Bushue fights through injury, leads Hoosiers to team's 18th College Cup

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Imagine a window predetermined to shut once a five-year period passes by.

This is the reality student athletes face.Though the IU men’s soccer program has a great tradition that includes seven national championships, playing for a berth in the College Cup is not inherent.

Since their last appearance in the College Cup in 2004, the Hoosiers have made only one appearance in the national quarterfinal round in 2008.

Junior midfielder Jacob Bushue said he did not want to miss this opportunity.

Bushue initially injured his left knee Oct. 28, in a 3-1 loss to Michigan State.

He did not play in the Hoosiers’ regular season finale against Northwestern, and he played as a reserve in the Hoosiers’ Big Ten Tournament loss to the Spartans.

In each of IU’s three NCAA Tournament wins, Bushue started despite a torn meniscus in his left knee.

“I knew I had two years left to put a mark on this program,” he said. “If I could run, if I could walk, I was going to be out there.

“It was tough for a little bit, because the trainers and I thought I was going to be done for the season right before the Big Ten Tournament. It was a little bit of a tough time.”

But he said one day it started to click.

“I’ve been able to fight through a little bit of pain,” he said. “(Assistant Athletic Trainer) Joe’s (Lueken) been awesome ... Anything I can do to be out there, I’m going to do it.

Senior goalkeeper and co-captain Luis Soffner said Bushue’s sacrifice means
a lot.

“Being a senior, I want to do everything I can for the team,” Soffner said. “Just knowing that the younger guys are willing to buy into that, too, and listen to everything that I’m preaching as a senior, and the rest of the seniors, hoping that they’ll give it their all, it’s a great sight seeing him running around out there and giving up his body.”

Bushue blocked three North Carolina shots in the final 12:03 of the Hoosiers’ victory over the Tar Heels Friday, including two from dangerous angles.

“Down the stretch, the blocked shots that were required (were) just gutsy plays,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said.

Bushue was also winning aerial balls.

“We did tactically move Bush back with Dylan (Lax) because they were going pretty direct the last 10 minutes,” Yeagley said. “Bushue is one of our best guys in the air and really fought hard to keep balls up the field to where we could make plays.”

Senior defender Caleb Konstanski said Bushue’s sacrifice means a lot to him.

“You see a guy younger than you giving it all out there,” Konstanski said. “People feed off that when they see a guy out there who’s definitely not 100 percent, and he’s sliding around, winning balls.

“It’s great to feed off that.”