Men's soccer 'thankful' for NCAA Round 3

IU soccer might be thankful for competing in the third round of the NCAA tournament two weeks after they almost did not receive a berth.

The team could be thankful for a freshman goal keeper who has recorded two postseason shutouts against top 25 teams after seeing the bench three weeks earlier for poor play.

Thanks could be given for the boost in senior leadership, after the team was told to reevaluate itself by IU coach Mike Freitag.

Regardless of what this soccer team gives thanks for, they will be spending Thanksgiving day together.

Winning their game against Butler on Sunday afternoon, IU advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament, where it will take on North Carolina this Sunday in Chapel Hill, N.C.

After the victory Freitag said the week ahead brought … Thanksgiving.

“It’s a time to celebrate,” Freitag said. “We’ll get together as a soccer family and have thanksgiving and we’ll prepare for whoever our opponent is.”

With practice and preparation throughout the week, Freitag gave his team 24 hours to spend time with their family.

Although a majority of the team is from the Midwest, the full window of break is not one they are taking.

Senior midfielder Eric Alexander said he has not spent Thanksgiving at home in four years.

“I either have eaten at the Union in the Tudor Room or at Coach Freitag’s house,” Alexander said. “He had a couple of us over last year. We had a little more time in between our games. He gave us like two days to go home and I stayed and a couple other kids stayed.”

But staying on campus when a majority of the Hoosier body has gone home doesn’t bother Alexander.

“It’s definitely tough, but you still find stuff to do,” Alexander said. “I hang out with kids on the team anyways so I’m just with those kids.”

One of those kids is fellow senior Darren Yeagle, who said spending the holiday eating with his coach instead of his parents doesn’t bother him either.

“I mean there are positives and negatives,” the forward said. “Obviously everyone wants to go home for Thanksgiving to be with their family and stuff but I mean I consider the IU team my family too.”

This soccer family won’t get up early for Black Friday shopping, nor will they go around the table giving thanks for goals and saves of their 12-9-1 season.

“We have a prayer, but usually we’re just stuffing our faces,” Freitag said.

But one thing they most likely will be giving thanks for is being at their coach’s house to celebrate Thanksgiving.

“It means we’re still in the tournament,” Yeagle said about turkey at Freitag’s house. “It’s a good thing.”