Shooting for the record

In 1987, Ken Snow produced 28 goals in 21 games. Snow’s ’87 season still stands in the Hoosier men’s soccer record books as the most goals scored in a single season.
This season, sophomore forward Eriq Zavaleta is on pace to match or break that record with six goals in six games so far.
In Zavaleta’s first three games, the standout from Westfield, Ind., scored five goals.
The streak ended for two games before finally resuming with a sixth goal against
Oregon State last weekend.
With 22 more goals to score, the record is still far from reach. But the pace Zavaleta has kept thus far is worth mentioning.
“He has been doing really well by stepping up to the plate and helping us in big moments,” senior captain and goalkeeper Luis Soffner said.
Zavaleta was the team leader in scoring and points during his freshman year with 10 goals and 25 points.
At the conclusion of his freshman year, Zavaleta was nominated for and received numerous honors.
In addition to several Player of the Week mentions, Zavelta was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Chicagoland Soccer News Player of the Year. He was selected for the All-Big Ten first team, College Soccer News All-Freshman first team and Soccer America All-Freshman first team.
After this successful year, the then-freshman has grown to be the more mature sophomore seen today, Soffner said.
“He’s matured a lot,” Soffner said. “Last year, he was the same size and same speed. But I think mentally his ability to read the game has been 20 times better.”
The maturation has brought honors with it as well.
After being mentioned on the Hermann Award watch list, Zavaleta was placed on the Big Ten players to watch list. On Aug. 27 and Sept. 3, Zavaleta was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.
“He is a great finisher,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. “He is getting good chances while attacking, and we’re able to find him the ball. He has taken his chances well this year.”
With 12 games remaining in the regular season, this record remains distant.
However, while Hoosier fans cherish the nostalgia of the program’s past, it is possible to acknowledge the hope of the program’s future to attain those benchmarks.
“I think if he really wanted to achieve that goal, then he needs to just take it game by game,” Soffner said. “As long as he just does his work on the field every match, if he just plays his role by adding a goal here and there, then there’s no doubt in my mind that he could easily do it.”