Freshman earns Big Ten honors

Four years ago, then-high school freshman Eriq Zavaleta scored 25 goals for his Westfield team.

Zavaleta, now a freshman forward, is running the pitch in Ann Arbor, Mich., as the first freshman to score seven goals since former IU soccer player Darren Yeagle in 2006.

Zavaleta booted three goals in the last week of play. The first was the game-winning goal against Butler on Oct. 12. The second and third came against the Wolverines.

The first goal against Michigan helped IU erase a one-goal deficit, and the second goal helped IU  to a 4-1 win. Zavaleta and senior Alec Purdie lead the team with seven goals each.

“It’s not so much that he’s a freshman,” Purdie said of Zavaleta, “but he’s played a lot in terms of his ability to come in his first year and carry around a lot of weight in terms of production.”

The freshman-senior duo is also tied for second in the conference for goals scored.

They both lead the Big Ten tied with points (16) and points per game (1.23).

If Zavaleta’s past is any basis for predicting the future, many more goals are still left to be booted from the freshman’s feet.

“Seven goals is a lot,” Purdie said. “If we don’t have those seven goals then we’re not in the position we’re in right now. It says a lot about him.”

— Stephanie Kuzydym