recently gained his 30th career assist. \nBrunner’s knack for scoring along with Balc’s assisting ability could cause problems for the Hoosiers. Though the Buckeyes pose a threat to IU’s unblemished conference record, the Hoosiers are exuding confidence right now. Junior forward Kevin Noschang – who made an assist and a goal to lead IU to their last win – said the team is on top of their game. \n“We have all the confidence in the world right now,” Noschang said. “We got some great momentum from Northwestern and Notre Dame, and we’re doing great right now.”