IU must win 3 games to make it to nationals

After a season of struggles, the men’s club soccer team has come together, and it may be just in time.

The reigning national champions had to fight for their spot in the regional tournament, and now the team is looking to put together the perfect set of games.
IU (7-3-2) has the benefit of hosting the regional tournament that gets underway Saturday at Karst Park near 10th and the Bypass.

To qualify for the national tournament, the Hoosiers will need to make it to the championship game on Sunday.

IU has two games slated for Saturday. The first is at 2 p.m. against Miami (Ohio), and the second is 6 p.m. against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Senior goalkeeper Steven Smith explained that there is a good amount of history between the Hoosiers and Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

“We played them every year in the regional tournament over the past four years,” he said. “We’ve been the team to end their season each time.”

Sophomore midfielder Brad Callahan knows that in order for IU to make it to Phoenix and be in the national championship game, team members will need to rely on one another.

“We are a great team when we play together and do what we practice,” he said. “I think we definitely can win, and if we play like we know how, we will win.”

The Hoosiers realize that it will be a tough tournament and that no one is going to let them walk back to the national championship.

“We have done it before, and we just have to focus and believe we can do it again this year,” Smith said.