The 2013 season was the first time in program history IU lost more games than it won .
The match against Xavier will be the first of two exhibition matches this fall, the second being against Washington Aug. 23 .
Xavier had a record of 10-7-2 in the 2013 season and had its season ended in the first round of the Big East Tournament against Butler .
The last time IU and Xavier faced each other was in the 2012 NCAA tournament . IU won that game 4-1 on its way to its eighth national title .
On IU’s sideline will be 13 players who have not worn cream and crimson before . IU Coach Todd Yeagley believes each of them can play a major role this season.
“We made it clear to the freshmen that this isn’t come in and wait,” Yeagley said . “You go win something. You don’t let an upperclassmen get the upper hand. You go win something.”
Yeagley said his plan for the exhibition is to play one half with primarily newer players and the other with a rotation of players he expects to play heavily during the first official game.
Yeagley did acknowledge that with only three returning starters, it is difficult to differentiate between the two groups at times .
The area of the field with the most new Hoosiers is the defense . This is not coincidental either. ?After conceding 38 goals last year, Yeagley felt he needed some new personnel.
“We need some of these players,” Yeagley said . “That’s why we brought a pretty back loaded field group of 10 ?freshmen.”
Even if the newcomers don’t play a single minute this season, senior Patrick Doody said they will have contributed by just being on the practice field.
“Whether they’re on the field or not, they are all going to have a huge role,” Doody said . “This is ?probably the most open preseason in terms of spots available that I’ve been a part of.”
Perhaps the biggest test IU will receive against Xavier will be finding the back of the net. In 2013, Xavier allowed only 19 goals.
IU scored 36 times last season but is losing 22 of those goals either to graduation or players leaving to play Major League Soccer.
“I think it’s going to be across the whole board,” Doody said . “I think for us to be successful everyone’s going to have to step up in that part of the field.”
In 2013, IU had three players tied for the team lead of five goals . Two of those ?players have graduated, but junior Femi Hollinger-Janzen returns.
“Femi didn’t want to step on the roles of some of our key attackers,” Yeagley said . “I think now he knows he needs to be the man.”
Most importantly, though, Yeagley said he wants his ?defense to perform more like the defense of the 2012 national champions when they allowed just 18 goals.
“We need to get back to being very difficult to score on,” Yeagley said . “And if we do get scored on, not let it affect us for the ?second goal.”
