Soderlund adds depth to IU

Senior goalkeeper Luis Soffner has played all 740 minutes of the IU men’s soccer team’s first eight matches.

During five of the matches, Soffner shut out the Hoosier opponents.
Soffner said without a strong backup goalkeeper pushing him every day in practice, he wouldn’t be where he is now.

Sophomore Michael Soderlund is that kind of goalkeeper. The Boise, Idaho, native graduated from Timberline High School, 1,830 miles from Bloomington, a year early to begin his collegiate soccer career.

“It was hard,” he said. “The (IU) coaches asked me to, and I could because I was ahead in school. I just made it work.”

IU Coach Todd Yeagley said Soderlund plays a valuable role.

“We needed to get stronger in that position,” Yeagley said. “We felt he could help us sooner than later. Luis, his best soccer has been since Michael’s arrived. Luis knows that.”

Soffner said he gave his teammate some wisdom.

“You have to do your time in practice,” Soffner said. “You have to work hard, no matter your situation. My freshman year, I redshirted, too. I knew that I wasn’t going to come in and get a starting job right away. I had to work for it. My role my freshman year was to keep pushing whoever was in front of me and keep working my way up.”

Soderlund said it is easier to stay focused because of his friendships.

“The team helps a lot,” he said. “It’s more like a family than anything. It’s always nice to be able to rely on the guys. This kind of just becomes your home. That helps a lot.”
Steve Adlard, the father of former IU forward Andy Adlard, helped Soderlund discover IU.

Yeagley said Steve Adlard, a goalkeepers’ coach, gave high praise of Soderlund to the IU coach and helped the Hoosiers land his goalkeeping talent.

“He came to camp highly recommended by someone who knows the position very well,” Yeagley said. “We brought him in to help push our group. To have a really good No. 1 goalkeeper, you need to have a couple really good goalkeepers behind him.”

Soffner said Soderlund brings a lot to the other goalkeepers in practice.

“He brings a toughness,” Soffner said. “He’s a very, very good shot-stopper for his size. He doesn’t necessarily have the height that I have, but he’s extremely good in areas that he’s good at, whether it’s shot-stopping, anything else, really, communication, everything. He’s learning. He’s still young. He didn’t get much time last year.”

Soderlund said Soffner is a wonderful teacher.

“He’s a great goalkeeper,” Soderlund said. “Training with him every day really helps. I get to see how he does stuff, and I can implement that into my game.”

Soffner said Soderlund’s work ethic makes Soffner better.

“As a whole, he pushes me every day,” Soffner said. “He makes me better. Knowing that he’s behind me, it makes me more confident. It also makes me work even that much harder in practice.”

Soderlund said after last year, he was feeling homesick through the season.

“Like anyone, you’re going to miss home,” Yeagley said. “You’re going to miss the comforts of your family. There weren’t many options for him around there. He’d be far no matter what. He’s adjusted well.

“He’s extremely bright. The guys really like him. This year, he almost feels more comfortable with this group because it’s more his age.”

Soffner said the team supports Soderlund 100 percent.

“I know that some of the guys have talked to him,” Soffner said. “Then again, we have other guys from far away, too, even further. He’s got plenty of friends on the team, and we all love him. He’s just happy Mike, his same old self. I think he’s doing well.

“I don’t think he’s battling homesickness or anything. He’s fit in just fine. Him and all the other guys get along. I know that if he were to be experiencing any feelings like that, we’d take him under our wings.”

Yeagley said Soderlund has phenomenal athleticism that will serve him well.    

“Luis has done fantastic, won the position and is a captain this year,” Yeagley said. “We’ll continue to use Mike as needed. He’s got three years in front of him. Once Luis graduates, we’ll reassess. He’s in a good situation.

“He’s got a really bright future ahead of him. We’re really excited he’s a Hoosier.”